101 Family Vacation Games: Have Fun While Traveling, Camping, or Celebrating at Home (Paperback)

by Shando Varda (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
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.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Hunter House (April 10, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0897934628
• ISBN-13: 978-0897934626
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #518,217 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Makes you take note of your actions and words., October 7, 2007

By	Jenny J.J.I. "A New Yorker" (That Lives in Northern Nevada) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

I do a moderate amount of traveling through out the year and this book will come in handy for my future departures. There are quite a few important topics to choose from and this will help you make family outings successful, safe, and fun, whether you're shopping for clothes, visiting your out-of-town relatives, or going camping. After your done reading this you will discover tactics for managing boredom, frustration, and sibling squabbles during delayed flights and seemingly endless cross-country journeys. Using the ideas in this down-to-earth book, you can end grocery store tantrums and car-ride meltdowns, and transform any trip with young children into an enjoyable and memorable outing. "Family vacation games" is simple and eventful to read and share with the kids.

This book starts off with a detailed graph listing of games that are suitable by age and appropriate group size. Once I got my hands on this book I went straight to "Travel Games" because that seems to be the hardest part for me to do with my kids. Come to found out I already some of the games that were listed such as: Word Tennis, I spy, Family Sing-a- long, and Rock-paper- scissors. As I got deeper into the book I found a few games that were intriguing like "Travel Trivia Quiz," The game goes a little something like this: The leader writes a trivia questions on pieces of paper before the journey. She /He can ask different family members to contribute questions. During the time in the journey, the leader asks players the trivia question (How many aunts or uncles in a family will be attending the reunion? Or How long will the next flight will be?) Come to fine out this course help the family work together, plan and develop a sense of anticipation before a journey. Other section in this book includes Games at the vacation destination, Beach Games, Sand figures, Outdoor Games, Birthday Party Games, Games for Babies and Young Children and Games to play at home. Activity Games to play at home is my second favorite category because they help move away from electronic games and media and my kids are mighty addicted to there's. The games that are listed in this section are for playing during the evening, weekends and holidays at home. The ones that stood out to my kids are disc jockey hockey, smugs jewels and pebble breath hold. These games do encourages physical activity, motor skills and bond between each member.

This is an resourceful and useful book and Shando Varda is a veteran to game playing and gives some really good advice in family activities in this book. He has provided a wide range of activities to use with children to help them learn about themselves and understanding others. Many of the activities offer ways to accommodate for older or younger audiences, and some are specific to ages. The range of topics addressed is rather inclusive, and the activities are designed to appeal to all types of learners (visual, auditory, kinesthetic). The activities offer a creative approach to each topic, and are nice springboards for deeper discussions. I am certain this book will be utilized both in my home and travel. Would definitely recommend it this to adults who need a little help keeping their child occupied.

5.0 out of 5 stars Well thought out, well written, fun games and variations, March 10, 2008

By	William C. Hand (Absecon, NJ USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.

5.0 out of 5 stars Turn off the TV, December 24, 2007

By	Nancy A. Anderson (Tampa) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.