The Art of Stone Skipping and Other Fun Old-Time Games: Stoopball, Jacks, String Games, Coin Flipping, Line Baseball, Jump Rope, and More - Couverture souple

Ferrer, J.J.

Couverture souple

ISBN 10 : 1936140748 ISBN 13 : 9781936140749

Editeur : Imagine, 2013

Synopsis

It's an old-time playtime--nothing electronic, just games that have stood the test of time! They help children build skills like hand-eye coordination, problem solving, and simply learning how to be a good team player and work well with others. But most of all, they're lots of fun. This collection of timeless games guarantees kids a great time--by themselves, with a group of friends, or with their family. And best of all, no batteries are required . . . and very little equipment, too. There's Hopscotch and Dodgeball, Four Square and Stoopball, Horse and One Old Cat (a ball game similar to baseball, but with only one base). All you need is your brain--and occasionally a paper and pen--to play games like Association, the Minister's Cat, and Dumb Crambo (which is similar to Charades, but has a rhyming twist). A rainy day with no pals around would be just right to make Hand Shadows, walk on Can Stilts, or practice Jacks. Don't forget card games like Crazy Eights and Rummy, Crab and Sack Races, and old favorites like Duck, Duck, Goose and Red Rover. And because no parent likes to hear the whine of "Are we there yet?" there's a whole chapter of games for the car! Black-and-white illustrations keep the old-timey feel while getting kids excited to play. Simple instructions explain how many people can play, what you need, the object of the game, and the basic rules. For extra entertainment, there are also lots of fun facts about the history of the games sprinkled throughout. This book is so packed with activities that kids will want to turn off their computers, shut down their PlayStations and Xboxes, and get playing the old-fashioned way!

A propos du livre

Revue de presse :

Ferrer transports readers to a time gone by, when stoopball and jacks, string games and stickball, hopscotch and marbles were the staples of childhood.

As Ferrer notes in his introduction, games have been a part of childhood since the beginning of time, helping children “learn new skills, discover unknown strengths, and build peer relations—which translates directly into solving problems, creating solutions, and becoming a good team player.” Divided into seven sections, the text covers all sorts of games in all sorts of venues: ball, brain, solitary, car, card, group and partner. The format puts the name of the game (and its aliases), number of players, object and materials needed right at readers’ fingertips, summarizing the basic rules in an easy-to-follow paragraph and listing any additional rules, hints or tips in separate, bulleted sections. Most include variations to either modify the challenge or offer variety. “Fun Facts” sections are set off in black and scattered throughout, providing background on many old favorites (Bingo was invented in 1500s Italy), as well as some fascinating factoids (the stone-skipping world record is 51 skips!). Grayscale drawings break up the text and help illuminate some of the more difficult activities (string games, yo-yo tricks), though they also introduce a measure of modernity to what is largely a retro-themed book.

A wonderful resource for households, schools, Scouting groups and other organizations catering to kids.
—Kirkus Reviews

This interactive manual is fun to read and even more fun to put into practice. From hopscotch to dodge ball, jacks to solitaire, and string games to memory games, all types of activities are included. Games to play with a ball, with cards, in a car on the go, alone, or in a group are all here to be enjoyed. Th einstructions are clear and easy to follow. There are also historical and factual assides for many of the entries. Some include variations on the main game or alternate names for the activity that have been used through the years. The illustrations depict children demonstrating a particular aspect of a game or just enjoying themselves playing. This is a great resource for parents and teachers, as well as for children.
—School Library Journal

Extrait :

Archaeologists have found enough carved wooden game pieces, leather balls, and clay dice to prove that playing games has been a part of every civilization since the beginning of time. Even in cultures where children were expected to work alongside adults rather than play freely, kids have always turned to games for fun and recreation, whether competing against friends or simply challenging themselves. We know from artifacts that children were playing board games in China as early as 2000 BC, marbles in Greece by 400 BC, and ball in Egypt by 2 BC.

Balls may well be the oldest of all toys. Early ones were made from strips of leather, cloth, or papyrus sewn together, then stuffed with hair, feathers, or straw. Balls were also made from animal skulls and bladders and, in some cultures, even the heads of enemies! Simple games of catch, in which one child threw a ball up in the air and caught it or two children tossed a ball back and forth to each other, probably happened as soon as Cain and Abel were old enough to walk. But history tells us that the first “organized” ball games happened in Mexico nearly four thousand years ago, with teams of two to six players trying to get a really heavy ball across their opponents’ goal line. Ball games weren’t always just for fun, though: Sometimes they had religious purposes, and sometimes the losing team lost their heads as well as the game!

À propos de cette édition

• Éditeur: Imagine
• Date d'édition: 2013
• ISBN 10: 1936140748
• ISBN 13: 9781936140749
• Reliure: Broché
• Nombre de pages: 192