Rubber Band Mania, The Craft Book Kids Will Love
Summary
Rubber Band Mania contains more than 40 projects that kids can make with rubber bands, as well as tips and facts about rubber bands. There is a wide variety of projects for boys and girls with the dexterity to manipulate rubber bands and the ability to follow simple and well-illustrated directions. Projects include: jewelry, a key holder, a rubber band powered car, luminaries and musical instruments, as well as several science projects and magic tricks.
Contents
The activitiesin Rubber Band Mania are divided into six categories: Stuff to Wear, Stuff for Home, Stuff That Goes, Stuff to Create, Stuff to Play, and Stuff to Try. Within those categories are lots of rubber band crafts that will appeal to kids ages 8 or 9 to 16. While some of the projects require a Rainbow Loom, there are also directions for making your own loom, as well as a project using a plastic fork as a loom and others using your own fingers.
Some of the projects I particularly liked include: the single chain bracelet, which many middle school boys and girls are wearing, the trading card organizer, the catapult paper airplane, the tie-dye designs, and the rubber band powered musical instruments. At the end of the book are two simple and effective science lessons dealing with rubber bands and energy, both potential energy and kinetic energy.
Illustrated Directions
I am one of those people, as are many children, who learns best from step-by-step directions that are presented in both words and pictures, so I particularly appreciate the format of the book.
The double page spread above will give you an idea how the projects are presented. While the book is filled with fun activities, it also provides young readers experience in following linear sequential directions to a desired outcome.
My Recommendation
One of the things I liked best about Rubber Band Mania is that once you buy a loom or help your kids make one, gather the materials and make sure your kids know how to use the book, the crafts are all projects they can do on their own. Only once is a craft knife required and that's to punch holes in a pair of earrings after they are made. I didn't notice anything else that would require parental supervision. Kids get a tremendous sense of satisfaction out of being able to complete a project on their own, from start to finish, as well as gaining valuable experience that will benefit them in other areas of learning. Best of all, Rubber Band Mania is fun and filled with items your kids can make for themselves and as holiday gifts.
For Publication Information
To see cover art for Rubber Band Mania, get publication details and learn about other recommended books with "hands-on" activities, click on the arrow below.
Title: Rubber Band Mania
Author: Amanda Formaro is a craft designer, recipe developer, blogger and children's crafts book author. In addition to Rubber Band Mania, she is the author of Duct Tape Mania. (Source: Amanda Formaro's website)
Illustrator: Photos by Amanda Formaro and others
Length: 72 pages
Recommended for: Readers 8/9 to 16, who have the fine motor control and patiience necessary for detail work
Publisher: Studio Fun International, Inc., a division of The Reader's Digest Association, Inc.
Publication Date: 2014
ISBN: 9780794432140
More Books for Kids Who Enjoy Hands-On Activities
If your child enjoys crafts, take a look at and , as well as the other books in my multi-page Crafts Books for Kids article. For kids who enjoy knitting or want to learn, see . Cooking is another hands-on activity kids enjoy. See Top 10 Children's Cookbooks for some of my recommendations. There are also a number of books featuring science projects and experiments. One that I especially like is Junk Drawer Physics.
Rubber Band Mania contains more than 40 projects that kids can make with rubber bands, as well as tips and facts about rubber bands. There is a wide variety of projects for boys and girls with the dexterity to manipulate rubber bands and the ability to follow simple and well-illustrated directions. Projects include: jewelry, a key holder, a rubber band powered car, luminaries and musical instruments, as well as several science projects and magic tricks.
Contents
The activitiesin Rubber Band Mania are divided into six categories: Stuff to Wear, Stuff for Home, Stuff That Goes, Stuff to Create, Stuff to Play, and Stuff to Try. Within those categories are lots of rubber band crafts that will appeal to kids ages 8 or 9 to 16. While some of the projects require a Rainbow Loom, there are also directions for making your own loom, as well as a project using a plastic fork as a loom and others using your own fingers.
Some of the projects I particularly liked include: the single chain bracelet, which many middle school boys and girls are wearing, the trading card organizer, the catapult paper airplane, the tie-dye designs, and the rubber band powered musical instruments. At the end of the book are two simple and effective science lessons dealing with rubber bands and energy, both potential energy and kinetic energy.
Illustrated Directions
I am one of those people, as are many children, who learns best from step-by-step directions that are presented in both words and pictures, so I particularly appreciate the format of the book.
The double page spread above will give you an idea how the projects are presented. While the book is filled with fun activities, it also provides young readers experience in following linear sequential directions to a desired outcome.
My Recommendation
One of the things I liked best about Rubber Band Mania is that once you buy a loom or help your kids make one, gather the materials and make sure your kids know how to use the book, the crafts are all projects they can do on their own. Only once is a craft knife required and that's to punch holes in a pair of earrings after they are made. I didn't notice anything else that would require parental supervision. Kids get a tremendous sense of satisfaction out of being able to complete a project on their own, from start to finish, as well as gaining valuable experience that will benefit them in other areas of learning. Best of all, Rubber Band Mania is fun and filled with items your kids can make for themselves and as holiday gifts.
For Publication Information
To see cover art for Rubber Band Mania, get publication details and learn about other recommended books with "hands-on" activities, click on the arrow below.
Title: Rubber Band Mania
Author: Amanda Formaro is a craft designer, recipe developer, blogger and children's crafts book author. In addition to Rubber Band Mania, she is the author of Duct Tape Mania. (Source: Amanda Formaro's website)
Illustrator: Photos by Amanda Formaro and others
Length: 72 pages
Recommended for: Readers 8/9 to 16, who have the fine motor control and patiience necessary for detail work
Publisher: Studio Fun International, Inc., a division of The Reader's Digest Association, Inc.
Publication Date: 2014
ISBN: 9780794432140
More Books for Kids Who Enjoy Hands-On Activities
If your child enjoys crafts, take a look at and , as well as the other books in my multi-page Crafts Books for Kids article. For kids who enjoy knitting or want to learn, see . Cooking is another hands-on activity kids enjoy. See Top 10 Children's Cookbooks for some of my recommendations. There are also a number of books featuring science projects and experiments. One that I especially like is Junk Drawer Physics.
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