A Little Book of Craft and Fun
Usborne Things to Make & Do in the Holidays - A Review
Ever needed to keep children busy in the holidays? This Usborne book is crammed full of ideas making it a year-round fun and educational resource for parents and carers.
The Usborne Little Book of Things to Make and Do in the Holidays is one in a series of miniature edition books and encyclopaedias published by Usborne. This hard-backed activity book is smaller than a DVD case at 170x133mm, making it ideal for taking on holiday, or for a trip to visit relatives and friends, as well as for indulging in at home. It is a perfect size for little hands, while being both detailed and colourful, and crammed with ideas which children can use independently or with some adult supervision.
Inside the Book
If you have read Usborne’s other miniature editions, such as the Little Book of Easter Activities, you will know that the activities are grouped for ease of access. Things to Make and Do in the Holidays is grouped in a similar way, but this little gem combines the best of the individual titles in Usborne’s What Shall I …Today? Series to give us sections on drawing, cooking, painting, gardening, making activities and dressing-up.
In each section, every activity has a numbered, step-by-step set of instructions, each illustrated with neat, colourful drawings. Each project covers either a single or double page spread and encompasses a large photograph of the finished activity, so you can see just how it is meant to look. There are a few sections which are particularly interesting:
Drawing and Painting
Beginning with, and building on initial shapes, children can learn drawing and painting techniques using items easily obtainable in most homes. The techniques are deceptively simple, fun and very effective when finished. The completed activities are labelled with alternative or additional suggestions for completing the task, and at the end of each double page spread is a suggested extension activity, which incorporates the techniques learned in order to create a completely different piece of work.
Gardening
Green-fingered children (and adults) will love this section. It contains instructions on how to grow everything from the simplest cress seed shapes to nurturing plant cuttings, and lots in between. The activities teach about the different parts of plants and each task states the expected length of time a child will have to wait for the plant project to grow. This has been carefully constructed to allow for different time spans, so even the most impatient child can find an activity which will have begun to grow in twenty-four hours. The entire section is supported by excellent labelled diagrams and photographs.
A Book Built to Last
The suggested age range for this children’s little activity book is 8+. However, as with many of the Usborne activities, both older and younger children will enjoy the activities here, over and over. Being a hard-backed book, it is durable and will provide many hours of creativity during the long weeks of holidays throughout the year. It is most certainly a book worth considering if you are a busy parent or care for children in the holidays. One thing is for certain – you will never be stuck for ideas on a rainy day!
The Usborne Little Book of Things to Make and Do in the Holidays
Publisher: Usborne (2005)
ISBN: 074607056X
