Great Big Book of Children's Games

Book Description

Games play a crucial role in a child's development, helping children to discover and understand the world around them. Parents are always on the lookout for new games and activities to play with their kids.

The Great Big Book of Children's Games features more than 450 indoor and outdoor games for kids.

Arranged according to appropriate agegroup, the games run the gamut in theme and mood. There are games designed for quiet times and intellectual stimulation as well as those that contribute to physical development, such as strength and wrestling games and races and relays. This book presents parents with a vast array of games for children of all ages, including:

Card games
Word games
Sidewalk and blacktop games
Tabletop games
Party games, road games, and more

Customer Reviews:

a keeper.......2007-08-08

This is such a great book! I was looking for some activities to keep the kids from being bored. What a wonderful surprise! This book was way more than I expected. There are tons of activities--card games, outdoor games, pen and paper games, travel games, table top games, blacktop games, and much more. As we looked through the book I remembered some of these from my own childhood, but I probably wouldn't have recalled them without this book to prompt the memories. I was very pleased and the kids love it. There are so many games that they will not be bored for a long time.

From the Board Games Editor at BellaOnline.com.......2005-12-16

The Great Big Book of Children's Games is full of fun games of all sorts: Ball Games, Water Games, Chase Games, Card Games, and so on. Many of the games are well-known childhood classics, but many of them are either foreign or totally new.

The book offers lots of ways to play versions of popular games with a make-your-own version. Naturally, it doesn't tell you explicitly, "Don't buy game X, you can make your own!", but it does give great instructions on how to make paper playing boards for games like Shut the Box, Beetle (like a drawing version of Cootie), and also how to get the most out of a game like Checkers.

As far as outside games, it can't be beat, there are dozens of variations on classics like hopscotch, hide-and-seek, and that eternal favorite: tag!

This book is a great gift idea for Moms, Teachers, Daycare Providers, and it's a great one to leave around for the teenaged babysitter if you're going out and you don't want the kids to spend the evening in front of the TV. Wonderful!

What a great book!.......2005-04-29

I do not own this book, but I put it on my "wish list". I currently have it checked-out from my local library for the second time. What a wonderful book for such a great price! I plan to use it for birthday party activities, kids church activities, etc. This book is well worth the price!

Average customer rating:

The whole dynasty
its absolutely WONDERFUL!

Royal Family of Britain Paper Dolls
Tom Tierney
Manufacturer: Dover Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0486278239

Book Description

Fashions and finery for 26 dolls (some shown in groups). For Elizabeth II — meticulously detailed wedding and coronation gowns, casual wear for horse riding; Royal Navy dress uniform for Prince Philip; dress suits for Prince Charles and his brothers, Andrew and Edward; smart daytime wear for Princess Diana, and more. 16 plates.

Customer Reviews:

The whole dynasty.......2004-06-14

My niece, now all of eight years old, has taken to playing with various kinds of paper and cut-out dolls. Rather than just have the kinds of Barbie and other stuff, I decided that best thing to do would be to get real people she could identify with. In addition to the George Bush and company set, I got her this one, and a few more.

The Royal Family is popular in America, and my niece recognized the people right away for the most part. She recognized Princess Diana most of all. The collection is mostly centered on the Queen, with images of different stages in her life. Then there is Philip; all their four children Charles, Andrew, Edward and Anne.

There's formal and informal wear, including things for official occasions and fun occasions, like horseback riding, which the Royal Family love to do. This is a very campy kind of thing to have -- if you have the magnetic David and Venus for your refrigerator, you could always fashion these cut-outs to go on your refrigerator also.

God save the Queen!

its absolutely WONDERFUL!.......2000-08-29

A MUST FOR A BRITSH ROYALTY FAN ! ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC ! I LOVED EEVERY INCH OF IT !

Great Parties for Kids: Over 35 Celebrations for Toddlers to Preteens (Williamson Good Times Books)

Average customer rating:

Lots of sensible, do-able ideas

Great Parties for Kids: Over 35 Celebrations for Toddlers to Preteens (Williamson Good Times Books)
Nancy Fyke , Lynn Nejam , and Vicki Overstreet
Manufacturer: Williamson Publishing Company (VT)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Accessories:

ASIN: 0913589829

Customer Reviews:

Lots of sensible, do-able ideas.......2004-05-12

I have used this book many times for each of my 3 kids' birthday parties. It is full of great games, clever invitations, and funny party ideas. Definitely a must-buy!

