Library Notes
Lynn Denison
December 14, 2009

One of the most enjoyable and memorable times of the winter season is when families put aside daily routines and enjoy spending special time together. Why not add a little pizzazz to your family gatherings this year by planning to play several games—both traditional ones and new ones for young and old alike?

While browsing the area of new books at Rowan Public Library today I found several books that would make adding games to your social activities an easy task.

Mary Hohenstein has compiled a book titled Games that is brimming with great ideas for everyone’s taste, for every situation, and for every age. A glance at the table of contents shows such old time favorites as Drop the Handkerchief, Charades, I Spy, Name that Tune, and I Doubt It. There are over 200 separate games described in the book. The purposes and benefits derived from playing are listed after each game. A few of the many benefits named are building relationships, encouraging and edifying each other, and improving self esteem. Those are outstanding benefits from something as simple as playing a game with your family or friends.

Best New Games, written by Dale LeFevre, includes 77 games and 7 trust activities for all ages and abilities. The games are labeled cooperative games, are for the fit as well as the infirm, and are targeted to unite any group of people through play—perfect for a gathering of family and friends. A particularly useful aspect of the book is found in the “Game Finder”. This lists each game in chart form and basically advises what new games to use in any given situation. It gives an overview that categorizes the games according to activity level, timing, number of people needed, cognitive attributes, physical demands as well as other important elements.

A book that I especially like is one that focuses on the joy of playing together rather than the outcome. This book is titled Cooperative Games and Sports: Joyful Activities for Everyone by Terry Orlick. If you’re not a big fan of competitive games or games of elimination, this may be the book for which you are looking. The games involve figuring things out and having to communicate your ideas in order to make the games work. This is an easy to use book with ideas about what age would respond best and how to make the games more challenging as they are mastered by the players.

The Great Big Book of Children’s Games written by Debra Wise is full of fun games of all sorts: ball games, water games, chase games, card games and fun versions of games like “Shut the Box” and “Beetle” that can be made at home.

With such creative books as these readily available at your public library, no one needs to be bored during family get-togethers, snow days, or any type of party. Why not stop by Rowan Public Library today and look for books to widen your horizons, expand your knowledge, or create an escape into another world for a time. Our staff will look forward to seeing you soon.