Don't You Dare by Sharky and George
Older readers like myself may recognise a great many of Sharky and George's ideas from our own childhood games, in the days when children's games usually did take place outdoors. Most of us will have played games like torch tag (which is enemy spotlight in this book), cops and robbers, boxes with a pen and paper, made drip sand castles, skimmed a stone or built a dam in childhood. So you might ask - why do need a book to teach us games we already know how to play? The sad fact is, most of these games are rapidly being forgotten. I rarely see children other than my own play any type of tag or hide and seek games. I remember once reading a woman posting that she offered her son a game of hide seek. Sure he replied Is that on X-Box or PS3? This book brings back all of the old games along with several new twists. Some games like British Bulldogs have been considerably toned down into a barely recognisable version called Fishy, Fishy, Fishy - for obvious health and safety reasons, while other games have been adapted to suit different themes, and a few I am quite sure are Sharky and George originals.
| Don't You Dare by Sharky and George | |
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| Category: Children's Non-Fiction | |
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Reviewer: Margaret Young
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| Summary: Sharky and George are well known children's party planners and entertainers in the London area - but for those of us who live too far away to consider a Sharky and George party - or who simply cannot afford to book entertainment for a child's birthday party, this book contains everything you need to create your own entertainment, whether for a party or just to keep the children busy during the school holidays. 'Don't You Dare' is filled with games, pranks and activities. | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 96 | Date: June 2013 |
| Publisher: Egmont Books Ltd | |
| External links: Author's website | |
| ISBN: 978-1405258296 | |
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Most of the games and pranks here are simply good clean, or perhaps mucky, fun. There are a few games though that parents may very well be saying Don't you dare! to. For instance the Fill Your Pants game suggests tying off your trouser legs and running about the house stuffing your trousers or underpants with items including a raw egg, a tube of toothpaste, a high heeled shoe and a book. Not only do I think a child could get hurt with the shoe, but I would not be well pleased if my sons were to end up with smashed egg and toothpaste all over one of my good books. I very well may use this idea - but it will be adapted for outdoor use and use items like water balloons rather than books and toothpaste. Another game involves capturing a fart in a jar and lighting it on fire. The book does say to get a grown up's assistance, but I know many older children may be tempted to try things like this on their own. This is a book where parental supervision is an absolute must. I would strongly recommend that parents read this with their child and discuss which games are acceptable for their own household and under what conditions these games must be played. I would also suggest parents read this book just to join in the fun and play some of the games with the children.
Most of the games and activities in this book are best suited to outdoor play, but there are a number of fun ideas for rainy days as well. The recipe for home made Play-Doh is perfect for indoor play, as is the modelling game suggested by Sharky and George. My children really enjoyed the bedroom minefield game. This is another game I remember from childhood, but I hadn't thought to teach them before reading this. This gave us a few fun ideas for variations on tag games, and I hope to try out many more over the summer. Another real plus is that many of the activities do not require any props at all, but where additional items are required, these are all common household items such a torch, a bucket or a bit of string. The vast majority of the activities could be thrown together in the average home without any prior planning. The only exception to this are a few games and activities that require a seaside location. We really enjoyed the book, and I expect to get years of fun from this, dipping in whenever we need inspiration. I plan to keep this book at the caravan, where we can pull it out whenever the children grow bored as a much healthier and happier alternative to the video games console. There are activities to suit a very wide age range - from age 4 up through the early teenage years. This book is really a must have item for youth group leaders, trying to put together a party for older children, or for families who just want to have fun - with no batteries required.
If this book appeals then we think that you might also enjoy:
Do Try This at Home: Cook It!! by Punk Science
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You can read more book reviews or buy Don't You Dare by Sharky and George at Amazon.com.
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