Front Porch Play

Play
Note: Links connect to places you can buy the resource or to the websites

There are two sections:

How To Play

The Issue of Play

How To Play

Books

365 Days of Creative Play by Shelia Ellison and Judith Grey. Great quick activities. Just open the book and pick anything.
All-Star Games: From All-Star Youth Leaders by Mikal Keefer. Good for detailed information, explanation and variations on games. Ages 6 to 11.
The Backyard Camp-Out Bookby Douglas Love. Aimed at boys. Includes snacks for boys, nature activities, volcano, stars, basic astronomy and levitation. Ages 6 to 11.
Best New Games. Good photos. Tells you when to play the game, the developmental skills it enhances, and includes solid, fun games. Ages 10 and under.
The Big Book of Games by Dorothy Stott. All the basic outdoor games clearly explained. Ages 6 to 11.
The Book of Cards for Kids. Short explanations of the basics. Ages 5 and up.
Build It With Boxes by Joan Irvine. For Ages 3 to 11.
Co-Op Games Manual by Jim Deacove from Family Pastimes, Canada
Everyone Wins!: Cooperative Games and Activities by Smbhava and Josette Luvmour . Games for the 7 and under crowd. (the ages the book says the games are for are not really accurate)
Family Fun and Games. A reference book for board game and card game rules.
Games (Traditions Around the World) Clear good explanations of 6 games - how to play them and where they came from.
Games to Play with Toddlers, Revised (Games to Play Series) by Jackie Silberg. Clear book of simple games. Ages 5 and under.
How to Play with Kids : A Powerful Field-Tested Nuts & Bolts Condensed Guide to Unleash and Improve Your Kid-Relating Skills by Jim Therrell
How to Play with Your children and When Not to by Brian and Shirley Sutton Smith. The Appendix on Assessment is a list of from birth on of games to play and what kids need developmentally.
The Incredible Indoor Games Book, Grades 1-5 by Bob Gregson
Juba This & Juba That: 100 African-American Games for Children by Hopson, Hopson and Clavin. Well explained African Games for Children . Uses very few supplies.
Let's Play: Traditional Games of Childhood by Dusan Petricic and Camilla Gryski. Different ways to choose "it", various ways to play tag, hide and go seek, leap frog, hop scotch, jump rope, clapping. Explains jacks and marbles well. Ages 5 to 12.
The Marble Book by Richie Chevat.
Miles of Smiles: 101 Great Car Games and Activitiesby Carole Terilliger Meyers. Games for kids in the car and when waiting for something. Ages 6 to 11.
Mud, Sand, and Water
The Multicultural Game Book (Grades 1-6) by Louise Orlando. Clearly explained, shows maps of where games came from, Take time to read it through. Ages 6 to 11.
The Outrageous Outdoor Games Book by Bob Gregson. Ages 6 to 11.
Pick-Up Games: The Rules, the Players, the Equipment by D. W. Crisfield. How to play spin offs of traditional sports.
The Picture Rulebook of Kids' Games by Roxanne Henderson. Great illustrated book of basic kids games. A refresher for rules and details of games like dodge ball, hangman, swimming games etc. Ages 6 to 13.
Play It! by Wayne Rice. Divided by group size and indoor/outdoor. Ages 11 and up.
Play, Development and Early Education by Johnson, Christie and Yawky. A textbook on early childhood play. Development, toys, electronic media, observing and curriculum ideas. Age 1 to 5.
Play Leadership Training: Growth and Development by the Canadian Council On Children and Youth National Task Force on Children's Play : Age Group Characteristics and Needs in Play.
Ready-to-Use Activities for Before and After School Programs A variety of activities includes snacks, science, outdoor games and crafts. Great reference for someone starting an after school Program. Ages for Activities are a little younger than they say. Ages 6 to 11.
The Right Stuff for Children Birth to Eight: Selecting Play Materials to Support Development by Martha Bronson. Has an excellent chart with different kinds of toys and what ages they are good for. Ages 1-8.
Second Cooperative Sports and Games Book by Terry Orlick. A good beginner book for cooperative games. All ages.
Shari Lewis Presents 101 Games for Kids to Play and Sing by Shari Lewis. Indoor games that are simple and fun for all ages.
Sidewalk Games Around The World by Arlene Erlbach. Great, simple well illustrated, well explained. Ages 6 to 11.
Summer Fun!: 60 Activities for a Kid-Perfect Summer (Williamson Kids Can! Series) by Susan Williamson. A great one-stop book for activities fro grade schoolers. (ages 6 to 11)
TravelMates: Fun Games Kids Can Play in the Car or on the Go--No Materials Needed by Story Evans.
Treasure Hunts! by Lenny Hort. Every kind of treasure hunt well explained. A must have for all ages.
The Ultimate Playground and Recess Game Book by Guy Bailey.
What to Do When There is Nothing to Do by the Boston Children's Medical Center Staff. Full of Imagination. Ages 1 to 5.
Your Child at Play: Birth to One Year : Discovering the Senses and Learning About the World by Marilyn Segal. Explains why they do what they do, gives ideas for activities and games appropriate for that age. 1 to 5.

