AFTERSCHOOL ACTIVITIES: BOOK ILLUSTRATES 365 WAYS TO COMBAT BOREDOM

Parents, grandparents or caregivers looking for ideas on how to combat children's boredom blues can take heart.

There's a new, easy-to-read handbook available with an imaginative activity for every day of the year. Each idea appears in its entirety on one horizontally printed page, complete with illustrations by children.

Co-author Sheila Ellison explained the format of "365 Afterschool Activities: TV-Free Fun for Kids Ages 7-12. "I wanted my older kids who are 8 and 10 to be able to use the book themselves," she said. "I wrote it so that they can use it."

The mother of children ages 5, 7, 9 and 10, Ellison, who resides in California, has been writing for her children for more than eight years, and children across the country have been enjoying the benefits. She is the creator and author of the "365" series of parenting books, including "365 Days of Creative Play," and "365 Foods Kids Love to Eat."

"The first book, I wrote for my husband and my baby sitters," Ellison said in a telephone conversation. Ideas for activities sprang from a variety of resources. "Then I'd type up the activities for the baby sitter to do with my children," she explained.

"Friends of mine kept asking me for copies," she said, and soon, the idea to seek publishing of the text was born. "I've kept the format ever since," Ellison noted.

Ideas for "365 Afterschool Activities," began surfacing in those early days while Ellison was at work on her first book. "Since then, I've been gathering and saving activities," she said.

Ellison, who has a bachelor of arts degree in child psychology from the University of Southern California, is an avid children's advocate and a believer that creative play builds self-esteem.

"Kids gain self-esteem by believing in themselves, by believing they can succeed," she said. Ellison's projects are tailored for success. With the activities in the book, "there is no failure, there's nothing to try and not succeed at," she explained. "That's empowering, it's affirming in a child that they can do these things."

The year's worth of projects are divided among 29 categories ranging from "Businesses for Kids," and "Dance and Movement" to "Room Decoration," "Science," and "Visual Arts."

Using simple, safe household materials, children can do the activities with their parents, another friend or by themselves.

"These are things that are short and fun," Ellison explained. "Some may take 10 minutes, some you might want to do for a few minutes every day."

Most of the projects do not require constant adult supervision, though a grown-up's help might be needed to help direct the child's attention and get him started on a particular project.

"If a parent takes 10 minutes to direct an activity, it can make a difference in the whole day," Ellison asserted. "It starts the child's thoughts in a different direction," she said.

Ellison is frequently asked how to gain a child's interest if he's more inclined to collapse in front of the TV after a day at school. She makes these two suggestions: "Parents need to pay attention to the area of interest their children have. Then, you can direct them to something you think will succeed."

Secondly, Ellison noted, "Parents are in charge at home. They may need to set some boundaries and encourage the kids to do other things." The value of parental praise cannot be overemphasized, she noted.

"Any positive word you can give to any child makes a difference," Ellison asserted. Even if the child doesn't finish the activity, the author stressed, adult praise and attention is invaluable.

Ellison encourages parents to be sensitive to their children's efforts. "Even if it's not great, it's still the first effort, still worth saying 'Wow, you did that yourself? You thought of that yourself? It's great.'"

Dr. Judith Gray, an internationally known author, teacher and leader in dance research, and a speaker on future trends in education and dance education, is co-author of the "365" series of books, published by Sourcebooks and available through local bookstores or by calling 1-800-43BRIGHT.

AFTERSCHOOL ACTIVITIES

Activity 108

Family Newspaper

Materials: Strong paper, felt pens, pen, glue, photographs.

Directions: Produce a newspaper about your family and its activities. Look at a local newspaper to get an idea of how to lay out the writing and pictures. Look at what sections they have: headline stories, special events, sports, house and garden. Then add your own categories: holidays, family, friends, work, school, pets and neighborhood news. Write your stories neatly in columns and use photographs or drawings. You may want to have an advertising or "help wanted" section. Be prepared to "interview" (that is, to ask people questions) to get information for your articles. Also, encourage others to write their own articles. Get the whole family to participate!

Activity 277

"All About Me" Poster

Materials: Large piece poster board (any color), scissors, glue stick, glitter, photographs, magazines.

Directions: Look through photographs or magazines for things you like or that describe you. Cut them out and arrange them on the poster board. Make any design you like. Put pictures on that make you feel good, that express what you like and who you are. Hang on your wall with pride! Do one every six months and you will be amazed how much you will have changed.

Activity 101

Apple Birdfeeder

Materials: 1 apple, 3 ft. of string, birdseed or cereal.

Directions: Cut lengthwise grooves in the apple on all four sides. Cut the top off about 1/2 inch from the stem of the apple. Scoop out some of the insides of the apple with a spoon, being careful not to break the skin. Tie the string around the apple, crisscrossing the string underneath the apple and tying it above the top. Fill the center of the apple with birdseed or cereal. Hang the apple bird feeder outside where it will be protected from the rain.

Note: Also try using other fruits for your birdfeeder -- orange, pear, nectarine -- or vegetables such as a turnip, green tomato, gourd or firm squash.