“I pulled [The Pocket Guide to Games] out today because I had to come up with a game that a group of 50 kids ages 4 to 11 could all play together. I flipped to the index in the back and quickly came up with a couple games that would work. . . It managed to keep a large group of kids entertained until their parents arrived to pick them up. All in all, this is a useful little book that I literally put in my back pocket and took with me to the activity today. Rating: 5 Stars” |
The Pocket Guide to Games brings you games your kids can play without computers, joysticks, game boards or even game pieces, in some cases. Most of what you'll need you can find around the house, or at the nearest hardware store… and there is an INDEX so you don't have to go flipping through the book five times before finding that great game you saw, be it the Human Arcade or Toilet Tag (which does not involve actual toilets but the impersonation of them...) Just reading the game descriptions out loud was amusing for the kids I was with. -books4yourkids.com |
It’s a summer nightmare: You are stuck in a musty cabin or clammy beach cottage, the kids are climbing the walls with boredom and you are not far behind. Or you may even be at home, which is boring enough by itself. Or you need to organize kids’ activities for a party or family reunion. What to do for some simple fun? If you have a copy of The Pocket Guide to Games on hand, you have your answer. Written by a middle-school teacher from Oregon who happens to have a devastating sense of humor, it was inspired by a 1909 book, but it adds some decidedly contemporary twists. All 75 games can be played with equipment, if it’s needed, that is easily available at home or stores. They are divided into active and quiet categories, along with “contests, feats and tussles” and “beanbag and ball” games. Those that require parental supervision are marked PR for “potentially rough” and all are indexed by age level and type of game. My favorite: Telepathy Ball, in which hovering parents hold onto the waistbands of their basketball-playing youngsters and try to anticipate their kid’s moves without tripping the kid up. The parent who truly knows his child will do well. |
For parents whose mental inventory of backyard or picnic games has become slim, we offer… The Pocket Guide to Games, a compendium of simple, inexpensive, fun games for kids -- and parents -- that are perfect for playing whenever a lazy summer afternoon and a kid’s attention span collide. In his book, author Bart King runs down the basics of dozens of games, from classics (Circle Dodgeball and Spud) to twists on newer themes (Paranoia Ball and Toilet Tag). The best backyard or picnic games are ones that players can lose themselves in, King says. “The real acid test is: Does your face hurt when you’re done, because you didn’t realize you’d been smiling for so long and your facial muscles just kind of cramped up?” In writing his book, King adds, “that’s the sort of gleefulness I was looking for.” |
Highly recommended: This is the second book from Bart King that I have reviewed and I have to tell you that his books are infectious and his ideas are growing on me. As the mother of five, including two rowdy boys, and as a former class aid and substitute teacher what I would have given for a copy of this book sooner! Truly the book description says it all. Immediately I thought of personal uses for the book (to share with my children or to have used it as a substitute teacher) but I also thought of my dear grandfather who would have loved a book like this. A great book for those who appreciate games of all kinds. Moms...this might be the inspiration you need to get those kids outdoors this summer! I recommend it for readers that are ages 12-Up. But certainly younger kiddos can play some of the games. |