The games in this book help teachers, parents, and others who work with children maintain or restore order, refocus children’s attention, and break up the classroom routine. Most of the games are quite short and can be used between academic activities as a treat or quick break. Many are noncompetitive, most don’t require props, and none require special skills or training. All can be played with the whole class; there are partner games, small group games, and outdoor games. Clear, complete instructions are included for each activity, and icons denote appropriate age levels, time, and group size. Author Allison Bartl has tested all of the games herself and recommends that the teacher or parent fully participate in each game, both to relax and to provide a model of good social behavior. Tips and thoughtful quotations from Goethe, Rudolf Steiner, Seneca, Lao Tse, Mother Theresa, and others are also included.

Music games are relaxing and playful. They encourage creativity both in children's imagination and expression. All players need is a willingness to have fun and to experience the joys of interacting with others. The games include rhythm games, dance and movement games, card and board games, and musical projects. All of the games stress humor, challenge, surprise and cooperation rather than competition.

Drama games are not staged plays but a dynamic form in which children explore their minds and the world around them. They can use their play-acting in sensory games, pantomimes, story games with puppets, in creating masks and costumes, and much more. Drama games allow children to get more in touch with themselves and what they want to be, and are a delightful way to discover the freedom, creativity, and expression of acting- and living. The SmartFunActivity series encourage imagination, social interaction, and self-expression in children. To make the books easy to use, games are marked according to appropriate age levels, length of play time, and group size, using helpful icons. Most games are non-competitive and none require special skills or training. The series is widely used in homes, schools, daycare centers, clubs, and summer camp.

How do you teach tolerance, self-awareness, and responsibility? How can you help children deal with fear, mistrust, or aggression? Play a game with them! Games are an ideal way to help children develop social and emotional skills; they are exciting, relaxing, and fun. 101 LIFE SKILLS GAMES FOR CHILDREN: LEARNING, GROWING, GETTING ALONG (Ages 6-12) is a resource that can help children understand and deal with problems that arise in daily interactions with other children and adults. These games help children develop social and emotional skills and enhance self-awareness. The games address the following issues: dependence, aggression, fear, resentment, disability, accusations, boasting, honesty, flexibility, patience, secrets, conscience, inhibitions, stereotypes, noise, lying, performance, closeness, weaknesses, self confidence, fun, reassurance, love, respect, integrating a new classmate, group conflict. Organized in three main chapters: (I-Games, You-Games and We-Games), the book is well structured and easily accessible. It specifies an objective for every game, gives step-by-step instructions, and offers questions for reflection. It provides possible variations for each game, examples, tips, and ideas for role plays. Each game contains references to appropriate follow-up games and is illustrated with charming drawings.

"A resource that can help children understand and deal with problems that arise in daily interactions with other children and adults. These games help children develop social and emotional skills and enhance self-awareness"--Provided by publisher.

What is the big deal about improv? It's fun. It strengthens our imagination, promotes self-confidence, increases spontaneity, promotes teamwork, and it's magic: it creates something out of nothing. 101 IMPROV GAMES FOR CHILDREN AND ADULTS contains the basics: what improv is all about and how to do it, special instructions for how to teach improv to children, plus more advanced training on how to use your voice and body in ways you haven't thought of before. It has helpful hints for creating scenes and environments out of thin air. All this plus 101 games with simple instructions, from easy warm-up games to over-the-top crowd pleasers such as Fairy Tales, Bizarre Games, On Your Toes and Narrative Games. This is the tenth in the Hunter House SmartFun activity books series, and the first one for adults as well as children. The book is a great resource for educators as well as for the professional actor or the layperson working with improv for fun. The book contains lively illustrations and is easy to use. Improv is about creating something out of nothing, but a really good improviser can create something great out of nothing. This book shows you how.

Language games allow children to stretch their communication abilities, enhancing vocabulary, conversation, and storytelling skills. A suggested age range accompanies each game in this book; some games may be adapted to different age groups. Language games for beginners focus on making children aware of the ways letters look, the presence of letters in their surroundings (on signs, for instance), and the different letter systems in different cultures. More advanced games include creating poems and haiku, making up stories, and joke-telling. 39 black-and-white illustrations are included in this wonderful resource for teachers, therapists, and social workers.