Greta Eskridge

Every season means a new chance for activities in this packed, colorful read.

This book holds one hundred activities, which have been broken down into four seasons. There is also a table of contents at the beginning, making easier to locate certain ones. The entire thing starts with a note to the parents and a big, full-cover photo of the author and her family, which sets the tone very well. This family doesn't sit at home, but travels into the great outdoors, visits various sites, explores nature and relishes in camping, hiking and such. The book does follow this flow.

The illustrations are inviting and make each activity fun to discover. There are accompanying photos in many to help the reader actually see different sites, understand the directions, or simply get into the atmosphere of the activity. The activity is numbered at the top and given a title. Then, there's a short personal explanation from the author, introducing the activity as well as bringing in tidbits from her own experiences. The activity is then laid out in detail with steps to follow, items to gather, or even extra hints. These are all well written, easy to understand, and no problem to follow for the intended age group.

Many of the activities are simple to do and don't require many items or anything difficult. Others, however, encourage activities such as camping, hiking, kayaking, or exploring National Parks/sites. So, not all of these are for everyone, and I wouldn't necessarily recommend this one for less travel friendly families. But even then, there are enough suggestions which work for others as well. If nothing else, it does inspire and radiate the love for nature and being outdoors.

It's also clear that this comes from a homeschooling family, since there several ideas which flow in that direction: journals, poetry, and such. So, this does work well for anyone intending to use it as inspiration in that direction. It also holds ideas for camps or group activities. This book is fun to pick up, flip through, and find something to do any time of year, and does hold a wide variety of ideas.
I received an ARC and thought this was well done with the intended audience in mind.… (more)