The Absolute Best Play Days: From Airplanes to Zoos (and Everything in Between!) (Paperback)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

Even the most creatively-challenged parent or caregiver will have an easy time occupying the children with this abundant and detailed collection of activities for children aged two to seven. Waterman, a mother of three, arranges the activities into fifty-two "Theme Days," one for each week of the year. Themes are varied and interesting, and include dinasaurs, pirates, post office, nursery rhymes, inventions, and detectives. For each theme, Waterman gives suggestions for tailoring the activities to appeal to children of multiple ages. Waterman provides detailed instructions for all crafts and activities. Each "theme" also includes a list of related age-appropriate books and videos, and a list of arts and crafts materials needed for the activities. This book is well-organized and easy to use. Activities are simple but inventive and do not require expensive purchases or exceptional talent. -- Foreword Magazine, June 1999

Product Description

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!

Each theme section fosters smart play by including:
--inside and outside activities
--craft ideas, including detailed instructions and diagrams
--book, music and video suggestions
--snack creations
--tips for customizing themes to older children
--special treats to round out the day

If you have children between 2 and 7 or if you care for someone elses children, you will love this book!
--Faye J. Crosby, author of Juggling

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Product Details

• Paperback: 264 pages
• Publisher: Sourcebooks; 1 edition (March 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1570713952
• ISBN-13: 978-1570713958
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #419,271 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You'll NEVER hear this again: "Mommy, I'm bored!", October 27, 1999

By A Customer

Oh, how I wish this book had been written a few years ago! Quite pregnant and interested in testing my not-yet-used parenting skills, I offered to care for my grade-school age neice and nephews. As I look back on it now, the weekend might have been a bit more memorable if "The Absolute Best Play Days" book had been on my bookshelf at the time.

Ms. Waterman presents ALL the information a parent, grandparent, childcare provider, or grade school instructor needs to create FUN and EDUCATIONAL playtimes. Really! Wouldn't it be nice to discover new ways to entertain children of various ages (or for them to entertain themselves) other than stringing macaroni on thread, baking cookies or watching TV? This book provides hundreds of ideas - organized by themes - as well as the required and optional supplies to put the ideas into action.

When you get right down to it, "The Absolute Best Play Days" is a RECIPE BOOK filled with tried and true methods for entertaining a family of kids or a group of children. In just a short while after owning a copy of this book, its pages will undoubtedly sport folded-down corners, sticky notes, and highlighter marks...just like our best loved cookbooks.

Use "The Absolute Best Play Days" as a guide for creating great encounters with kids. People are only young once - why not make that time as memorable as possible - for everyone!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great activities for kids!, February 16, 2000

By A Customer

Absolute Best Play Days, by Pamela Waterman, is an extremely valuable resource for planning themed activities for children. This is a book that we librarians will use to get ideas for our 2-to-6-year-old story times. We like to structure our story times around various themes and the ideas presented in this book are great--really creative--and also very do-able! That's definitely a plus! Thanks!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Active parent, January 9, 2000

By	Mike P (Berkshire England) - See all my reviews

I was pleased to receive my copy of this book as it provided me with many valuable tips, games and ideas to occupy two very active children and their friends.

The style of the book is easy and comfortable, giving valuable advice in how to constructively occupy growing minds in an appealing manner.

The children, and their friends, have enjoyed many of the activities, so far, and I'm sure will continue to do so.

Thanks to Ms Waterman for this invaluable resource.