Go Out and Play

Title: Go Out and Play!     
Author: KaBoom! Darrell Hammond
Illustrator: Julianna Rose
Publisher: Candlewick  
Publication Date: March 2012
Genre/Format: Non-Fiction/Book 
GoodReads Summary: Go outside and play! Here, at your fingertips, are how to's for more than seventy best-loved games, all set to spread the fun of active play to kids of all ages.
     Do you know how to draw a hopscotch grid? What’s the silliest challenge in the game of sardines? How do you keep from being "out" in SPUD? Is there any way to escape the blob? This lively, infectious guide to games runs the gamut from classic to contemporary: kick the can, freeze tag, blindman’s bluff, red light green light, four square, duck duck goose, and so many more. It’s all sparked by KaBOOM!, a nonprofit with a passion for creating outdoor play spaces nationally and around the world. 
     For KaBOOM!, play is serious business! So this guide also includes tips for adults on how to encourage and facilitate outdoor play as well as a wealth of resources on how to help create more play spaces in your own community. 
What Jen Thinks: Until recently, there haven't been many kids in our neighborhood for my kids to play with. We've had families move in though and all summer we spent many days and nights watching the kids run around our little cul de sac. Our kids love to play outside but we don't have a fenced in backyard so we are always watching them. It's not like when I was a kid! I used to ride my bike over to my best friend's house by myself all the time. Lately, there are even enough kids to play a game. My husband is a PE teacher for grades 1-8 so he knows a lot of games. Just tonight he had all the kids playing tag games and teaching them games they can now play on their own. 
     My kids and I are lucky enough to have a built in fun coordinator in my husband, but not all parents know these new kinds of untraditional games for kids to play. I love how simply the various games are outlined in this vibrant book. Many of these games I recognize from when I was a camp counselor. I have to say, Sleeping Lions was definitely a favorite of mine. I remember the first time a child told me about the game. I thought a very tired and very wise adult had masterminded this game.
What Kellee Thinks: What a great handbook for parents and kids on all the different games that can be played outdoors. In this day and age, too many kids spend their time on their phones and game consoles, it is essential to promote play and specifically outdoor and collaborative play. 
     This book is very kid friendly. It breaks up all the games into Tag, Hide-and-Seek, Ball Games, Team Games, Sidewalk Games, Circle Games, Race Games, Other Games and No-Rules Games. Kids can find whatever game they want and learn a bunch of new ones. 

     Each game has the directions to play, how many players are needed, the age appropriateness, and the space and materials you need. The directions are easy to understand and a single page yet are quite detailed.   
Read Together: For parents to read with or for their kids - Grades K - 6
Read Alone: Grades 2 - 6
Read With: Hopscotch, Hangman, Hot Potato, and Ha Ha Ha by Jack Maguire, Marty McGuire (series) by Kate Messner, Capture the Flag by Kate Messner, Ivy and Bean by Annie Barrows
Snatch of Text: (From Introduction) "If you are a parent, grandparent or any adult who cares about children, let me be serious for a bit. Sadly, play is disappearing from the lives of far too many children. Researchers point to many reasons for this. Too few places to play. Too much time spent watching television, playing video games, and online. Lack of recess in our schools. Unsafe neighborhoods. All these are indeed reasons children are playing less and less and spending way too little time outdoors. The nonprofit I founded is called KaBoom!, and we are working hard to address these issues, because children who play are fitter and more creative, learn how to play well with others, and do better in school. Most important, children who play are happier." (p. iv-v, from Darell Hammon, Founder and CEO of KaBoom!) 
Mentor Text For: Expository
Writing Prompts: Don't write, go play! Pick a game from the book and go outside and try it. Play one of the games and then change it up a little bit so you have invented a new game - or just go out and invent a new game with a friend. Follow the format of the book to write about your new game and to share with others.
Topics Covered: Play, Health, Games, Outdoors, Integration - Physical Education

Jen and Kellee *heart* It: 

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**Thank you to Candlewick for providing us with a copy of the book for review**