The Shape Game (Boston Globe-Horn Book Honors (Awards))

Average customer rating:

We now play the "shape game"
Love it!
Not what we expected
They don't know art but they know what they like
What A Clever Little Book

The Shape Game (Boston Globe-Horn Book Honors (Awards))

Manufacturer: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0374367647

Book Description

Art makes a difference!

The same family that had such an enlightening experience in Anthony Browne's Zoo is now going to an art museum, Mom's choice for her birthday treat. But wisecracking Dad and their two sons are skeptical about how much fun this trip will be, and they're not quite sure what to make of the art. ("What on earth is that supposed to be?" asks Dad.) But, with Mom’s help, once the boys start really looking at the paintings, they begin to find what pleasures they contain. Most of the family leave with a new appreciation of art – Dad is just never going to get it – as well as a sketchbook. On the trip home, Mom teaches the boys – and readers – a drawing game, which one of her sons (this book’s author) has been playing ever since.

This new book is the product of Anthony Browne's engagement as writer-and-illustrator-in-residence at the Tate Britain in London. There he worked with a thousand children from inner-city schools, teaching literature using the resources in the gallery – and playing the shape game. In his artwork for the book, he surreally transforms, in his signature style, some famous paintings in the Tate's collection.

Customer Reviews:

We now play the "shape game".......2007-09-17

Reading other reviews, this book is for grade-one and up (not preK). My son is very interested in art, and this book helped showed him a link between his work and the works by the author. I also love the way Anthony Browne makes fun of his characters, it makes them real and in the end, adorable (like the boy's Dad). My son and I often play the shape game together. Check out all of Anthony Browne's books, they are quite different from your avergae kid's books (we have 10!).

Love it!.......2007-05-19

As an English teacher I love Anthony Browne's books. There is always so much to 'read' apart from the written words. My 4 and 8yo love this book - esp the "sausage" painting and dad's lame jokes! It usually inspires a few rounds of the shape game between us as well.

Not what we expected.......2005-02-10

This book was a surprise to us. We had expected a book about learning shapes aimed at young children, such as kindergartners. This story follows the author as a young boy and his family through the Tate Gallery in London. Anthony begins to gain a sense of art appreciation from his mother even though his father has a lame sense of humor and does not seem overly interested in the gallery. The illustrations were quite detailed and engaging. They make the reader wish to revisit them multiple times. The message of "The Shape Game" becomes evident at the end when Anthony's mtoher teaches him a game that she used to play with her father, and it then becomes a lifelong interest for him.

They don't know art but they know what they like.......2004-07-21

It doesn't strike you as particularly British the first time you read through it. Nor does it strike you as American. What "The Shape Game" offers the average reader is a family that is trying to connect with art any way it can. The story is an autobiographical piece about how a single trip to the Tate Museum with his family changed the artist's way of looking at art forever. The players in this mini-drama include the author/illustrator as a child, his brother George, his Dad, and his Mom (not Mum?). One day the mother drags the family to the museum despite their mumblings and grumblings. We see a shot of them walking, all grays and browns, next to the river. Inside, the family starts to offer comments on what they see. In what may well be my favorite line in a picture book published in the last five years, the father asks what a particular sculpture is:

"It's supposed to be a mother and child", said Mom.
"Well, why isn't it?" said Dad.

He has a point. As they continue, however, they start to identify with what they're seeing. There's a section explaining the Augustus Egg painting, "Past and Present No. 1" that is nothing short of phenomenal. I only wish Browne had taken the time to give this sort of attention to more paintings found throughout the Tate. The kids start imagining their dad in some of the pictures (he fits in remarkably well in a lot of them) and by the end everyone has had a good time. The shot of them walking home is infused with all sorts of colors. On the ride home, Anthony's mom shows him the Shape Game. All you have to do is to draw a shape. Any shape at all. Then you pass this shape to another person and they have to change it into something that makes sense. Browne concludes, "And, in a way, I've been playing the shape game ever since..."