Links

BBC Parenting: Play and Do Lots of games for kids to play and to learn from.
Child and Youth Health An overview about playing with children with topics such as emotions and play, relationships and play and actual activities.
Adventure Playgrounds and City Farms in Europe an essay about the history of adventure playgrounds.
Children’s Folk Games multicultural and multilingual anthology of children's folklore, published by children, parents and teachers from around the world. This was a web-based classroom project featuring contributions from 108 schools, in 61 countries that includes children's games, rhymes and customs.
Children's Landscape, Norway The best website about how to build natural landscapes for kids to play in.
Detroit Public Library Children’s Library There are lots of games books. Search online.
Deep Fun A great website full of crazy games.
Family Fun Game Finder Games you can search by age or indoor or outdoor.
Firebird Trust Games "Heard it in the Playground" is an intergenerational project about games kids play. Learn some old games and youth variations on them.
Games Kids Play A giant collection of outdoor games including jump rope rhymes.
Germantown Academy Multicultural Games Learn about contemporary and ancient games: Where is the game played & where did it originate?How do you play? What kind of equipment do you need?
Junkyard Sports Explains how to make games with junk.
Netwoods Virtual Campsite These are games aimed for scout troops but any group could use them. It includes night games, games in the woods, creative relays and many more.
Outdoor Games A selection of basic outdoor games.
PBS Kids Zoom Quick explanations of games submitted by children.
Party Games 220 Games that are great for indoors.
Party Game Central Lots of games to play.
Streetplay Look under girl power for jacks, hop scotch, jump rope etc.
Youth Activities and Farms in Germany Great examples of ways children can play outside of the traditional playground model. Take a look at the photos to see the possibilities.
Winning Losing and Cheating by Child and Parent Health

Videos

The Essentials of Play Leadership with "Mr. Play” Professional Play Leaders Association-USA, 1991, 24 minutes

Training

Jean Vortkamp, Founder and Director of the Front Porch is available to go anywhere and teach adults about play (about children ages 6 and up). Contact her at frontporchdetroit@yahoo.com

The Issue of Play

Books/Articles

The After School Project - Physical (in)Activity Among Low-Income Children and Youth by Robert Halpern. 2003.
The Ambiguity of Play by Brian Sutton Smith.
The Great Outdoors: Restoring Children's Right to Play Outside by Mary Rivkin. Shows great playgrounds, vacant lots and outdoor safety. For adults who work with kids up to age 12.
A Place for Play: A Companion Volume to the Michigan Television Film "Where Do the Children Play?"
Playing, Living and Learning: A Worldwide Perspective on Children's Opportunities to Play by Cor Westland and Jane Knight. Explores the many ways to provide play experiences for children. Example: mobile play, play streets, adventure play, toy libraries etc.
Playing with Children: Immediacy was their cry by Stuart Aitkin. The Geographical Review 91 (1-2): p 496-508
Where Do the Children Play?: A Documentary Film

Websites

The Alliance for Childhood promotes policies and practices that support children’s healthy development, love of learning, and joy in living. Our public education campaigns bring to light both the promise and the vulnerability of childhood. We act for the sake of the children themselves and for a more just, democratic, and ecologically responsible future.
Association for the Study of Play is a multidisciplinary organization whose purpose is to promote the study of play, support and cooperate with other organizations having similar purposes, and organize meetings and publications that facilitate the sharing and dissemination of information related to the study of play
Institute for Play is committed to bringing the unrealized knowledge, practices and benefits of play into public life. It is gathering research from diverse play scientists and practitioners, initiating projects to expand the clinical scientific knowledge of human play and translating this emerging body of knowledge into programs and resources which deliver the transformative power of play to all segments of society.
International Association of the Right to Play (USA) Advocates of play and recess
Playing for Keeps promotes and protects the role of play in our society.
Play England provides advice and support to promote good practice, and works to ensure that the importance of play is recognized by policy makers, planners and the public.
Play Wales explains play deprivation, play and risk, play and oomputers and more.

Videos

PROMISE OF PLAY, Part 1: The Mother of InventionThis video is the introduction about why people and animals play and why it is important.
PROMISE OF PLAY, Part 3: The Heart of the Matter This video gives examples of how play is used. Particularly interesting is the notion of having a "play coach" in schools for kids who are having difficulty playing. (Video Part 2 concerns adults primarily)
Where Do the Children Play?