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International
Games: Building Skills Through Multicultural
Play
Publisher: Human Kinetics
Description: © 2009, Paper Book 128
pages
Price: $20.00
Author: Gayle Horowitz
Reviewer: Jacob Bersin,
Framingham Public Schools, Framingham,
MA
This book describes in detail a variety
of interesting games that can be utilized
by the Physical Education teacher. The
book features 67 games from 38 different
countries – each one focusing on
a specific skill set. Some of the skills
covered in this book include striking,
accuracy, rhythm, strength, speed, and
team building. The visuals are excellent
and really help to illustrate each game’s
layout and the purpose of the skill it’s
trying to develop. The author also outlines
the equipment needed, the rules of each
game, and any variations that can be adapted.
As a Physical Education teacher, I would
use this book as a way to teach how games
from various cultures compare and contrast
to each other.
As the author states, many of the activities
described require little, if any, equipment,
making this the ideal companion in school
systems with equipment shortages or small
play areas. Also, a majority of the games
are geared towards the elementary level.
This book would be fantastic to utilize
during an “integrated unit”
with the classroom teacher, especially
around international topics/lessons. In
addition, at the end of each chapter there
are “mini quizzes” that the
teacher can administer to students to
test their knowledge. The games and activities
can be implemented as is, or the teacher
can adapt them to fit the need of his/her
particular “teaching situation.”
The feature I particularly enjoyed about
this book is that the games are inclusive
-- anyone can participate. The child does
not have to be athletic, strong, or large
in order to be successful. As a physical
education teacher I would recommend this
book. On a five-star scale, I give this
book a four.
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