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By Mom Unplugged, June 5, 2008 10:06 pm

How many of you know the game of Hopscotch, Red Light Green Light, or Monkey in the Middle? I would guess that most of you parents know these games. But what about your children?

Do you or your children know how to play Exchange, Sardines, or Hot Box? Perhaps not.

That is why every family interested in getting their children outside for some good old-fashioned play NEEDS this book in their library.

Author Scott Strother’s preface reminded me of how much fun I used to have playing spontaneous neighborhood games with my friends.

Two experiences inspired Mr. Strother to write this book: 1) Coaching 6 to 16 year-olds in tennis, and realizing that they had no idea what he was talking about when he referred to some of the very common games from his childhood; and 2) A paper that he wrote about childhood obesity and today’s children’s sedentary lifestyles.

Here are the highlights:

• Forgotten Neighborhood Games: Get Kids Back Outside and Loving It! is basically an encyclopedic reference to over 150 outdoor games for children. There are all the old classics that I remember enjoying, and many, many new ones that I have never heard of before.

• Games are classified and organized according to activity level. The first section is Activity Level V, “…games that require the most exercise. These games mainly entail constant running or movement and are highly active.” Each section decreases in intensity until the final, Activity Level I - “…games where mostly walking or limited physical exercise is required. These games are still active and outside, but are not as physically demanding as the others.”

• There is only one game per page and the information is complete, and very clearly presented. Each game description specifies number of kids, ages, time allotted, space/area, equipment, description (startup, object, and play), and the author’s personal comments.

• Many of the games require children to determine who is “it.” Do you remember doing that? Well, I suspect that choosing who is “it” might be another lost art. Fortunately Forgotten Neighborhood Games also has a section entitled “Picking the ‘It’” which includes a description of the process, and a few rhymes from which to choose.

When I first began this blog in February of 2007, I had planned on having a “Children’s Games” page where I would write up the rules for various outdoor, neighborhood games. Like the author of this book, I had noticed that most children today are too focused on video games and TV to spend much time outdoors playing active and social games like these. I did write a few game posts which I later eliminated. The task was just too daunting.

Although it is sad that a book like this might be necessary to teach today’s children how to play this way, I am so thankful that Mr. Strother took the time to write this very comprehensive, yet easy to use book. The blog equivalent of Forgotten Neighborhood Games is precisely what I had in mind in back in “the old days” when I first began Unplug Your Kids.

My advice would be to use this book as a reference to find a few games to teach your kids. Or better yet, if your children read well enough, have them explore it on their own. As the author says:

It might take a little effort at first, learning the games and getting other children to play, but once kids start learning these exciting games, they will not want to stop. Do not be afraid to go find kids and coerce them outside for some fun. More and more children from the neighborhood will start to get involved. Everyone will begin looking forward to playing and will meet more often. Instead of sitting around inside, kids can meet each other, make friends, get exercise, and have a ton of fun! This is what childhood is all about. Kids need to get back outside, exercise, and love it…and this book is the guide!

Forgotten Neighborhood Games: Get Kids Back Outside and Loving It! is another useful tool for parents to help get children away from “The Box” and back outside. Deserves to become a classic.

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By Mom Unplugged, May 27, 2008 9:44 pm

Those of you who have been visiting Unplug Your Kids for a while, might remember my children’s Heifer International fund raising efforts. They made and sold Christmas ornaments, and earned money from their “Candy Bank” to contribute to my oldest daughter, E’s, class charity fundraising project.

E got so wrapped up in the fun of helping others, that she announced that for Christmas she wanted a book about different charities and what they do. “Santa” brought her A Kids Guide to Giving by Freddi Zeiler.

I promised you a review if we liked it, so here it is - finally!

Ms. Zeiler (age 20 at the time of publication) really began work on this book at age 14 when she became interested in charities, and started researching and compiling notes on different charitable organizations and how they spend their money. Her parents encouraged her to expand her research and turn it into a book to inspire other young people.

This book was just what E was hoping for. The first half discusses why to give, how to choose a cause, types of contributions (money, things, and time/effort), fund-raising ideas, and more. There are also sections on why it is important to know how a charity spends its money and how to avoid scams.

The last portion is a guide to tons of kid-friendly charities arranged by subject (“People,” “Animals,” and “The Environment”). It explains what each charity does and gives contact information, website, breakdown of how each dollar donated is spent, etc.

There is a small section for notes at the end, although my daughter likes to just put a check mark by her preferred charities. The hard cover and fold-over magnetic flap make it appealing in almost a diary, or notebook-like way.

My daughter likes to sit and read it, and I am happy to let her do so. Since this is a guide for children, the charities are comprehensible to children. You will not find yourself having to explain to your 7 year-old what a rape crisis center is, for example.

My children’s “charity of the day” is the African Wildlife Foundation (discovered through this book). They have already “adopted” one animal, a leopard, and are working on raising money to adopt another.

