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organized kids' groups love this book  Sue:
Many times passions, like yours, grow out of personal experience(s). What
experiences influenced your book and how you decided to "theme" the play days?
 Pam:
I had several college-age sitters who watched my three children while I wrote in
my home office. They were very responsible, but not quite up to the challenge of keeping
the girls as busy at home as they were in pre-school. So, I went around the house and made
a list for them of all the themes I thought I could pull together, based on the toys,
books, videos and craft items we already owned.
For each theme,
I wrote down ideas for possible indoor and outdoor activities, crafts, snacks,
and music. Then I went through catalogs and ordered several treats (new plastic dishes, a
set of number robots, washable stampers and ink pads), spaced to arrive one a month.. Each
week, I made a library trip, choosing storybooks and videos that went along with the
themes, and setting out the materials for the sitters. Even for days when I'm not working,
theme days have just become a way of life at our house.
 Many home
educators as well as organized kids' groups like scouts and day care providers will love
this book. Who did you have in mind when you created The Absolute Best Play Days?
I hoped that this book would help parents, grandparents,
babysitters, childcare providers, and early childhood education majors enjoy long, happy
hours with one or more children, especially with different ages. I'm glad to see that it's
also been a hit with homeschoolers, library outreach programs, and playgroups, and yes,
scout leaders are starting to use it, too. It's true that with most ideas, you can expand
them to bring in some specific (or subtle) learning experience. Since I love science, and
children are
naturally curious, I really couldn't resist slipping in a number of "let's try
this" and "what-if"explorations.
Scavenger
Hunt
Sue:
Could you give an example of going around your house to find the parts for a
theme day?
Pam:
If your child is into anything with wheels, you're sure to find an assortment of
cars, trucks, or construction equipment already around the house. More than that, you
probably also have riding toys, a plastic cup with a car on it for snack-time, and fifteen
car/truck books. Borrow some new books and videos from the library (try Road Construction
Ahead), order a set of six career hats (including a racing helmet) for $9.95 from Troll
Learn and Play, build a play town on the living room floor with blocks or Duplos, wash the
tricycles outside with sponges and buckets, and draw a chalk road on your driveway for all
those ride-on toys. With more ideas from my car/truck chapter, you have everything you
need to create a day or a week based on things that go Vroom, Vvroom, Vroom!
Book excerpt: Detectives
Reprinted with permission of the author.
All rights reserved. ©1999 Pamela Waterman
In this
interview....
|
In this
interview....
The Absolute Best
Play Days:
From Airplanes to Zoos (and Everything in Between!)
by Pamela J. Waterman
Children Love Theme Days!
The Absolute Best Play Days contains 52 themes and activities for keeping children between
ages two and seven happy, safe and creatively occupied for an extended time period. From
dinosaurs and bugs to clocks and inventions, this book covers themes kids love. Low-cost,
everyday materials plus simple planning make this book invaluable for parents, and it's
perfect for baby-sitters, childcare providers, and grandparents too!
Kids Around the
World Create!:
The Best Crafts and Activities from Many Lands
by Arlette N. Braman, Jo-Ellen Bosson
also see
the interview with author Arlette N. Braman
 From
Italian carnival masks to Egyptian jewelry,a fantastic collection of Earth-spanning
activities Kids Around the World Create! is an excellent way for parents and teachers to
introduce children to dozens of diverse cultures from around the world and throughout
history. Each of the projects and activities in this collection is original, fun to do,
and accompanied by a host of interesting facts about the culture. Author Arlette Braman
helps kids recognize the similarities between cultures as well as appreciate the value of
diversity. Perfect in the classroom or at home, the many multicultural projects include
making an Egyptian bead necklace, designing an Amazonian Indian headdress, sculpting an
Inuit spirit figure, and many more. *Includes original activities from many countries,
including India, Ghana, Japan, Korea, and Mexico *All projects can be done with
easy-to-find and inexpensive materials |
