I came across the best book today while at the library with the girls. It is called: Unplugged Play by Bobbi Conner.
The educator in me is always a sucker for books on imaginative play and this one is the best I have ever come across. It divides the activities into age groups (1-2 years, 3-5 years, and 6-10 years). I love the extra information along the margins that gives tidbits on the dangers of electronic play (we have a Wii so I try to be cautious about this....) and other great tips and planning secrets. I love to give my girls new and exciting avenues to enjoy imaginative play and just couldn't help but pass this along to all of you!
Go check it out!
"When they get to school, the teachers tell us today's children can't negotiate; they're having trouble with social conversations. They're having trouble because they're accustomed to just pushing a button and the machine they're on reacting to them. The other thing that's declining now is fantasy play, the ability to imagine, the ability to think up new scenarios, new stories, new ideas, and new concepts in your own head. Kids are having all these stories brought to them so vividly on the screen that they're not playing imaginatively themselves; and this has got to be a great loss in terms of the future of creativity of the people in this country."
-Jane M. Healy, Ph.D. (educational psychologist)