After completing this story in my own time, I was struck by the thought that this book is an excellent companion piece to the rather similar picture book, "Uncle Andy's". In both stories, the author/illustrators reflect on why they decided to create art in the first place. For James Warhola the decision came from hanging out with his cool Uncle Andy (Warhol). In this book, the artist began drawing after seeing the range of artistic possibilities at the Tate. I wish I could say that the book is flawless, but a couple things bugged me here and there. For one thing, I don't know when Anthony Browne was born but the fashions and haircuts presented in this story look oddly contemporary to me. Also, the style of drawing changes violently at times. Sometimes he'll make his characters beautifully lifelike and realistic. The next thing you know they're cartoonish and off-putting (especially the section where the father imagines himself chased by a lion). Still, Browne has a wonderful way of matching his characters' movements to the movements found in the pictures behind them. I also was very taken with the fact that the portraits featured in this story are relatively unknown to the vast majority of child readers. You'll find works here from such artists as Peter Blake, George Stubbs, and John Martin. Not necessarily household names, you know. It's also a lot of fun to notice how shapes from the Shape Game pop up in the occasional portrait or background image without announcing themselves unduly.

My only final critique is this: The father is notorious in this story for telling awful awful jokes. Yet at one point he tells my FAVORITE joke of all time. I suggest you get out this book and flip to the joke told in a makeshift rendition of Sir John Everett Milais's, "The Boyhood of Raleigh". Right there you will find (if told correctly) the best joke in the whole wide world. For an introduction to art and how average people can eventually identify with it, this is an ideal creation. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to fill their children's heads with the limitless possibilities of artist expression. Ha ha!

What A Clever Little Book.......2004-02-22

I picked up this book after seeing the positive review in the NY Times Book Review. I was taken particularly with the illustration from the Tate Museum of the family's viewing "The Cholmondeley Ladies by British School, seventeen century." One of my favorite paintings from the Tate, a print of it hangs in my home.

The story, apparently autobiographical, is about a family-- Mom, Pop and two boys-- who go for an outing at the Tate. Only Mom and the narrator, who ultimately becomes an artist, are really into this visit. Mom asks questions to the children in an effort to awaken their interest in great art. Dad, not to be outdone, keeps a running supply of corny jokes going.

The book title comes from a game the author's mother used to play with her dad. "The first person draws a shape - any shape, it's not supposed to be anything, just a shape. The next person has to change it into something. It's fantastic. . . And, in a way, I've been playing the shape game ever since."

If this beautifully illustrated little volume gets one child to appreciate art, it will be well worth the money the parents paid for it. It's the next best thing to visit a gallery or museum.

Average customer rating:

One of the best books on this subject so far!

I wouldn't go twisting without it!

Great Balloon Fun for the Whole Family
Consumer Guide
Manufacturer: Ashley Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0881766488

Customer Reviews:

One of the best books on this subject so far!.......2006-08-02

I've recently started balloon twisting, and have purchased/viewed a number of books on the topic. Before I found this book, I thought Captain Visual's book was the best, but was very expensive as it is out of print. Captain Visual's book has more sophisticated projects, but especially for a beginner, this one is AWESOME! Many of the other books I've seen have drawings, or black and white pictures. This book has step-by-step instruction with full color pictures for each step. It also had some ideas that weren't in the other books I'd seen. I just received this one today, and I'd highly recommend it! I also like the spiral binding, as you don't have to try to hold it open when you're twisting balloons.

I wouldn't go twisting without it!.......1999-11-27

This is one of the best beginners books we know of for people interested in learning to twist balloons. It begins with very basic techniques, then advances to balloon sculptures which are certain to impress nearly everyone. It is also very helpful for showing people who are uncertain what sculpture they want. The wire binding allows it to lay open fully while both hands are being used for twisting.

