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101 Pep-up Games for Children: Refreshing, Recharging, Refocusing (SmartFun Activity Books)
 
 
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101 Pep-up Games for Children: Refreshing, Recharging, Refocusing (SmartFun Activity Books) [Paperback]

Allison Bartl (Author), Klaus Puth (Illustrator)
3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)

Price: $14.95 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
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Book Description

6 and up1 and upSmartFun Activity Books
Children often find it difficult to make it through an entire day of structured activity — be it school, daycare, camp, or a boys/girls club. These games and activities are the remedy. Refocusing a child's mind after a long lesson or event, they re-energize youngsters and improve the mood of any group. Many incorporate call-and-response and improvisation, strengthening a child's cognitive skills while relieving fatigue and facilitating concentration. Each game requires only the children, a leader, and a heavy dose of enthusiasm — no props or preparation necessary! The book is clearly written and easy to follow, and its infectious sense of fun makes each of these activities the perfect antidote to late-afternoon weariness.

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101 Pep-up Games for Children: Refreshing, Recharging, Refocusing (SmartFun Activity Books) + 101 Relaxation Games for Children: Finding a Little Peace and Quiet In Between (SmartFun Activity Books) + 101 Movement Games for Children: Fun and Learning with Playful Moving
Price For All Three: $36.34

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  • 101 Relaxation Games for Children: Finding a Little Peace and Quiet In Between (SmartFun Activity Books) $11.43

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Editorial Reviews

Review

Do you have a bunch of kids that are getting rambunctious? Are you planning a kids party and don't want to play the same old games? Or perhaps you are a teacher who wants to give your students a break from the usual classes and revitalize their interest? If you answered yes to any of these questions, this is the book for you.

101 Pep-Up Games for Children is an awesome resource for anyone who is looking for games for kids in groups of just a few or a whole bunch. The book is separated into sections showing appropriate number of kids or what props you will need. There are some games in the book which require props, some where physical contact might be involved, some requiring a large space, some outdoor play and others which need music.

Recently I was placed in charge of coming up with kids games for our church’s picnic. 101 Pep-Up Games for Children has been an invaluable resource. The kids were able to have fun and in some instances learn something new too. My daughter is planning on being a teacher and she already wants to be sure to have this book in her “teacher stuff” that she will someday use in her classroom. This is a must have for any teacher, parent or adult who works with kids ages 6 to 10. It is a part of the SmartFun series and I can't wait to read more in this series! - Lori Plach for Reader Views

As a theatre director and professor, I've had ample opportunity to witness the usefulness of games for energizing and focusing groups of people. Now, as the mother of an extremely energetic one year old (one of her primary nicknames is the Energizer Bunny), I'm even more aware of the basic human need to *move* sometimes. Educational theory backs this up: kinesthetic learning is increasingly recognized as an important and valid learning style. (In my parenting group, our coordinator told us that some districts are even encouraging kids to chew gum late in the afternoons because the motion helps them focus!)

Along these lines, 101 Pep-up Games for Children is an excellent resource for moms, pre-school and grade-school teachers, daycare providers, and theatre folks like myself. The games are well-organized, making it easy to find the right kind of game for your specific purpose. They're ordered from simplest (for the youngest children) to most complex (for kids aged 9-10... or immature performer-types like myself). Each game is coded with clear icons delineating how many people the game is for, whether props or music are needed (mostly they're not), whether the game is played outside, and whether or not there's physical contact involved. There are also nice indexes in the back in case you want to find a game by name or requirement. Best of all, the games are simple to learn and play, and many incorporate learning concepts that make them easy to adapt to current classroom lesson plans...Overall, this book is a great resource and one I'm sure I'll turn to with my own kid and with future students and actors. - Elise, LibrayThing Early Reviewer

As a second grade teacher, anything that helps with energy and classroom management is a good thing. My mind just doesn't function in inventing exercise games very well, so 101 Pep-Up Games was a great one from which to get ideas.

This book really helps with quick, useful activities that kids can do in the classroom. No extra teacher thinking necessary. The activities are especially useful for rainy days!

The layout of the book is also nice and pleasing to the eye. There isn't a lot of text clutter, and it has appropriate attention-getting images to accompany each exercise. The book's instructions and symbols are straight to the point and easy to understand (which I appreciated).

I recommend this for any beginning teacher (like myself)! - Colombe, LibraryThing Early Reviewer

As both the mother of four young children, and an intermittent Sunday School teacher, I have often found myself at wit’s end while cooped up with antsy youngsters. Many are the times I have simply run out of curriculum or activities, while time slowly ticks until dismissal. Though I’m sure I must have played many games in my own youth, at these times, “Duck, Duck, Goose” is the only children’s game I can ever remember on the fly. For all these reasons, 101 Pep-Up Games for Children by Allison Bartl is going to be an invaluable resource for me...Designed for children ages 4-11, this book is the ideal tool for various-sized groups of mixed age kids. In many cases, the games require absolutely no preparation or props, which for someone like me, is perfect. The book is well-organized, with easier games towards the beginning and more advanced games towards the end. Pre-defined symbols indicate what size group a game is best suited for, or other special requirements such as space to move or necessary props. Whimsical drawings are found on every page.

