Things Worth Doing and How to Do Them

Lina BeardProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.6

Word count: 447K words
Chapters: 45

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Things Worth Doing and How To Do Them by Adelia B. Beard and Lina BeardAuthor: Beard, Lina, -1933,Language: English, Class: GV: Geography, Anthropology, Recreation: Recreation, Leisure, Release Date: May 17, 2015

Editor's review

This is a guide to handicrafts and outdoor activities by the Beard sisters, a practical book from the early tradition of scouting and family handicrafts. Organized around things worth doing, it turns games, crafts, nature observation, and simple hands-on projects into workable step-by-step instructions; the tone is warm and emphasizes children gaining pleasure and self-reliance through making things. Its value lies not in polished design but in a plain educational outlook: turning everyday materials into playable objects and leisure time into purposeful practice. Some tools and safety notions in the book now look dated, and readers must judge and substitute for themselves; but as material for understanding early twentieth-century children's leisure education, craft courses, and family life, it retains a distinctive documentary interest. It suits readers curious about old-style handicrafts, nature education, or the history of scouting, and can also be a source of inspiration for parent-child activities.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in old-style children's crafts and family handicrafts
Parents and educators seeking inspiration for hands-on activities with children
Those studying the history of scouting or early leisure education
Readers who like finding practical ideas in old public-domain books

Not a good fit for

Hands-on practitioners needing strict modern safety guidance
Those expecting a systematic curriculum or teaching theory
Readers who want only literary essays and don't care about instructions

Reading tips

Skim the contents for projects with easily available materials and low risk, then read the steps closely.
Replace old tools and methods with modern safe alternatives, and assess risks before starting.
When reading with children, restate the steps orally and check as you go rather than following the text word for word.
Compare with today's nature education or craft courses and note how attitudes have changed.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Can the craft projects in the book still be done today?

Most projects remain usable in their basic approach, but the knives, open flames, and outdoor activities reflect earlier conditions and safety standards differ from today's. Keep the ideas, substitute materials and tools, work under adult supervision, and put safety assessment before starting.

Is the book better for children to read alone or with parents?

The original is in English and the step descriptions bear the mark of their era, so independent reading is hard for young children. It works better for a parent or teacher to read first, choose suitable projects, then explain them to the child and prepare materials and make things together, turning reading into a shared hands-on start.

How does it differ from ordinary craft instruction books?

Ordinary craft books focus on finished results and step-by-step diagrams, while this book emphasizes the educational intent of things worth doing, combining games, nature observation, and hands-on practice, with a clear early-childhood educational outlook. Half its reading value lies in the projects and half in that plain attitude toward life.

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About the author

Lina Beard Author · American · 1852–1933

Lina Beard (1852–1933) was an American author and illustrator, born in Cincinnati, Ohio. She collaborated for many years with her sister Adelia Beard on books for young people, especially girls, about handicrafts and outdoor activities, including The American Girl's Handy Book, Little Folks' Handy Book, On the Trail: An Outdoor Book for Girls, and Indoor and Outdoor Recreations for Girls. These works are characterized by clear, illustrated instructions that encourage hands-on making and closeness to nature, covering crafts, games, and outdoor exploration. Seven of her works are held in this collection, including titles written with her sister and solo works such as Mother Nature's Toy-Shop. She also helped found Girl Pioneers of America, an early American girls' outdoor organization, contributing to the promotion of leisure education and outdoor activity for girls of her time. Public information about her is limited, and details of her life are largely obscure; she is known chiefly for these practical books.