Browse through the humor sections of your local bookstore or library for the makings of an evening of play. Check out books of jokes, bloopers, and cartoons by such masters of jest as Gary Larson, Jules Feiffer, George Carlin, Scott Adams, Tracey Ullman, and Steve Martin. A good book to bring home is Play with Your Food by Joost Elffers. Here you will find ideas for carving pumpkins and creating delightful little animals out of fruits and vegetables. Play with your brussels sprout pig, mushroom man, squash goose, pear bear, leek freaks, banana octopus, mouse yam, orange cat, and all the rest of the menagerie!
Here are more playful books to browse:
- You Can't Say You Can't Play: Vivian Gussin Paley presents ways to incorporate ethics into children's classroom and into their play.
- Waldorf Alphabet Book: Famke Zonneveld offers a playful and thoroughly delightful alphabet and game book.
- A Time for Playing: Ron Hirschi celebrates in words and photographs wild animals playing in the wilderness.
- Up, Up, Up: Susan Reed salutes the spiritual practice of play and the exhilarations of human flight by three children in a hot-air balloon.
- I Like to Play: Marla Stewart Konrad records children letting go and savoring the moment in the spiritual practice of play.
- The Story of the Wind Children: Sibylle von Olfers offers a playful tale about the adventures of a young boy and a wind sprite.
- Lots of Dots: Craig Frazier presents a clever picture book designed to draw out kids' playfulness and sense of wonder.
- I Dream of an Elephant: Ami Rubinger shows a playful band of elephants that help children identify colors.
- Press Here: Herve Tullet has fashioned a creative and playful interactive book for kids of all ages.
- Ferret Fun: Karen Rostoker-Gruber demonstrates play as a problem solver and an antidote to bullying.
More Children's Books about Play