All of the games are specifically designed to release pent up energy, or to re-energize a listless group by moving the body. The description of each game is so straightforward and brief that I’m often left wondering, “Why couldn’t I think of that?” But the truth is, thinking of children’s games is not my strength, and that is why 101 Pep-Up Games for Children is going to be such a fabulous tool. - Alaskabookworm, LibraryThing Early Reviewer

Product Details

  • Reading level: Ages 6 and up
  • Paperback: 160 pages
  • Publisher: Hunter House (September 28, 2007)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0897934954
  • ISBN-13: 978-0897934954
  • Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.5 x 0.4 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,713,738 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

4 Reviews
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4 star:
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Average Customer Review
3.5 out of 5 stars (4 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars Nice, but overpriced for content, April 24, 2008
This review is from: 101 Pep-up Games for Children: Refreshing, Recharging, Refocusing (SmartFun Activity Books) (Paperback)
101 Pep-Up Games for Children
Published by Hunter House Publishers
14.95 for trade paper, 19.95 for spiral bound

This book is designed for teachers or group leaders of elementary aged children. The contents reflect exactly the title--101 different ideas for quick games. In addition, there are jokes and "pick me up" tips scattered throughout.

Each game is labeled with a number of icons representing:
*the size of the group which can play the game
*whether props are needed
*activities which may need a larger space to play
*activities utilizing music
*whether physical contact is involved or likely
*activities more appropriate for outdoors
The icons are fairly clear and easy to read, accomplishing the goal of providing an at-a-glance indication of whether that game is appropriate for your group.

In the front of the book is a numerical list of the games, with a designation of what size group can play the game. In the back there is an alphabetical listing of all the games, and a separate list of games with "special requirements"--essentially enabling you to find games by icon type. There is no listing of games by group size, so you may be flipping to several interesting-looking games to check the icons before finding one that suits your needs.

The games range from the ordinary to the inventive. For example, game #1 ("All right!") and game #13 ("Auntie Bertha's stroll") are variations on follow the leader. Game #36 ("Mirror image") is more inventive, requiring children to mirror the silly faces of a classmate "clown" and freeze that way when the clown moves on.

It is likely that each individual teacher will try out several games from this book, and find a few to incorporate in his regular repertoire.

The "pick me up" tips were surprisingly useful and interesting. In the review copy, however, they were not clearly set out from the text, making them hard to find on a casual flip-through. I hope this will be corrected in the actual copy.

Almost every game is illustrated with a black and white drawing of some children engaging in the activity. The illustrations are cute, but a little misplaced. An adult flipping through looking for ideas might appreciate the summary of the activity that the drawings provide, but they are not really necessary and give the impression of padding the book to stretch to its "hefty" 128 pages. The money spent on illustrations would have been better spent on lowering the price.

That is my one true problem with this book. The price puts it at a level where it is only practical if it is being purchased for a group of teachers, or if an institution approves the purchase because it is not quite as frugal as an individual would be. I hope schools get a steep discount on this one.
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4.0 out of 5 stars Learning through movement, November 7, 2007
By 
Elise Robinson (Minneapolis, MN, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: 101 Pep-up Games for Children: Refreshing, Recharging, Refocusing (SmartFun Activity Books) (Paperback)
As a theatre director and professor, I've had ample opportunity to witness the usefulness of games for energizing and focusing groups of people. Now, as the mother of an extremely energetic one year old (one of her primary nicknames is the Energizer Bunny), I'm even more aware of the basic human need to *move* sometimes. Educational theory backs this up: kinesthetic learning is increasingly recognized as an important and vaild learning style. (In my parenting group, our coordinator told us that some districts are even encouraging kids to chew gum late in the afternoons because the motion helps them focus!)

Along these lines, 101 Pep-up Games for Children is an excellent resource for moms, pre-school and grade-school teachers, daycare providers, and theatre folks like myself. The games are well-organized, making it easy to find the right kind of game for your specific purpose. They're ordered from simplest (for the youngest children) to most complex (for kids aged 9-10 ... or immature performer-types like myself). Each game is coded with clear icons delineating how many people the game is for, whether props or music are needed (mostly they're not), whether the game is played outside, and whether or not there's physical contact involved. There are also nice indexes in the back in case you want to find a game by name or requirement. Best of all, the games are simple to learn and play, and many incorporate learning concepts that make them easy to adopt to current classroom lesson plans.

One interesting note: the author is German and the book was originally published in Germany. For the most part the translation is seamless, but occasionally the cultural differences show in the "tips" included with certain games. (Suggesting that teachers light a peppermint scented candle to pep students up is one that I imagine would not be allowed in a lot of US classrooms.) Overall, this book is a great resource and one I'm sure I'll turn to with my own kid and with future students and actors.
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4.0 out of 5 stars Simple Games Save the Day, October 29, 2007
This review is from: 101 Pep-up Games for Children: Refreshing, Recharging, Refocusing (SmartFun Activity Books) (Paperback)
As both the mother of four young children, and an intermittent Sunday School teacher, I have often found myself at wit's end while cooped up with antsy youngsters. Many are the times I have simply run out of curriculum or activities, while time slowly ticks until dismissal. Though I'm sure I must have played many games in my own youth, at these times, "Duck, Duck, Goose" is the only children's game I can ever remember on the fly. For all these reasons, "101 Pep-Up Games for Children" by Allison Bartl is going to be an invaluable resource for me.

From the publisher: "The games are designed to handle a variety of sitatuions: whether you're working indoors or outdoors, with small groups or entire classrooms, if you have 5 minutes or half an hour." It's really true, too.

Designed for children ages 4-11, this book is the ideal tool for various-sized groups of mixed age kids. In many cases, the games require absolutely no preparation or props, which for someone like me, is perfect. The book is well-organized, with easier games towards the beginning and more advanced games towards the end. Pre-defined symbols indicate what size group a game is best suited for, or other special requirements such as space to move or necessary props. Whimsical drawings are found on every page.

All of the games are specifically designed to release pent up energy, or to re-energize a listless group by moving the body. The description of each game is so straightforward and brief that I'm often left wondering, "Why couldn't I think of that?" But the truth is, thinking of children's games is not my strength, and that is why "101 Pep-Up Games for Children" is going to be such a fabulous tool.
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