Real Play Revolution : Why We Need to Be Silly With Our Kids--And How to Do It

For parents, teachers, and anyone in childcare: A highly original, inspiring guide to the power of play and how to use it―from the founder of the Flying Seagull Project

In a world of technology, product marketing, and unending messaging, there is a need to liberate the imagination, re-sow the seeds of creativity―and start a Real Play revolution! Real Play needs no expertise, qualifications, or equipment beyond what can be found about the house―just a genuine interaction between grown-ups and children.

Accessible, engaging, and fun, this book offers techniques and play ideas developed by Ash Perrin through his work at the Flying Seagull Project, making a passionate case for the importance of play in children’s lives. The Real Play Revolution is a treasure trove of fantastic, unexpected, and effective play ideas, from step-by-step activities such as:

• Kids Comedy Corner: tell jokes together as a family
• Home-Made TV: make your own TV―then watch it!
• Circus Skills Workshop: hoola-hoop, juggling balls, spinning plates, etc.

Plus, there are easy methods for fixing bad moods―in both kids and adults!

• One-Minute Madness Miracle: the first one to get nowhere wins.
• Turkey Head Grump Crown: who can continue to feel annoying with a turkey on their head?

All suggestions can be adapted to work with one child to a whole classroom. Featuring fun line drawings to clarify step-by-steps, The Real Play Revolution is a practical, much-needed guide to help grown-ups share silliness, laughter, and fun with kids.

Ash Perrin set up the Flying Seagull Project - a troupe of entertainers engaging children and adults in art, music, craft, circus skills, games and performances - in 2008. They have since worked in a wide range of settings in the UK and around the world, ranging from children's hospitals, orphanages and refugee camps to festivals and parties. The underlying philosophy of the Flying Seagull Project is that everyone - man, woman and child - has the right to put aside the cares of life and smile for a while.