By this point in the summer, some kids run out of ideas of how to spend their time. It’s too hot to play outside, they’ve read through their favorite books and watched their favorite movies, and they just might have been sighing heavily and saying the infamous, “I’m bored” line. To add to your ever-dwindling list of suggestions, here are four books to encourage fun and creativity.
Connect the Thoughts: A Journal $12.95
For younger kids who want to keep a journal but to whom the traditional prose format is intimidating, try Connect the Thoughts: A Journal. With this journal, kids can include drawings, words, designs, and patterns to describe their feelings about family, friends, movies, books, travel, and more. Kids just connect the dots on each page, and fill in the shapes with whatever their mind imagines. The graph paper on each page can guide kids’ drawings and writings if the dots don’t inspire. The bottom of each page also includes some writing prompts to get them started. The elastic closure keeps the book closed, and relatively safe from prying eyes. This book is also great for older kids who like a non-traditional journal format.
PhotoPlay! $12.99
For kids of any age who love to draw, PhotoPlay! encourages kids to draw themselves right into the picture. Each page contains a photograph where kids can either complete the scene, or include themselves in on the fun. Drawing prompts are included on each page if inspiration doesn’t quite hit. This doodle book combines reality and imagination in such pages as a dog on an autumn leaves road trip, a prairie dog wanting to learn to fly, and a cat gazing out the window at her glorious garden. Perfect for silly fun, this book is fantastic for any doodlers who like to complete the picture.
Let’s Make Some Great Fingerprint Art $14.95
For kids who like to get a little messy, this book allows them to color their fingers and make art at the same time. All you need is some rubber stamp pads in whatever colors you like, a kid, and this book, plus a handful of readily available household materials. The book teaches kids how to “draw” birds, faces, scenes, and more, using nothing but their fingerprints and a few tools. It also teaches about what fingerprints are and why we have them. This book will keep kids occupied for hours. Just make sure to have some wet paper towels around for clean up!
Funny Faces: A Big Book of Face Painting $19.95
For kids who like to pretend to be something or someone else, and love to have their faces painted, try Funny Faces. It’s filled with 18 different ideas for creatures such as a tiger, a butterfly, a fish, a fairy, a frog, Dracula, Batman, and more. You need to procure your own face paints, but once you have those, you can create all kinds of artistic creations on your children’s faces, or they can even try their hand at doing it themselves, or on each other (hilarity will ensue).
Help your kids create something extraordinary this summer with one or more of these creative books.
Note: I received these books for review purposes.
