With spring’s arrival comes April showers and, sometimes, gloomy weather outside. When the weather is not so nice, kids tend to stay inside. Then we might hear their complaining they have nothing to do. Or, maybe they gravitate to their screens (computers, televisions, phones) to keep themselves occupied. Instead, wouldn’t it be nice to have a book that could actually engage them and inspire their curiosity? Downtown Bookworks, in New York, New York, has some wonderful options in terms of books that will be sure to entertain your children and get their creative juices flowing. And, when the weather is nice outside, Downtown Bookworks even has books and kits that will encourage you and your kids to go outside and go on fun adventures together.
“I Can Do That!” – Fun Art Books From Downtown Bookworks
For the rainy days (or days you just want to hang out indoors), you’ll want to check out La Zoo’s “I Can Do That! Color and Draw” and “I Can Do That! Cut And Paste.” Both books are full of over 100 pages of very colorful, fun images that draw a child in (excuse the pun) and encourage them to use their imaginations as they create artistic masterpieces they’ll be so proud to show you. What’s really cool about these books is that they give suggestions for activities, but it’s mostly “open-ended play,” according to Downtown Bookworks. Thus, they encourage the child to lead the direction of activity, encouraging imagination and creativity. Both books are for children ages 3-6.
“Crafty Pants: Clever Costumes”
A book for the older kids (ages 6 years and up) is “Crafty Pants: Clever Costumes,” by Shannon Whitt. It contains ideas for 50+ costumes and accessories that kids can create using supplies included in the kit and common household items you’ll easily find laying around most homes (for example, plastic bags, bottle caps, wrapping paper). The ideas are super fun and creative. It could easily inspire a child to make their own Halloween costume or a costume just to play in. Maybe the kids could use it to create costumes and then create a play to put on for the family. It’s a really fun book and the costumes are as good (or even better) than what you would buy in the store! The kit comes with a 64-page book with all of the ideas and directions. The kit also includes elastic cord, red satin, duct tape, and adhesive-backed, recloseable, fuzzy fasteners. The possibilities are endless. Kids could follow the book or combine the ideas to create their own unique costumes.
PBS Kids – “Look And Learn Insects”
When it’s nicer outside, a great kit would be the PBS Kids “Look And Learn Insects.” This cool kit comes with:
- a 64-page book with fascinating photos of insects,
- a collapsible magnifier jar,
- an insect ID list, and
- an activity poster.
This kit is for children ages 4+ years. The book has amazing photography that allows you to see insects like you’ve never seen them before. Along with the pictures are interesting facts about the insects. The book also includes resource ideas for further learning and exploring. The insect ID list is handy for the child to take outside and use as a field guide when trying to identify insects in the garden.
All of these books and kits would make amazing gifts or would be something to buy for fun! They’ll provide hours of educational fun and a great opportunity to spend quality time with your child! And, check out the Downtown Bookworks website. Their selection of activity books and kits is amazing. They have really cool stuff that I wish was around when I was a kid!
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