Customer Reviews

Fun on the Run!: 324 Instant Family Activities

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I received this book as a gift, and carry it in my purse for quick reference. The games have entertained my 4-year-old daughter--and me!--at the doctor's office, in restaurants, in the grocery store, and in the car.
The games are easy, fun, and much more creative than anything I could come up with on my own. (And it sure beats the whining.)

Coming in at a small size of 4-inches wide, 6-inches tall and about an inch thick... this book is worth quantum times more than its size. It should be delivered by your family's stork on your kids' third birthdays! It's a must have for every diaper bag! It's even as critical in your minivan as gasoline!

The opening line is a quote from Cesare Pavese, "We do not remember days... we remember moments." And, this book is meant to create a lifetime of childhood memories in those everyday life events where we all have a few moments to spare (many of which you don't realize you have!): waiting for food in restaurant, waiting in line at grocery store, waiting in a waiting room, long drives, short drives, even when mom and dad are just plain ol' busy, etc.

Here's some examples that I'm gonna randomly open the book and include:

Once the waiter takes your drink order, choose one family member as a guesser. The rest pass a penny from person to person underneath the table until the drinks arive. Once they do, everyone puts their closed hands on the table. The guesser then must guess who holds the penny. It's not rocket science. It's quick. It's fun. And, it beats watching the kids try to color on the back of the menu with the lousy yellow restaurant crayon that breaks into 50 small pieces!

Waiting forever for the doctor to arrive? Have your child draw their body double on the crinkly white paper that covers the examination table. Color in eyes, nose, clothing, where it hurts, etc. This makes the time go faster and distracts the discomfort your little one might be having that brought them to the doctor in the first place.

Got a drive the kid's aren't looking forward to? Have one come up with a secret category in their head (billboards, blue pickup trucks, cars with something on their roof). Each time you pass it on your drive, your child counts out loud the number of times they see their category item. Everyone else must guess the category. The correct guesser goes next.

The book's even loaded with cool little tips. Got kids who can't sit still? Keep them in the car as you drive through the drive-through. Once you get your food, unload them. Go inside and eat immediately from the sack vs. the tray!

Buy the book to get the other 321 great ideas. It's cheaper than one hour's worth of babysitting! And, your kids will remember these moments with you forever!!!

This book has helped with both my 3 yr old and my 13 yr old!!! It is a great little book with loads of ideas!

'Boring' is one bad word around our house. Creative and intelligent children can create fun where ever they may be and without a lot of props. This book is full of good ideas for doing just that. We keep ours in the car to give us ideas when we are driving, waiting or just plain out of good ideas to keep us occupied. I would highly recommend it for any family.

This book is fantastic. I keep it in my purse (its small and fits perfectly). We've used it many times. My only complaint is that there isn't much help in here for amusing my toddler (and he's the one I need the most help amusing!). For children over 3 or 4 years old this book is fabulous!

This book is a lifesaver sometimes. It's enabled me to avoid cranky kid meltdowns in public places several times over. I keep it in the glove box of the car so we have it on hand for waiting in line, dr. office visits, waiting at restaraunts, airplane trips, etc. Anytime kids are antsy and complaining about waiting somewhere- pull out this little gem and get them busy with a distraction. Every frazzled parent needs one of these!

This is a really well written and beautifully designed book. Each of the activities is genuinely fun and kid-pleasing, and not something you've seen printed over and over again in parenting and women's magazines. Even the categories of games are fun: e.g., waiting room games, hairdresser games, bus stop games, waiting-in-line games. The author put a lot of thought into this handy, purse-sized activity book and it shows. This is the best family activity book I've found yet.

Great book. My kids want me to pick something out of it to do all the time. Great, simple ideas. So glad I purchased it!

Most activity books require random stuff like egg cartons, etc. This is truly activities you can do anywhere with no props. Sorted into sections like "grocery store activities" or "waiting room activities". Love it!!

This book is full of great ideas. They don't require any elaborate materials. The book is also small enough to fit in your purse or bag for FUN ON THE RUN!!