A final note: The recommended age range for the A Kids Guide to Giving, is 12 and up. My daughter is only 7, but she is an excellent reader. In my opinion, this book is suitable for children younger than age 12 provided they have the necessary interest and reading skills.

GREAT REALTED LINK: Topaz Took was kind enough to offer a link (in her comment on my Heifer-results post) to a wonderful website called Doing Good Together, about volunteering together as a family. There is a wealth of information including how to get your family involved in helping others, as well as an interesting resources section (books, videos, and websites arranged by topic and age). Thank you Topaz!

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By Mom Unplugged, May 22, 2008 7:37 am

Recently Jens Hewerer of Giddio.com kindly sent me some review copies of his radio-type plays for children. “The Adventures of Billy Brown” are not traditional audio-books where an actor simply reads a story, but fully produced radio plays with music, sound effects, and different actors playing each part.

Apparently German children have been enjoying this form of entertainment since the 1970′s. Fond childhood memories of German audio adventures and a lack of anything really similar in the US, prompted Jens Hewerer to found Giddio and create his own “Hoerspiele” (literal translation: “hear plays”).

The stories bring to life the adventures of a big bear named Billy Brown and his best friend Emma. They are non-violent, not frightening, and short enough for young attention spans (30-45 minutes). Each adventure involves a problem that needs to be solved, and also has a few educational tidbits of information woven into the story.

One thing that makes these an interesting alternative to TV or videos is that they sound a lot like videos. With my eyes closed, I would not know the difference. However, lacking the visual component allows children to use their imaginations to visualize the action. For that reason, I think these might especially appeal to children who are used to TV and video.

One thought I had while listening to these, was that for parents trying to wean their children off TV or videos, these CDs might be a useful tool. The sounds will be familiar, but your kids will be using their imaginations instead of their eyes to take in the action.

When we tried the first one out, my 5 and 7 year-old both seemed to enjoy it. My impression was confirmed when, the next day, they remembered it and asked to hear another one. They lined chairs up in the playroom and sat and listened as if they were at a play!

There was a disagreement over listening to CD number three. I wanted to save it for an upcoming long car trip, but my 5 year-old didn’t want to wait until then. My 7 year-old thought we should wait so that she could “be surprised” on the trip. My 5 year-old “won” and they ended up listening to it at home, but they have since heard it (and the others also) again a few times, both at home and in the car.

Honestly, I am astonished at how much my children love these CDs. My 5 year-old is especially intrigued (the series is recommended for ages 3 to 7). I expected that they might enjoy hearing them once, but I really didn’t anticipate the eager requests for Billy Brown on a daily basis!

The formula must be just right for them. They laugh at the child-oriented humor, seem interested in the informational bits, and want to hear the stories over and over.

The other day we listened to Billy Brown and the Frog Tunnel in the car. Later that afternoon I heard my 2 year-old chanting “Save the frogs, save the frogs,” a line from the play, while she played with her toys. Obviously she had been listening with interest too.

You and your children can try out Billy Brown by listening to a free download of Billy Brown and the Mystery Package from the Giddio website. While they listen, your kids can color some free Billy Brown coloring pages. If they like the audio play, you can order the CD version of it, plus the other two adventures, at the Giddio site too.

Personally, I am hoping that Giddio can continue the Billy Brown series. My children have already been asking for more, and obviously wish that there were more than three adventures!

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By Mom Unplugged, April 21, 2008 8:32 pm

I am not supposed to be online much this week since it is Turnoff Week and I am the creator/host of the 2nd Annual TV-Turnoff Week Blog Challenge (must set a good example you know!), so I will simply give you a few quick “free association” links to some worthy children’s books that come to mind when I think of Earth Day:

And here is an inspirational one by Rachel Carson for adults, that I just love:

If you want, you can read my full post about this book here.

Also: For more on kids and the environment, please see my post on Raising Environmentally Aware Children.

Happy Earth Day to all, and to all a good night!

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By Mom Unplugged, April 19, 2008 9:46 am

I am excited to report that in honor of Turnoff Week, Brad Hauber of Bubblegum Books is kindly offering Unplug Your Kids readers a 20% discount on any of Bubblegum’s books ordered through their website. Not only that, but the books will be autographed by author Julie Goulis!

The Bubblegum books (all by Julie Goulis and illustrated by John Ferguson), The Things a String Can Be, The Topsy-Turvy Towel, and Something Shiny, Something Round, are all about the joys of imaginary play and even include activity ideas related to the story. Unfortunately they won’t get to you in time for Turnoff Week, but they are a worthy addition to your children’s personal library for anytime.

If you are interested in this offer, head over to Bubblegum Books before May 1st and do a little shopping. Simply enter the code: unplug (must be all lowercase) when checking out, and a 20% discount will be applied to your order. Thanks Brad!

(While you are over there, print out some free coloring pages or a word search puzzle from their Goodies page.)