Books published by publisher Hunter House Inc. ,U.S.

When the circus isn't in town, children can still enjoy it at a birthday party, summer camp, drama class, or elementary school thanks to this colorful collection of circus-based games and activities. Ideal for children ages four through 12, the book draws on popular circus elements such as acrobatics, clowns, animal numbers, and balancing acts. The games are presented in a clear, simple way, range from ten to 45 minutes in length, and vary in complexity. Each section includes a "circus program" children can use if they want to plan an actual performance. Readily available props are used for some of the games, and costumes are encouraged for all! Noncompetitive and playable without special skills training, the activities in 101 Circus Games for Children provide delightful entertainment for participants and spectators alike.

The movement games in this book are intended to cultivate children’s social and creative abilities. Some are based on playground games, others on professional theater and dance exercises. The games described are divided into ten categories including touch and reaction, concentration and puzzles, impersonation and cooperation, and music and movement.

The games in this book help teachers, parents, and others who work with children maintain or restore order, refocus children's attention, and break up the classroom routine. Most of the games are quite short and can be used between academic activities as a treat or quick break. Many are noncompetitive, most don't require props, and none require special skills or training. All can be played with the whole class; there are partner games, small group games, and outdoor games. Clear, complete instructions are included for each activity, and icons denote appropriate age levels, time, and group size. Author Allison Bartl has tested all of the games herself and recommends that the teacher or parent fully participate in each game, both to relax and to provide a model of good social behavior. Tips and thoughtful quotations from Goethe, Rudolf Steiner, Seneca, Lao Tse, Mother Theresa, and others are also included.

Language games allow children to stretch their communication abilities, enhancing vocabulary, conversation, and storytelling skills. A suggested age range accompanies each game in this book; some games may be adapted to different age groups. Language games for beginners focus on making children aware of the ways letters look, the presence of letters in their surroundings (on signs, for instance), and the different letter systems in different cultures. More advanced games include creating poems and haiku, making up stories, and joke-telling. 39 black-and-white illustrations are included in this wonderful resource for teachers, therapists, and social workers.

Originally written for drama teachers working with students aged 9 to 18, this collection of short, snappy theater dialogues makes the perfect short break activity in any classroom, camp, or youth group situation. Students get much more out of these dialogues than just acting practice: they increase alertness, cultivate curiosity, boost literacy, and improve school attendance. The one-to-one dialogue format facilitates friendships and allows shy students to demonstrate new skills. Written by a family of drama experts, each dialogue centers around a theme related to young life: food, parents, hobbies, movies, even falling in love, to name just a few. Each dialogue is introduced with brief notes suggesting different ways of playing them at different ages and tips for adapting the dialogues to different age groups and situations. 101 Dialogues, Sketches, and Skits is part of the SmartFun Activity series from Hunter House, which includes over 25 titles that have sold more than 200,000 copies to date.

Designed for students in grades six to nine, this curriculum offers more than 30 innovative class sessions that address diversity (racial, ethnic, and sexual) and violence issues. Each session contains a warm-up exercise, theme information, value clarification, and an experience or activity. Journal writing, critical thinking about history textbooks, role-playing, storytelling, poetry/rap, photographs, illustrations, tables, and whole-school research projects are just some of the tools presented in this hands-on guide to defending against violence in middle school.