Recent studies show that too much time spent in front of the television can lead to attention deficit disorder in children. But most parents don't need science to tell them that there are better ways to entertain kids than to prop them in front of "electronic babysitters." Full of amazingly simple, easy-to-implement suggestions, The Ultimate Book of Unplugged Family Activities provides a year's worth of inspiring alternatives.Here are ideas for entertaining kids while you cook or for turning sick days into indoor crafts days; ideas for distracting kids while waiting in a long line or for engaging them in games during a long car trip. With The Ultimate Book of Unplugged Family Activities, parents can turn spare time into share time, as well as too-much-time-on their hands into time well spent. Comprehensive and constantly creative, it is a book every household should have within reach.

Step away from your tablet and take a screen break! With 365 projects, crafts, games, and experiments, there's off-screen fun for every single day of the year. With straightforward step-by-step instructions and colorful illustrations, these entertaining, budget-friendly projects will keep kids learning all day long. MAKE slime, marble paint, pinatas, and papier-mache GROW strawberries, bottle gardens, and herb pots BAKE cake pops, twist pizzas, and muffins in a mug EXPERIMENT with vinegar rockets, lava lamps, and parachutes INVENT secret messages, spooky stories, and board games PLAY jump rope, balloon volley, ball games, and eye-spy RECYCLE trash into treasure and T-shirts into bags PERFORM magic tricks, shadow plays, and puppet shows.

"The Unplugged Family Activity Book is your guide to exploring the natural world as a family, with dozens of outdoor and indoor activities, recipes, and crafts!"--

"Every family will LOVE getting outside every day with the fun & easy tips in this book!"—Whitney Ferre, author of 33 Things to Know About Raising Creative Kids In just 15 minutes your kids can be unplugged from their screens and outside on an adventure, all thanks to the ultimate parenting resource to help you connect with your kids and get out of the house! A creative collection of activities for families, Fifteen Minutes Outside is filled with 365 days of quality time, outdoor adventures, and unplugged activities that require little time, cash, or patience. Perfect for parents, daycare workers, babysitters, and more, this book will keep kids busy and stop the dreaded "I'm bored!" from escaping their mouths.

Unplug your grade-schooler with 200 screen-free games and activities! “A terrific prescription for much of what ails children and parents today.”––Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder From Fortune-Teller to Draw Me a Story, Spillin’ the Beans to Monkeyshines, here are more than 200 screen-free games and activities to help kids enjoy the wholesome, old-fashioned experience of playing creatively and freely... without technology. There are outdoor games and indoor games, games to play solo and games to play with others, guessing games, arts and crafts, musical fun, and party favorites––even instant activities to do at the kitchen table while dinner’s cooking. All games are big kid-tested and approved! A note to parents: Play matters! Technology has its place, but these unplugged games are designed to stretch the imagination, spark creativity, build strong bodies, and forge deeper connections with family and friends.

This unique book presents a practical and realistic approach to implementing a school-wide, K–12 Genius Hour program—one that can succeed regardless of budgetary and infrastructure constraints. Genius Hour is a movement in which students are allowed to spend a portion of their in-school time learning about a topic of their choosing—even subjects outside of the curriculum. When properly implemented, a Genius Hour program can create true passion for learning among unmotivated students, ignite interest in STEM as well as the arts, encourage collaboration, improve the relationship between educator and students, and help prepare students for real life outside of the educational system. But revamping a school library program to offer a Genius Hour program may seem like an insurmountable task—especially when working with a limited staff or budget. This book provides specific direction and concrete advice that enables school librarians to lead a school-wide program for all grade levels, from kindergarten to 12th grade. It explains why Genius Hour is the perfect program complement to the learning commons environment; presents research and support that will empower librarians to make a convincing case to administration; explains how to enlist the participation of faculty; and provides step-by-step guidance to begin, successfully manage, and grow a campus-wide Genius Hour. Librarians will see why investing in "creative teaching" is worth the effort, despite their limited time and resources; understand how to help underperforming students make their distractions "count" in school; and look forward to playing a part in creating imaginative and independent thinkers, not test takers.