50 Dangerous Things: Book Review

Summer has officially started in our house. It's is roasting outside and we're trying to find ways to stay busy both indoors and out. While we're excited about the every day stuff, going to the library, making popsicles, and playing games, sometimes we want something a little more exciting to do.

We were recently introduced to the book 50 Dangerous Things (you should let your children do) by Gever Tulley and Julie Spiegler. It's filled with ideas on how to teach your child about safety by allowing them to experience risk. The book encourages kids to experiment, to answer the "what ifs" by actually acting on the ideas, in order to give them better problem-solving skills.50 Dangerous Things includes a variety of activities, skills, projects, and experiences. Suggestions in the book include super-gluing your fingers together, exploding a bottle in the freezer, learning to tightrope walk, and damming up a creek, among others. Each idea includes a how to, a risk assessment (could cause shock, property damage, etc), and room to take notes. There's also a section that explains the merits of each activity.

As my son read through the book, I heard many giggles and several repeats of "I'm not going to do that," as he was shocked and amused by many of the ideas. But, he was also very excited to add several of the ideas to our summer to-do list.

The book offers a fresh perspective on taking risks and trying new things. It offers easy to follow directions, as well as warnings for parents and children to abide by so that no one gets seriously injured. I have a feeling we'll be pulling it off the book shelf several times this summer.

Buy It
50 Dangerous Things (you should let your children do) is available now for $18. You can also visit the the 50 Dangerous Things website to learn more.

A copy of the book was provided for review. All opinions are our own.