Ideas for fun and educational activities to share with kids often come naturally, but most parents welcome new suggestions. This book, entitled Playing Smart: The Family Guide to Enriching, Offbeat Learning Activities for Ages 4-14, is packed with accessible, inexpensive (mostly free), and educationally rich activities.
After reading this book, it struck me that many of the suggested activities are quite ordinary, but feature some fun variation that breathes new life into the tried-and-true. For example, the author suggests changing the rules of popular games like chess and checkers so as to "even out" the odds of winning when people of different abilities and skills play the game.
Even so, the book's promise of "offbeat" activities is certainly delivered—a chapter devoted to a visit to the cemetery comes to mind! Other chapters include ideas for learning and fun in the garden, kitchen, and in "ordinary places" (animal shelters, airports, and more). Some chapters are devoted to subjects like photography, geography, and cultural diversity. One of our favorite chapters presents an eclectic collection of brain benders, filled with stumping paradoxes, mind-stretching questions, and brain teasers appropriate to share with kids.
At all times, the author encourages parents to support their children's natural curiosity and to nurture their inquisitiveness. This entertaining book is even more fun to put into practice than it is to read. The ideas are creative and original. Outstanding!
