Caroline Fernandez - Boredom Busters: Over 50 awesome activities for children aged 7 years +

BOREDOM
BUSTERS BOREDOM
BUSTERS Over AWESOME activities for children aged 7 years + Caroline Fernandez CICO kidz For Emilie, Chlo, and Toms. Acknowledgments I would like to express my gratitude to the team at CICO Books who helped bring this book to life (and to bookstores!)
Specifically, I would like to thank Cindy Richards for making the brave decision to publish me, Carmel Edmonds for her amazing editorial guidance, and Katie Hardwicke for her keen attention to detail. Above all, I would like to thank my husband Patrick, my parents, and my family, who supported and inspired me throughout the creation of this book. Published in 2014 by CICO Books An imprint of Ryland Peters & Small 519 Broadway, 5th Floor, New York NY 10012 2021 Jockeys Fields, London WC1R 4BW www.rylandpeters.com 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Text copyright Caroline Fernandez 2014 Design and photography copyright CICO Books 2014 The authors moral rights have been asserted. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher.

A CIP catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress and the British Library. eISBN:978-1-78249-277-1
ISBN: 978-1-78249-105-7 Printed in China Editor: Katie Hardwicke Designer: Isobel Gillan Photographer: Martin Norris Stylist: Sophie Martell Boredom Busters are stress-free, hands-on activities to entertain young readers, using simple materials found around the home or classroom. Activities are organized into five themed sections: Art, Craft, Science, Food, and Travel. Included are simple yet sensational activities to occupy kids whether they have a few spare minutes while waiting for dinner, need a rainy day project, or want something to do during a long road trip. These activities are great ways to entertain kids without screens; doing something fun and engaging while instilling a sense of personal pride in a finished project. All of the projects are un-competitive and focus on children doing their personal best in each activity.

Every Boredom Buster in this book has been kid-tested and kid-approved. Several projects are flagged as eco-friendly, helping to promote recycling and reusing materials rather than buying them. Guess What Each project has a Guess What? feature connected to it. These features are provided for kids to think outside the box when they do an activity, giving them tidbits of history, geography, science, and more, which are connected to a specific part of the activity. This makes every Boredom Buster not only entertaining but a bit educational, too (sshhh dont tell the kids!). Learning Skills Developed with Boredom Busters Reading (silently and out loud) Vocabulary development (what does effervescent mean?) Math skills (using a ruler or measuring ingredients) Decision making (which activity will you do today?) Problem solving (I cant find the scissors!) Hand-eye coordination (pouring liquids or placing tape on an item) Concentration (paying attention to the activity) Patience (waiting for a result) Following directions (doing the steps of an activity in the right order) Creativity (blending colors or creating a game) Gross motor skills (shaking or rolling) Fine motor skills (grasping a spoon or holding a paintbrush) All of the Boredom Buster activities can be done individually.

However, you can also do them as group projects with friends or classmates, or as an activity at a party. To make the group activity experience more enjoyable, remember to take turns: divide up the activity responsibilities so it is clear who does what. For example, if you are cooking, one child could be in charge of wet ingredients and another child could be in charge of dry ingredients. At the start of the projects youll find a guide to how long each activity takes and its Boredom Buster rating: many activities are one-offs but can always be made again and again. Each project has also been given an activity level rating from one to three stars as a guide to how simple or involved it is. BOREDOM BUSTERS TIPSREAD the whole project first before you start to DO the activityWASH YOUR HANDS before and after every activityPUT OUT the things that you will need for the activity before you startCOVER your activity area with an activity mat or newspaper to avoid messROLL UP YOUR SLEEVES, tie up your hair, and put on an apron to protect yourselfDO ONE STEP AT A TIME and follow the instructions in orderKEEP your activity and supplies safeput them on a flat, high surface away from the curious hands of little brothers or sisters.

Small items can be choking dangers to young childrenWATCH for the stop sign. When you see it, it means stop and ask an adult for helpBE SAFE and keep activities out of reach of small childrenDONT RUSH an activitybe sure to take your time and enjoy the experience