Do You Accept Your Mission to Get Your Little Troopers Active?
Posted by Shell Grayston.First Published Mar 2017; updated May 2023.
We've been trying out several great kids' activities from the book 'Commando Dad'.
There are many outdoor activity books on the market. I have a shelf full of them at home that I dip into for inspiration.
If you're looking to get one, then Commando Dad: Mission Adventure: Get Your Kids Active by author Neil Sinclair is one you may want to consider..... especially if you have kids who love anything army themed, as we have!
But even if you haven't, you'll still find plenty of ideas for kids' activities outdoors and on those rainy days.
A Commando and Childminder
Neil Sinclair is an ex-commando, a qualified childminder and a full-time dad to three young children.
This isn't his first book; it follows on from his previous successful book Commando Dad: A Basic Training Manual.
Neil has personally tried and tested all the activities in the book with his family.
Commando Dad: Mission Adventure: Get Your Kids Active
So what makes this book a bit different from others in this genre is the style of writing and humour, which makes the activities more exciting and fun.
Military terminology is used, but don't let this put you off, as it adds to the book's character.
This quote from the book, 'The fact is, you only have a short time with your trooper - you owe it to both of you to make as many of these days as adventurous and fun as possible', really says what this book is all about.
'You only have a short time with your trooper...make these days as adventurous and fun as possible' @commandoDad
Commando Dad: Mission Adventure is easy to use and navigate.
Each mission comes with a mission brief to summarise the activity and a task key indicating difficulty, expense and age suitability, ranging from 5 to 12 years.
At the end of each mission, there is a Mission Accomplished section for troopers to sign and record their achievements.
I love this idea of providing an objective to aim for and a lasting record of their adventures.
There is a good range of activities, from easy to more challenging missions.
The step-by-step instructions for each task are easy to follow, and the illustrations are perfectly suited to the style of the book.
...adventures at home...adventures in the great outdoors
Some of the missions are adventures at home and in the garden. For instance, completing a garden assault course, making invisible ink, or building an indoor camp.
Some missions are adventures in the great outdoors, for example, building a fire, reading a compass, or climbing a tree.
There is an excellent balance, which the author has got just right.
What about Commando Mum?
With our own 'commando dad' working away, commando mum is in charge of trying out a few missions. Now, I wonder who will volunteer to be my little trooper. 😉
If you are a regular follower of ours, then you're probably used to seeing pictures of Tom in his army gear (his favourite clothes! ), so the chance to be a trooper under the command of Mum was willingly met!
Our Missions
Here are a few photos of the missions we tried.
Making Invisible Ink
Tom didn't believe me when I told him you could ink from vinegar!
Making a Sling
This was a bit of fun and useful skills learnt. I hope I never need a sling!!! 😉
Completing a garden assault course
There was no holding Tom back on this one. He was straight in and under like a true trooper!
Making a Sling Shot
So we didn't completely follow all instructions for this one, but he got the idea and used his imagination to make one in his special way!
Missions accomplished!
Verdict
If you are looking for fun ways to get the kids off their screens and encourage more activity, this is a great book to start.
It gets the Thumbs Up from us.
