I Can Make Games

Mary Stevens is an elementary-school teacher-librarian with the Waterloo
Roman Catholic Separate School Board.

These activity books for parents, camp counselors, teachers, or
elementary-school children contain lucid instructions and useful color
photographs of the various stages of assembly. Materials needed to
construct the games and gifts are readily available. (Wallace encourages
substitutions, if necessary.) Safety concerns are addressed in both
books.

I Can Make Games includes a good mix of activities, ranging from the
very simple “Squishers” (easy hackeysacks) to the more complex
“mini golf” course constructed from cardboard boxes. Each game
contains both fine- and large-motor activities, and many reinforce
spatial awareness. Wallace has included a balance of competitive and
individual games. I Can Make Gifts also ranges from the easy
(hand-shaped gift certificates for back-scratches or stories) to the
difficult (“Napkin Cat,” a colorful napkin holder constructed from
cardboard and papier-mвché). Recommended (despite the flimsy binding).