301 Bright Ideas for Busy Kids: 11 Messy Projects, 12 Silly Games, 10 Cool Things to Make and Hundreds of Other Ways to Spend Time Creatively (Paperback)

~ (Author) "Many offices conduct a "Secret Pal" program during the holidays..." (more)
Key Phrases: flat playing area, noodle slices, show your children, Mystery Slime, Rube Goldberg, Happy Birthday (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

301 Bright Ideas for Busy Kids is the ultimate resource for family fun. This treasury of easy, inexpensive activities for holiday, travel, special days and everyday, includes:

--Instant fun: engaging games to ward off boredom
--Scavenger hunts: exciting new twists on classic fun
--Messy projects: exploring different mediums for fun and learning
--Cool things to make: brings out creativity and fine motor skills
--Wordplay: stimulating word games increase vocabulary and grammar skills
--Mad scientist projects: science principles brought to life
--Travel games: makes the tedium of travel an opportunity for stimulation and thought
--And many more…

These outdoor and indoor activities mostly require little or no set-up time and use items you’ll have on hand. They can be adapted to all age groups and any number of children, and are useful for travel as well as at home. Prepare for tons of fun as you try these bright ideas on your own busy kids!

About the Author

For ten years Silvana Clark was a recreation supervisor and camp program director, running family activities for groups of up to several thousand people. She is the author of 600 Tips for Early Childhood Directors, 150 Ways to Raise Creative Confident Kids, and Parent Tested Ways to Grow Your Child’s Confidence. She was recognized as Outstanding Recreation Programmer for the state of Washington, and received the 1997 Directors’ Choice Award from Early Childhood Magazine. Presently, Silvana is a professional speaker, giving workshops and keynote speeches across the country. She lives in Bellingham, WA.

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc. (April 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1402200501
• ISBN-13: 978-1402200502
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 4.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,244,923 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonder what to do with your kids?, June 14, 2005

By	The Parent Coach Company (Atlanta) - See all my reviews

This book is an incredible resource of creative, interactive ideas for activities to do with children of all ages. The activities are designed to take advantage of materials parents already have on hand, and they require very little preparation time. The book clearly shows how such diverse activities for children can assist them to build skills as leaders and organizers, develop their creative thinking and help them to become capable game masters.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Every Parent and Grandparent Should Have This, June 2, 2007

By	F. Rosenbaum (Abilene, TX) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Since my niece became a new mommie, she shared this book with me. It is a fabulous collection of ideas to put the "quality" into quality time with the kids. Since I have found this treasure, it has become an item I love to include with my gift for baby showers. Don't pass this up!

2.0 out of 5 stars A few good ideas... but nowhere near 301 of them, October 25, 2009

By	Jeffrey Varszegi (Methuen, MA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

I bought this to be a rainy-day help for my family. Unfortunately, it only somewhat delivers. Some of the activities in the book are so boring I wouldn't expect them to hold the attention of my bright four-year-old. Some of them seem to be quickly dashed off ideas to bulk up the book (for instance an activity where children have to lie on the ground moving a body part as little as possible).

In addition, some of the activities are miscategorized, I suppose in an attempt to beef up a particular category. For example, an activity involving cutting faces into paper plates and shining lights through them is called a "Silly Game", even though there are none of the characteristics of a game (e.g. no goals or rules). Cutting holes in plates might be fun, but without more it's not a game.

I bought this book used for a low price, and still wish I had saved my money. There is about the same level of useful content here as in the "Family Fun" magazine, which we hardly leaf through any more.