UNBORED Games: Serious Fun for Everyone

by Joshua Glenn, Elizabeth Foy Larsen, Tony Leone (Illustrator), Mister Reusch (Illustrator), Heather Kasunick (Illustrator)

Overview

UNBORED Games has all the smarts, creativity, and DIY spirit of the original UNBORED (“It's a book! It's a guide! It's a way of life!” -Los Angeles Magazine), but with a laser-like focus on the activities we do for pure fun: to while away a rainy day, to test our skills and stretch our imaginations-games. There are more than seventy games here, 50 of them all new, plus many more recommendations, and they cover the full gambit, from old-fashioned favorites to today's high-tech games. The book offers a gold mine of creative, constructive fun: intricate clapping games, bike rodeo, Google Earth challenges, croquet golf, capture the flag, and the best ever apps to play with Grandma, to name only a handful. Gaming is a whole culture for kids to explore, and the book will be complete with gaming history and interviews with awesome game designers. The lessons here: all games can be self-customized, or hacked. You can even make up your own games. Some could even change the world.

The original UNBORED has taken its place as a much beloved, distinctly contemporary family brand. UNBORED Games extends the franchise -- also including UNBORED Adventure -- in a new handy flexibound format, illustrated in full color throughout. This is a whole shelf of serious fun the whole family can enjoy indoors, outdoors, online and offline.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781632860460
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication date:	10/14/2014
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	176
File size:	70 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Joshua Glenn and Elizabeth Foy Larsen are the authors of UNBORED: The Essential Field Guide to Serious Fun and UNBORED Games: Serious Fun for Everyone.
Josh Glenn is an editor at HILOBROW, and is a principal of the commercial semiotics agency Semiovox. He is co-author and/or co-editor of Taking Things Seriously, The Idler's Glossary, and Significant Objects, among other titles. Josh was a columnist and blogger for the Boston Globe's IDEAS section; he published the zine/journal HERMENAUT. He lives in Boston.


Elizabeth Foy Larsen was a member of the team that launched Sassy, a magazine for teen girls. She went on to hold various editorial positions at Utne Reader, including executive editor of Utne Lens, one of the world's first online magazines. She mastered the art of brevity as a digital content editor at the St. Paul Pioneer Press and as the executive producer of Twin Cities Sidewalk. Today, she's a freelance writer and editor whose stories have appeared in numerous local and national publications including The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Mother Jones, The Daily Beast, Slate, Travel + Leisure, Parents, Family Circle, and StarTribune.
Joshua Glenn is cofounder of the web sites Significant Objects, Hilobrow, and Semionaut, and has authored and edited a number of books. Together with Elizabeth Foy Larsen, he writes a parenting column based on Unbored for Slate. He lives in Boston and has two sons, 10 and 13.

@UnboredGuide
Elizabeth Foy Larsen was a member of the team that launched Sassy, a magazine for teen girls. Her writing on families has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Mother Jones, Daily Beast, and elsewhere. She lives in Minneapolis and has two sons and a daughter, ages 7 to 12.

@UnboredGuide
Tony Leone is a principal of Leone Design. His work has been honored by the American Institute of Graphic Arts and the Brand Design Association, and has been featured in Communication Arts, Print, Graphis, and elsewhere. He has a son in kindergarten and a newborn daughter.

@UnboredGuide

Editorial Reviews

★ 09/15/2014
Coauthors Glenn and Larsen (Unbored: The Essential Field Guide to Serious Fun) have reunited to create a delightful and engaging compilation of games galore, from the indoors to the outdoors, from the computer to the traditional board game. This well-illustrated and visually enhanced book, designed by Leone and illustrated by Heather Kasunick and Mister Reusch, draws the reader in from the get-go, creating curiosity about what lies ahead. The book is divided into several chapters, each containing various types of games: those to play at home, electronic games (including apps), adventure games, and more. Detailed explanations of rules and engaging illustrations are present throughout. Some highlights include sections on "instant games," which are rules to games that you can play "on the fly" without any extra items or props. Additionally, passages to popular "game-like" stories are also included, which fit in with the overall theme of the offerings at hand. One example of this is a passage from Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll, which details a chess match. VERDICT Overall, this book just screams "fun." Readers both young and old will find something appealing here, as there is a game or activity to fit every mood and every game-playing preference. Highly recommended for all ages.—Annette Haldeman, Dept. of Legislative Svcs., Maryland General Assembly, Annapolis

Library Journal

09/29/2014
Glenn and Larsen follow 2012’s Unbored with a second collection of DIY activities and ideas for children and families, this time built around the idea of game play, whether it takes place around the kitchen table, outdoors, or online. As in the previous book, the authors employ a team of contributors who bring backgrounds in video games, crafting, computers, and more to the table. Over four chapters, readers receive dozens of recommendations for existing games and apps to check out, ideas for how to “hack” said games to keep them fresh, activities that require no more than one’s body or mind, and information about the history of gaming. From creating “exquisite corpse” drawings to tossing cabers, “larping,” and everything in between, there’s more than enough to entice kids of all interests and abilities. All ages. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

This year's hottest activity book for kids.” —Publishers Weekly on UNBORED

“An old-fashioned child's activity book for a modern Gen-X parented family.” —New York Times on UNBORED

“Exactly the book parents need during a weeklong school break that feels like a month.” —New York Magazine (Approval Matrix) on UNBORED

“This book busts boredom . . . You may never hear those dreaded words again.” —Family Fun Magazine on UNBORED

“Probably the best do-it-yourself and activity book for children I've seen. The variety of projects is astounding, and it's modern and appealing to kids and adults.” —Mark Frauenfelder, BoingBoing

“! If you love outdoorsy, crafty, and adventurous stuff, then this book is perfect for you. It's a guide to life - if you want an exciting and unbored life!” —Emma Kristjanson-Gural, age 12, New Moon Magazine

“This is what we've been waiting for! A playful and informative journey built on exhilarating activities and adventures. This is not just a book, it's a way of life for kids and parents alike.” —Anthony DeBenedet, MD, author of The Art of Roughhousing

From the Publisher