Average customer rating:

The Great Book of Family Games
Chicca Albertini
Manufacturer: Sterling
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1402701233

Book Description

Bring more fun into your life! In this panorama of play are games old and new, familiar and barely known. but all perfect for spending quality time with your family and friends. Pick from classics like Agone, Backgammon, the ancient Royal Game of Ur, and Chinese Checkers. Get out the cards for Canasta, Rummy, Forty Flush, and the very simple To The Point. Roll the dice, or take your "chances" with Bango, Bezique, Teresina and Tontina. Go on a Conquest, a variation of Checkers where you're trying to capture a hypothetical fortress: the strategic challenge is exciting. And, hundreds of others, including ones especially for kids. (They won't be able to resist playing games called "Careful, Fido!" or "I Doubt It," where they have to guess whether opponents are telling the truth or not.) You'll never hear the words "There's nothing to do" again!

Great Software for Kids & Parents (The Dummies Guide to Family Computing)

Average customer rating:

Good book
Great list of children's software titles
Finally a "one stop" source for software for your kids

Great Software for Kids & Parents (The Dummies Guide to Family Computing)
Cathy Miranker , and Alison Elliott
Manufacturer: Wiley Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Software | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0764500996

Book Description

So much great -- and not-so-great -- software is available for kids that parents hardly know where to begin to find the truly great stuff. Now, in Great Software For Kids & Parents, children's software experts (and moms) Cathy Miranker and Alison Elliott provide a thoughtful, unbiased look at what programs really are both educational and entertaining (as well as for what age groups and personality types particular titles are suited). They point the way toward software designed for everything from mastering a foreign language and developing math skills to improving reading comprehension and building critical thinking abilities. Plus, on the book's accompanying bonus CD-ROM, you find AT&T WorldNetSM Service software, including five free hours per month of Internet access for one year; special versions of Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer, the two top Web-browsing programs; and a whole host of family-tested and approved software demos for reading, math, social studies, science, and creative pursuits.

Customer Reviews:

Good book.......1999-10-09

this is a very thorough review of current software, and very balanced...Two other books worth looking at in this area are: Take Charge Computing for Teens and Parents and the PC Dads Guide to Becoming a Computer Smart Parent...both are packed with information and advice.

Great list of children's software titles.......1997-08-18

The authors have compiled a thorough list of the very best programs for kids. There are thousands of family software titles out there. This book discards the flash and selects the best

Finally a "one stop" source for software for your kids.......1997-01-26

If you're a parent and you have kids and a computer this is the essential text. It's filled with lots of specific recommendations to help you find the best software programs by age or subject. Plus it gives you lots of tips to help you and your kids get the most educational value from these programs. Worth the price when you think how much you can save from not buying one bad piece of "so-called" educational software. A real public service.

Kids Catalog of Michigan Adventures (Great Lakes Books)

Average customer rating:

Kids Catalog of Michigan Adventures (Great Lakes Books)
Ellyce Field
Manufacturer: Wayne State Univ Pr (T)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

North America | Travel | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0814326641

Crabtree Books.(Nations Of The Eastern Great Lakes)(Life Of The Powhatan)(Life Of The California Coast Nations)(Life In Ancient Egypt)(Life In Ancient ... : An article from: Children's Bookwatch

Average customer rating:

Crabtree Books.(Nations Of The Eastern Great Lakes)(Life Of The Powhatan)(Life Of The California Coast Nations)(Life In Ancient Egypt)(Life In Ancient ... : An article from: Children's Bookwatch

Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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Book Description

This digital document is an article from Children's Bookwatch, published by Midwest Book Review on April 1, 2005. The length of the article is 476 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Crabtree Books.(Nations Of The Eastern Great Lakes)(Life Of The Powhatan)(Life Of The California Coast Nations)(Life In Ancient Egypt)(Life In Ancient China)(Life In Ancient Mesoamerica)(Life In Ancient Greece)(Life In Ancient Mesopotamia)(Life In A Medieval Monastery)(Medieval Towns, Trade And Travel)(Life On A Medieval Manor)(Science And Technology)(Food And Feasts In The Middle Ages)(Children And Games In The Middle Ages)(Arts And Literature)(Iraq: The Culture)(The People)(Book Review)
Publication: Children's Bookwatch (Magazine/Journal)
Date: April 1, 2005
Publisher: Midwest Book Review
Page: NA

Article Type: Book Review

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