My husband and I spent an inordinate amount of our childhoods — back in the dinosaur era — learning to make and do things that today’s digital kids would have difficulty imagining. We’d both memorized our older siblings’ Cub Scout and Girl Scout handbooks before we were old enough to join them! And when we did, we had so much fun making fun crafts and useful things that filled the shelves of our bedrooms. Even today, we rely on those same skills to repair our home and things, invent fun gifts, and enjoy ourselves any time we have a few free hours. Nowadays, I don’t want my own children (and grandchildren) to miss out. So this well made book is a real gift to our entire extended family. The book contains 20 classic crafts and other projects that any child would love to do.Of course, the book is designed for camps and clubs, with ideas and helps for instructors, parents, and teachers to learn and help their students learn how to make-and-do.

The layout and page design echoes that of old-style handbooks, with diagrams and step-by-step instructions. Yet it’s updated with modern design, colorful photos, well-written helps, and engaging text and layouts. The book is divided into four sections. The first, Heritage Skills, includes projects of shelter building, soap carving, fire-making, bows and arrows, and making herbal salves. This second section, Fiber Arts, includes weaving, creating cordage, mending, hand-sewing a stuffie, and natural dyes. Part 3 focuses on Woodworking, including making a toolbox, bee hotel, limberjack’s, toy cars, and a 2-by-4 challenge. Part four finishes the book with a Tinker, Build and Play section. Those projects include junk robots, tiny towns, simple machines, mini kites, and cardboard creators. There is an entire summer’s worth of fun and fulfillment waiting in this beautiful and well-designed book. Again, it’s ideal for summer schools, camps, clubs, homeschoolers, and anyone who wants their kids to gain the confidence of creating, and the learning that only hands-on projects offer.