Playing Smart: The Family Guide to Enriching, Offbeat Learning Activities for Ages 4-14

by Susan K. Perry

Book Overview

A family activity book which contains games, projects and activities that aim to stimulate a child's imagination, intellect and sensitivity to others. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1575420953
• ISBN13: 9781575420950
• Release Date: March 2001
• Publisher: Free Spirit Publishing
• Length: 228 Pages
• Weight: 1.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 7.3" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Easy, life enriching book for children AND adults!

Wow, this is just an awesome book for any parent, grandparent, caregiver, teacher... It was an "impulse buy" and turned out to be the best child activity book I have ever seen. As a former professional, college educated stay-at-home mom, I wanted to move beyond "Candyland" and "Go Fish" and have more fun with my kids. This book provides a wealth of information that makes having fun with them a lot of fun for me! There are 14 chapters, after the introduction. Each CHAPTER provides a background on the topic, helpful information, many ideas and projects to try, sidebars with even more information and ideass, and a very extensive "resources" section with additional books, websites, relevant games, music and more. Chapters include Instant Fun, Playing around with Photography, Mind Snacks: Recipes for Kitchen Learning, The Junior Geographer, celebrate the Senses, and so on. The book provides a very well rounded experience without being "preachy". It isn't a "learning book" and doesn't teach skills, so to speak, but a child can't help but learn and grow from the activities listed. Most activities are free or require a very small investment. Each chapter is a treasure. For example, the first chapter, Instant Fun, makes waiting with kids actually fun. There are 30 "instant games" (for example, picking out someone walking by or a fellow patient in a waiting room and making up a creative story about them, turning your hand into a puppet with instructions, things to do while waiting for a meal in a restaurant, etc.), five different ways to keep busy while travelling, 13 different quick pencil games (such as one of you draws a squiggle and then you and your child take turns completing it into a picture, dot games, a game called "scrambled sentences, etc.). There are 4 sidebars in this chapter with even more ideas for instant fun. And finally, there are 13 references for more information, books, catalogs, games, etc. Each idea or game is at least a paragraph long--it isn't simply a list of run of the mill ideas. For my family, this chapter alone is well worth the price of the book. And each following chapter is just as chock-full of information, ideas and projects. A previous reviewer stated it was a good book to get out of a rut and I couldn't agree more. The back cover shows a review from Working Mother magazine that states, "The beauty of this guide is that most games call for nothing more than two people and two brains." I couldn't agree more.

New revised updated version of this book is better!

As the author, I'm letting you know that the resources in this older edition of Playing Smart are out of date after a full decade in print. Buy the REVISED edition (subtitle: THE FAMILY GUIDE etc.) and you won't be disappointed.

The author shares info about this book

PLAYING SMART is coming out in a new enlarged updated edition in April 2001. Stay tuned.

Packed with creative fun

Susan K. Perry's writing is always a delight. PLAYING SMART is filled with fun ideas that will entertain children AND adults. Each chapter offers dozens of suggestions to open children's minds to love learning, improve their powers of observation and innovative thinking, and to be respectful of the world and all its beauty. Many many resources listed for games, supplies, and further information. Children will learn they need never say they are bored again.

Excellent ways to play with kids while you wait and wait ...

Here's where to turn for creative responses to "How much longer?" -- that classic question asked by children of all ages -- when sitting in traffic, waiting in the doctor's office, or standing in line at the supermarket. You and your kids (ages 4-14) will enjoy the offbeat, simple games in Playing Smart. The fun ideas in this book will turn, "Aren't we there yet?!" into "Are we there already?!"