From Mike Yee at I Suck At:
Last night, I finished reading Geek Dad by Ken Denmead. Now I suck at Geek Dad. For anyone curious, the book is about projects and activities that a “geeky” father can do with his children. Karen had stumbled upon the book one day and thought it would be a fitting book for me to read. (I am assuming that means she thinks I am a geek.)
We hope you have fun with the projects, Mike. And hopefully you won’t suck at any of them!
Table For Five cites Geek Dad as instrumental for filling in the blanks when you’ve just run out of interesting things to do with your kids. No fear! Geek Dad is here! (And we’re happy to help!) From the review:
Summer can sometimes drag on forever when you’re a kid, but when you’ve got a resource like Geek Dad with over 30 actvities to do you feel safe that not only will the time go by faster, but your kids will learn to enjoy science and look at learning as fun.
Adventures in All Things Food thinks Geek Dad ought to be a series. Well, we can’t argue with that. From the review:
I already have a list of people this book would be perfect for. My DH is on the top of the list! I can’t wait to see my two guys work their way through this book. I love hands on projects that capitalize on creativity and quality time for families…I would love to see another book with Geek Dad in the kitchen or Geek Dad Goes Outdoors. Oh, the possibilities!
At Living Changerously, Andrea picked up the book after her husband “couldn’t put it down”. While many of Geek Dad‘s projects are a little above the curve for their 6-year-old, the plan is looking forward to the future:
Some of the other projects we are planning on doing (and only haven’t yet because of all the travelling we have been doing this summer) are: Make your own cartoons, Model Building with cake (really – anything with cake and I am in!) and the Exploding Drink practical joke.
Much of what’s at the heart of Geek Dad is a love for making things, and more importantly, making things with other people. Particularly family. Over at Just Like the Number, that sentiment was certainly picked up:
Most of the projects are geared for kids elementary school-age and up, but I still think it would make a cool gift for a new dad. You know, give him some time to try out the projects on his own. Perfect them, if you will. Because that’s what geeky dads do, and we love them for it.
I dare you to share it with your favorite dad and see if he doesn’t find something that makes him say, “Hey kids, you wanna help me with blank?” And it will be something awesome and fun, as opposed to vacuuming out his truck.
Allergy Kid Mom really liked the hands-on quality of the projects in Geek Dad, and has a detailed review over at her site. What many reviewers discover about these projects is that these projects aren’t just cool in and of themselves, but they’re generally quite affordable and really get the whole family in on it. From the review:
This is a really great book and I encourage everyone to go out and get one for themselves. I think you would really enjoy working with your kids on these different projects and your kids will love them just the same. I highly recommend it. And if I can pull a line from the book, ‘Go get your kid (s) and get started!’
Over at Tickles & Tots, the Tickled Diva reflects on the wide appeal of Geek Dad, and we couldn’t be happier to hear it brings out the Geek Kid in everyone:
I thought this was a fun and unique book. Not only does it inspire you to try new and interesting projects it allows you to experiment and experience fun ideas with your kids. I am a mom and this book is not just for dads, it is for anyone interested in geeky, cool, unique and fun projects. This book will get you off the couch and searching for new materials to transform into extraordinary gadgets.
But don’t just take our word for it. From the Falls Daily Journal:
Geek Dad by Ken Denmead includes almost 30 awesomely geeky projects and activities for dad and kids to share. These are DIY projects to celebrate your inner geek and give your kids a lifelong love of learning.
Geek it up this summer, indeed.
Yes, it’s true! Geek Dad appeals not just to parents that are geeks, but to parents who have a geeky side (or are just intellectually curious and want some great ideas). 1 Prince and 3 Princesses gives an enthusiastic review. Some choice bits:
Ken has created the ultimate, idea-packed guide guaranteed to help dads and kids alike enjoy the magic of playtime together and tap into the infinite possibility of their imagination. With illustrations throughout, this book offers projects for all ages to suit any time frame or budget.
There’s a neat review over at I Should Be Napping, talking both about Geek Dad the book as well as Ken the GeekDad himself. In fact, he’s a newly minted “favorite web personality”. Pretty shiny title, if you ask me. We like this part, about the importance of geekiness and girliness, especially:
This book is called Geek Dad but it certainly applies to Geek Moms (or Geek Sisters or Aunties) as well. I think the author has two sons, but I particularly like this book for little girls because it exposes them to projects that the average mom might not know how to expose them to (I can lead a castle-painting project solo, but will need some guidance to show my kids how to build fireflies using LEDs, electrical tape, and batteries). I’m looking forward to learning about electronics (Electronic Origami, Fireflies For Every Season) with my daughters – and that kind of enthusiastic learning, combined with energetic creativity, is why being a geek is so cool!