I've had a lot of trouble finding really good materials to use for creating activities to do with my two-year-old, so I was really excited when my mom purchased this book for me from half.com. It just seems that unless you are actually buying toddler curriculum, most of the learning materials on the market are better tailored to three and older. Not so with Three-Hundred Three Minute Games by Jackie Silberg.
Besides the fact that the author already has several other books under her belt, including books that offer activities specifically for babies and toddlers, she also holds an M.S. degree in Early Childhood Education. In other words, she knows her stuff.
But no matter what your credentials, that doesn't always prove that a book will live up to its claims of encouraging observation skills, listening skills, coordination, counting skills, quality time, and more. Does this one? Let's see!
Since I am a certified "Messie," I need help with organization, and this book definitely helps. It's divided into fourteen chapters so you can quickly look for an activity that applies to a variety of situations:
Animal Games
Bath Games
Book Games
Exercise Games
Imagination Games
Music Games
Outside Games
Quiet Games
Storytelling Games
Stuck Inside Games
Stuffed Animal Games
Thinking Games
Transition Games
Waiting Games (great for waiting in traffic)
Every game includes a title, instructions on how to play the game, words to any songs included in the game, and - my favorite part - a brief statement about what the game teaches. For example, in Chapter 1 entitled Animal Games, the game "Ants" builds counting skills. In Chapter 9 entitled Stuck Inside Games, the game "Mrs. Roobie Doobie" teaches listening skills. Other skills covered include learning about time, creativity, emotions, nature, coordination, colors, caring for others...just to name a few. There's even an index to help you find games according to the skill you are interested in teaching your child.
The book covers a wide age range (2 - 5 years old), but it is set up so that the games can be tailored to any of those ages. For example, the game "Please Help Me," used to develop coordination, includes a list of several possible jobs, from peeling a banana, putting napkins at each plate, unwrapping a stick of margarine, etc. Some tasks listed in a game may be easier for an older child, while other tasks listed in the same game are better suited for a two-year old. Either way, it's not a situation where you are having to weed through the book trying to find a game for your two-year-old and your five-year-old. You can use the games for both and simply tailor it for one or the other. However, I must add that some of the activities may be boring to a five year old, even if the activity offers options for tailoring it for that age. This book seems better suited for creating activities for the younger child. Also, many older children may already know the skills that these games intend to teach.
Another thing I like about this book is that it offers activities that call for regular household items, and if a book is suggested, it's easy to find it at a local library. This is especially helpful when you either don't have the money, as I don't, or you live in a small town, as I do, and your library doesn't have a huge selection of books. Any activities calling for items include things such as a cardboard toilet paper tube, a box of raisins, or a flashlight. Most of the activities calling for books can be tailored to any children's book in your house, except for three that were specifically named: Pat the Bunny, Where the Wild Things Are, and Goodnight Moon, which are very easy to find at your library if you don't already own them. If a song or fingerplay is part of a game, the lyrics and movements are always included.
Last, these games are great for small attention spans. As the title implies, they are games that can be played in three minutes...or, if your child is especially interested, they can last much longer.
The only complaint I have about this 191 page book, and any book of this nature, is that I think they should be spiral bound. When you are dealing with games, rhymes, or fingerplays that you are not familiar with, it would certainly make it easier to have the book open and laying flat beside you for quick reference. This, of course, is quite difficult with a book that is not spiral bound.
Yes, this book lives up to most of its claims - all of them, in my opinion, if you are using it for the younger child. Whether you're a parent or a teacher, it's a small investment for a lot of learning disguised as fun.
Recommended:
