The Handbook of Forgotten Skills: Timeless Fun for a New Generation

Ages 8 to 12, Grades 3 to 7

Handbook of Forgotten Skills is an illustrated step-by-step guide to classic fun and handy skills for a new generation.

Elaine Batiste and Natalie Crowley invite readers to turn the clock back to a simpler time and unlock hours of fun as they discover how to:

Tie knotsMake a bird feederWrite a thank-you noteMake a pieBuild a campfireUse a compassWrap a gift with brown paper and stringSew by handGrow tomatoesFix a flat bicycle tireMake refrigerator picklesSew buttonsMake lemonadeGrow and dry herbsMend a sockMake natural dyesSkip stonesStart quiltingPerform coin tricksMake an omeletFold paper airplanesExplore photography

Featuring art by Chris Duriez, each chapter includes clear, illustrated step-by-step instructions as well as information about the history of that skill. For example, did you know that lemonade is credited with helping fight the plague in Paris? Or that paper airplanes became popular during World War II because traditional toys weren’t available?

With so many activities to explore, Handbook of Forgotten Skills: Timeless Fun for a New Generation is a perfect gift book that kids will turn to again and again.

About the Author

Elaine Batiste has been sewing and making things for over four decades and loves to share her projects as a sewing blogger at Laineemakes.com and on sewcial media. A retired educator, she has years of experience creating activities for children and loves working with young people to help them create their own work. She lives by the sea in one of the most exciting cities in the UK. When she’s not exploring the world with her partner, you will most likely find Batiste at her sewing machine.

Natalie Crowley is a California-based teacher, consultant, and coach. She is the creator of the Nature Natalie blog for outdoor educators, and she enjoys getting outside with her dog and family as often as possible. Crowley is the author of Teaching Outside: 20 Quick & Easy Outdoor Education Activities for Children.

Chris Duriez is a Scottish children’s illustrator and printmaker based in Cambridge. Having worked for many years as an animator and primary school teacher in the big city, he is now working toward an MA in children’s book illustration at the Cambridge School of Art.