Travel & Adventure
It is that time of year when the sun starts to shine, and stays out for longer, evenings are lighter and we all want nothing more than to spend time outdoors. What to do with the children when we are out there is however often the question. Whilst some are quite happy to make their own adventures others need some encouragement and well, some of us like to play with them too and indulge in some family fun!
A little help is at hand with a brilliant selection of books for Spring, Summer, in fact all year round fun, outdoors and in.
The young ones in your life will surely know We’re Going on a Bear Hunt – who can’t recite this most memorable of rhymes? Well now there is the opportunity to enjoy it to another degree with We’re Going on a Bear Hunt: My Adventure Field Guide and We’re Going on A Bear Hunt: My Explorer’s Journal both from Walker Books. The field guide is packed with fun and adventure and plenty to discover about the natural world from science to cookery mud and swishy grass the story comes to life and children (as well as the grown-ups) can turn to the Journal after their adventures to record and remember their findings.
Should the weather be less welcoming or the little ones want to learn more about the natural world that cannot be seen quite so easily then help is at hand with the simply stunning Under Earth Under Water Activity Books from Big Picture Press. Following the success of these non-fiction titles comes the chance to interact with the natural world through colouring, drawing, and factual learning. There are over 70 activities in each book and the graphics are simply amazing – certain to absorb for hours and that is before anyone even attempts an activity!
Add to the collection Botanicum Activity Book curated by Katie Scott and Kathy Willis in association with Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, which will inform and excite budding naturalists everywhere and there really is a world at the fingertips to be explored.
As is this were not enough a brilliant package of books then landed on my doormat from Nosy Crow. From Philip Ardagh we learn about how to be a medieval Knight, and sometimes how not to be too. With lively illustration by Jamie Littler this is a brilliant new concept – ‘Faction’, entertaining story and facts alongside.
Nosy Crow also take us back to nature and entertainment with Ned the Nature Nut’s Nutty Nature Facts and Jokes, some will make you laugh, others grown and some cringe but all will bring a smile and make this an ideal book for journeys to the outdoors – do the jokes match any of the discoveries?
Whether you are visiting a farm or just exploring the countryside there are two more Nosy Crow titles that will assist a trip. Look and Say: What You See on the Farm by Sebastian Braun bring the farmyard to life for the smallest children in this chunky board book with its vibrant and instructive illustration. Encouraging children to spot animals and name objects this is a companion book for days out and follow up Look and Say: What You See in the Countryside. Staying in the countryside and we can make great use of Colours: A Walk in the Countryside by Rosalind Beardshaw which uses double page spreads with vibrant pictures to introduce children to the colours that they will see around them, encouraging them to look at their surroundings in detail.
