Unplugged Play

"The Unplugged Play Book" is the family bible of hands-on fun, a parent-friendly encyclopaedia of over 700 games and variations, with not a screen, plug, chip, disk or battery in sight. Here are games to play alone and games to play with siblings and friends. Games to play indoors and games for outside. Toddler games, ten-year-olds' games and games for the whole family. There are craft projects, puppet ideas, music activities, card games, guessing games, plus loads of ideas for keeping little kids busy nearby. There's stuff to do with cardboard boxes, with balloons, with muffin tins, with paper grocery sacks. There's how to draw a sidewalk masterpiece in chalk, design a castle, organize a treasure hunt, make silly hats from plastic tubs, build forts and ramps for toy cars and trucks. And dozens of special-occasion games, including birthday party ideas, themes and activities. Woven throughout are not only the reasons to play unplugged - why it's essential for whole development, how it builds intelligence, encourages problem-solving and self-control, boosts creativity and inner strength of character - but also invaluable help for parents, from lists of best toys (and gadgets turned into toys) to dealing with issues of sharing, shyness, party meltdowns, safety and much more.