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Book Review of All Around Town: Exploring Your Community Through Craft Fun (Williamson Little Hands Series)

All Around Town: Exploring Your Community Through Craft Fun (Williamson Little Hands Series)
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Great ideas for teachers or homeschoolers who are doing a study about community/community helpers. A part of the popular "Williamson Little Hands Book" series, this book includes teaching ideas and projects to make 20 different businesses within the community including:

My Home
School
Police Station
Library
Fire Station
Park
Hospital
Animal Shelter
Post Office
Construction Site
Railroad Station
Garden Center
Senior Citizens Center
Town Hall
Grocery Store
Airport
Theater
Ice Cream Shop
Gas Station
Restaurant

Each chapter also includes related songs/rhymes, suggested books and a brief description about the community building and its purpose.
Examples of projects include:

Police Station - make a policeman's badge, create a ticket book, have fun trying fingerprinting

Fire Station - make a small fire station building from a paper bag and tissue box, fold a piece of construction paper into a fireman's hat (directions included), make a red fire engine from a milk or juice carton and single serving cereal box

Airport - make a paper airplane (with directions), make a control tower out of paper cups and paper towel tube

Town Hall -- make a court judge's gavel from cereal box and round salt carton, hold a pretend court, make a syline and be a town planner

Paraphrase from back of book:

"Kids visit 20 places to discover what people do inside and out each day. Kids make it "almost real through crafts and activities. Kids meet the people in town and imagine "When I grow up."

I used this book with my son when he was a preschooler and he loved the projects and activities, especially when we combined them with a visit to the highlighted business.


Recommended for children ages 3-8 years.