Interesting Activity Books
There are a lot of creative activity books available for homeschoolers these days. It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the number of choices. Here are some of our family’s favorites.
The No-Rules Journal:
The No-Rules Journal:
This is no ordinary journal. Filled with creative and strange prompts, this journal gives kids permission to break the rules. It also gets them reading, writing, and thinking. Some examples of creative prompts include one to make your own fortune cookies with fortunes such as “This makes no sense,” “Your lucky number is 76582734567483475638,” and “Meh.” Another prompt instructs to “Find a twig or a stick and figure out a way of attaching it to this page.” There are also more “conventional journal prompts for coloring, drawing, and writing.
How to Be an Explorer of the World:
How to Be an Explorer of the World:
For more creative activities this journal offers over 60 “explorations,” each of which is designed to get kids to explore, observe, and document their findings. A few examples of explorations include #41 titled “Found Faces: Document any naturally occurring faces you find on your travels. Look for them in plumbing parts, fixtures (door hooks), in nature (trees), in human-made objects, in the clouds, etc.”
Fifty Dangerous Things (you should let your children do):
Fifty Dangerous Things (you should let your children do):
This activity book offers the element of “danger” though most of the activities are not all that dangerous. But, they do involve the element of risk and a few are dangerous if not done carefully. The premise of the book is that you can’t really learn about safety unless you do activities that require practicing safety; in other words, activities that involve the element of danger. The book contains ample guidelines for conducting all of the activities safely and responsibly introducing kids to the real world of tools and activities as well as the risks involved.
This is Not a Maths Book:
This is Not a Maths Book:
This book is a wonderful combination of art and math. Since so much of art involves mathematics it’s a great way to bring math into your homeschooling while focusing on the fun of creating art. The book contains activities with Pascal’s Triangle, tessellations, and fractals. The emphasis is on math as a tool for creation, pattern making, and artistic development. It might not be a “maths book” but your child will learn some math without even realizing it.
Creative Adventures in Cursive:
Creative Adventures in Cursive:
Some schools no longer teach cursive and some homeschoolers might also be choosing to hold off on teaching it. But, if you do intend to introduce cursive writing, this is a good book for making the process more enjoyable. The book contains several artistic activities that provide fun ways of using cursive writing. Activities include making yarn art, greeting cards, and cakes with writing. There are also sections on writing pangram sentences that contain every letter in the alphabet, designing your own signature, and making a feather quill.
Wild Things: Over 100 Magical Outdoor Adventures:
Wild Things: Over 100 Magical Outdoor Adventures:
This book is all about the magic of nature and how to see magic in nature. It’s filled with activities designed to get kids looking at nature in new ways, seeing details, using all of their senses, and enjoying being outdoors. Activities include a recipe for dragon’s blood, creating magic potions, wands, and unicorns. Other activities involve looking for animal tracks, making a worry, and taking a full-moon hike.
Each of these books is sure to unleash your child’s creativity and spark some interesting projects as well as discussions.
This article contain links to products on Amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Each of these books is sure to unleash your child’s creativity and spark some interesting projects as well as discussions.
This article contain links to products on Amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.