Snow days

The east coast (including the Middle Atlantic States) has been blanketed. It is winter after all — everywhere. Even the far south has felt winter’s bite.

It’s wonderful to curl up with a good book or bake a tasty something but sometimes something more active is called for. This something can help parents and children (or teachers stuck indoors with restless kids) get moving while reading — and even creating a way to remember these days.

A new book/activity kit called Movie Maker (opens in a new window) (Candlewick) may just do the trick. It is sure to engage children of various ages in different ways. The cover claims that it contains “everything you need to know to create films on your cell phone or digital camera.”

The illustrated director’s handbook takes a can-do approach and includes an introduction to those who wrote the book (all of whom claim to have been filming since primary school).

The book includes an introduction to movie terms and stages of production as well as types of films (fiction, documentaries, live action, or animation). And it all comes in a box that serves as a “clapper board.”

So, let’s make (or plan to make, or write the script for, or rehearse…) a movie and avoid a snow daze on gray snow days!