Well thought out, well written, fun games and variations

books:

	• 101 Family Vacation Games: Have Fun While Traveling, Camping, or Celebrating at Home Shando Varda Hunter House, 2006 - 160 pages average customer review:based on 6 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Well thought out, well written, fun games and variations

This has a number of clever and fun games, with useful information right in the Table of Contents that allow you to quickly find a game for your group.

Most of the entries are easy to understand, well written and complete, with warnings and suggestions to ensure safe game-play.

Only a few of the entries (e.g., Frisbee golf) seemed half-done and rushed, with incomplete information to play the games (as if they were crammed in at the last minute).

By and large, though, this is a very useful guide to quickly locating a suitable game and modifying it for the age range playing.

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An excellent layout

Reviewed by Leslie Granier for Reader Views (10/07)

"101 Family Vacation Games" is a compilation of activities that can help entertain both children and adults. The games are divided into six main categories - travel, vacation, beach, outdoor, home, and birthday party games. The book title is somewhat misleading because the games, with the exception of some of the beach games, can be easily adapted to be played anywhere. There is also a special section at the end with games parents can use to interact with babies and young children.

The layout of the book is excellent. Listed at the beginning of each game is the number of participants required, the level of difficulty, and whether any props will be needed (i.e. music or a deck of cards). Most of the games are fairly simple and can be completed quickly. Also provided are ways to modify the games so that younger children can also be included. Several of the games are old favorites, such as Charades, I Spy, and Rock, Paper, Scissors, but there are many with which I had not been previously familiar.

The author stresses the importance of making sure everyone understands and agrees to the rules before the game begins. He also states the importance of parents taking part in the games so they can share similar experiences with the child and create memories as a family. Playing provides many benefits including: exercise, learning ways to relate to others socially, releasing stress, and acting as a diversion to forget about one's problems for a short time. Some games help to develop reflexes and concentration skills. Others involve exploring the world around us. The next time you see children playing don't be surprised if they are actually learning something.

I recommend "101 Family Vacation Games" for all parents and children. It will not only help to develop a closer relationship between the two but also allow them to learn more about the other's thoughts and dreams. Playing together develops lifetime memories that become more precious as the years pass. It is important to set aside a few minutes each day to play, whether it is to remove oneself from life's daily stresses or simply to spend time with those you love.

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Fun Games, Ugly Format

When I first got this book my first thought was ,"Oh great, Another book on parenting that has bad illustrations and is full of syrupy platitudes which I've read before." Lines in the book like, "People who use this book can personally discover the wonderful effects of play." did not help. I started to look through the book and remained unimpressed when I read a few of the games. The whole feel of the book did just not click with me. There was ONE thing about it that I liked about the book on my first time through. The icons that gave you at-a-glance information about each of the games. Having just done a search for games for a Cub Scout den the week before I could appreciate not reading halfway through the game before I figured out it was not an appropriate game for my purposes. After reading most of the prose in the book that wasn't game rules I figured there was really only one way to review a book about games. Time to play some games. I called the kids into the living room and told them I needed their help. We chose games mostly at random easily eliminating the ones that required props we didn't have, a beach, or some other element that would prevent us from playing that game. The next two hours flew by and I had to promise we would play some more games the next day in order to get them to go to bed. I quickly learned that it is not possible to know how fun a game will be just by reading the description. Some of the ones that sounded cool, like Toe Fencing didn't work out, but a simple game like Word Tennis was a great hit. I will be putting this book permanently in the car so we can avoid the Are-we-there-yets on the next family vacation. I still think the book could be presented better, but there is no denying that the games are fun.

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Turn off the TV

If you want your children to spend less time watching TV and playing video games, this is the perfect book for you! It was designed for car/plane rides, parties, and family outings. However, as an educator, I see the opportunity to give your children the diversion they crave while developing their imaginations. The activities include both mind exercises and physical challenges, so keep your kids from turning into couch potatoes by using this book to have some family fun.

A Handy Reference for Low-Tech Family Fun

Jump-start family fun time with these 101 ideas for games and pastimes. You shouldn't wait for your next vacation to spend some time with these simple, low-tech games.

Right out of the bubble mailer my boys were playing Word Tennis and laughing out loud. On first inspection, I spotted some tried-and-true favorites, like Rock Paper Scissors, which are probably already in most families' repertoire. But for the most part, the games were new to us. I appreciate the useful table of contents matrix, which matches each activity with the number of people needed.

You might think of "vacation games" as "games to play in the car." But that is just the first section of this book. There are categories for: Travel Games, Games at the Destination, Beach Games, Sand Figures, Outdoor Games, Games to Play at Home, Birthday Party Games, and finally Games for Babies and Young Children.

If you are like me, and your brain stalls when required to come up with something to entertain your children, you'll want to have this book handy. I know I will.

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reviews: page 1, 2

This resource brings together games new and old from around the world, creating a wonderful collection for parents to explore with their families. The activities can be used any time parents, teachers, camp counselors, and other adults want to encourage laughing and learning and engage children in a positive and fun-filled way. There are games to play at the beach, while camping, in the car, on the plane, and elsewhere. Sample games include Word Tennis, Treasure Hunt, and Storytelling Starters, and photographs and illustrations enhance the play experience.

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