Quick Look
Indoor and outdoor activities, thing to make, things to see and things to do -- all to keep boredom at bay through the summer holidays.
Description
For parents, the summer can seem to stretch out endlessly. There’s a constant pressure to keep the children physically occupied and mentally engaged. This can be especially hard if you're a working parent who doesn't get a long time off work.
This book should alleviate some of the pressure. Based on many years experience of keeping children busy and happy, Anne and Peter Thomas have compiled a huge collection of summer activities that will help keep boredom at bay.
It includes indoor and outdoor activities, things to make, things to see and things to do. It is packed with handy tips on food (such as sweets for car journeys), health (such as sunburn) and safety. It covers everything from simple games that parents might themselves have played as a child to inspiring projects that will challenge the whole family.
Fully illustrated in colour throughout, this is an indispensable handbook for any parent.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction: Whose holidays? - Three important factors
2. Holiday preparations: Tips for going on holiday - Parents’ questions
3. Checklist
4. In cases of illness: Motion sickness - Diarrhoea - Stomach and abdominal complaints - Sunburn - Burns - Sunstroke - Jellyfish - Sting-fish - Ticks - Lyme’s disease - Insect bites, wasp and bee stings - Travelling pharmacy
5. The weather: Sunlight - Seasons - Air currents - High and low-pressure areas - Sunrays and safe sunbathing - Ozone layer - Temperature - Influence of the sea - Wind-chill factor - Temperature and altitude - The clouds - Precipitation - Thunderstorms - Exceptional phenomena - Weather in the mountains - Weather at the coast - Weather forecast
6. The stars: Constellations - The zodiac - How do the stars move? - The winter sky - The other constellations of the zodiac - The moon - The planets
7. Nature: Trees - Nature in bloom - Animals in woods and fields - It’s small and flies through the air - In and around water - In the air 84
8. Orientation: Orientation in the wild - Discoveries in nature - Road and city maps - The compass - In the hills: altitudes - Orientation in a town or village
9. On the beach
10. In the mountains
11. Games to stretch the muscles
12. Living and playing in the countryside
13. Tig and other outdoor games
14. Playing on the beach
15. Indoor and/or outdoor games
16. Creativity with natural materials
17. When it rains
Revolving celestial chart
Songs
Reviews
'Parents or youth leaders will find a wealth of ideas to keep children busy over the the summer holidays in this bumper book.'
-- Woman Alive, August 2006
'An excellent book packed full of great ideas and activities for parents and carers of children of all ages. Whether you are indoors or out and about, travelling, exploring a forest, star gazing or lying on a beach, this book has things to see, do and makes which the whole family can enjoy and learn from.'
-- Permaculture, Autumn 2007
Author
Anne and Peter Thomas are the authors of The Children's Party Book (Floris Books). They have three children and live in the Netherlands.
