Cool board games Crafting creative toys & amazing games

This colorfully illustrated book in the Cool Toys & Games series has clear, easy-to-follow craft instructions on how to make a number of board games. Included is a mini magnetic battleship game, a giant outdoor checkers game, a spelling game that hangs on the refrigerator, a memory game that uses mystery boxes, and a variation of the Game of Life that requires players to think and write about events, both good and bad, from their past, present, and future lives. The step-by-step instructions involve painting, cutting, coloring, and gluing, and are accompanied by helpful photos. Safety symbols indicate when adult supervision is needed. This short but comprehensive book also contains a materials list, a short history of board games, tips for making the games, a table of contents, a glossary, website links, and an index. It succeeds in inviting kids to create new twists on familiar board games in order to make them even more fun and unique.--Rawlins, Sharon Copyright 2016 Booklist

Gr 3-6-The crafts in each of these books will make for good classroom, club activities, and parties. The instructions are reasonably foolproof and with five to six per volume, a lot to choose from. The projects in Dolls are all about individualization and creativity, while others require scrupulous attention, such as the recipes in Crayons and Doughs. Many of these projects are made using easily accessible materials, although some ingredients-clear casting epoxy (Blocks), liquid starch (Doughs), and glow-in-the-dark powder (Crayons)-are special-purchase items. Fun facts about kid favorites like LEGO, Barbie, and Monopoly are liberally sprinkled throughout. VERDICT A strong choice. © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.