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Books
to Ward Off Summer Boredom
By Michaele Birney Arneson
April 1, 2003
Soon
after children celebrate the last day of school, the words “I’m
bored” are never far behind. Here are a few books to help
parents and caregivers keep young minds and bodies active.
The
Kids Summer Games Book |
Keeping
Them Busy
Boredom
strikes when kids don’t know what to do, or how to do it.
The Kids Summer Games Book (ages 4–8, Kids
Can Press, 1998) by Jane Drake and Ann Love includes the rules and
instructions for more than 150 games and activities. The book includes
indoor games such as charades, outdoor games such as capture the
flag, and one-person activities like juggling.
Get Out! Outdoor Activities Kids Can Enjoy Anywhere (Except
Indoors) |
For
those looking specifically for outdoor activities, Hallie Warshaw
and Julie Brown offer a variety of ideas in Get Out! Outdoor
Activities Kids Can Enjoy Anywhere (Except Indoors) (ages
9–12, Sterling Publications, 2003). Offering more than just
games, the book provides suggestions for activities ranging from
a neighborhood pet show to sidewalk crafts. This newly released
book is a winner of the Disney Adventures Book Award.
If
camping is the destination, Kids Camp! Activities for the
Backyard or Wilderness (ages 4–8, A Cappella Books,
1995) Laurie Carlson and Judith Dammel detail more than 100 projects
and games, such as writing with berry ink, that are sure to make
camping fun and educational--whether in the wilderness or backyard.
Keeping the Mind Active
Child
development studies have found that children can lose up to 80%
of what they’ve learned the previous school year during the
mentally inactive summer months. Many parents, having first-hand
experience with this phenomenon, are eager to keep their children
ready for the next school year.
Summer Bridge Activities series |
Rainbow
Bridge Publishing (RBP Books) is the producer of the award-winning,
best-selling Summer Bridge Activities series. Their
nine-book bridge series spans kindergarten through eighth grade
and outlines daily activities in reading, writing, arithmetic and
language arts that are designed to maintain and expand the child’s
educational level while they are away from school. Each workbook
contains an incentive contract calendar and a certificate of completion
to encourage daily study habits.
Another
series that makes learning fun is written by educator Peggy Kaye,
who began her series with Games for Reading: Playful Ways
to Help your Child Read (Pantheon Books, 1984). Although
originally published nearly 20 years ago, Kaye’s suggestions
of more than 70 games to encourage reading have stood the test of
time and proved ideal for busy, working parents. Games for
Learning: Ten Minutes a Day to Help Your Child Do Well in School
from Kindergarten to Third Grade (Noonday Press, 1991)
is another resource that busy parents can use to enhance vocabulary,
math, handwriting, and even science skills with children between
the ages of 5 and 10.
Games
for Math: Playful Ways to Help your Child Learn Math from Kindergarten
to Third Grade (Pantheon
Books, 1988) outlines more than 50 ways to make math fun. Games
for Writing: Playful Ways to Help Your Child Learn to Write
(Noonday Press 1995) also introduces the early childhood group to
a fun way of learning.
Writer's
Bio: Michaele Birney Arneson is a freelance writer and
editor, specializing in children’s topics, education and employment,
health science, and environmental issues.
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