Nims Island Games

Wendy Orr is the author of "Nim's Island."

"Nim's Island" by Wendy Orr is the story of a young girl named Nim who lives the life of a modern-day Robinson Crusoe on a tropical island. When her father is delayed at sea, she is left to fend for herself, and that is when the adventure begins. You can have your own "Nim's Island" adventure with games that are educational and extensions of the book and the movie it inspired.

Scavenger Hunt

When a storm prevents Nim's father's from returning to the island, Nim must find the resources she needs to survive. A scavenger hunt makes a game out of finding those resources. For example, the object of a scavenger hunt can be to find shells. After hiding shells in your back yard, draw a map of the hiding area and/or write clues about where the shells are hidden. Hand the map or clues to children, and let the scavenger hunt begin. The child that brings back the most shells wins a grand prize, such as the "Nim's Island" book or movie.

Coconut Soccer

Coconut soccer requires a coconut. Hemera Technologies/AbleStock.com/Getty Images

In the story, one of Nim's best friends is a turtle named Chica. Chica's favorite game is coconut soccer. Played on water, the game resembles a child's version of water polo. Buy a coconut, find floating markers for goals and put together two teams of at least two to four players per team. Move the coconut across the water by throwing it to teammates or swimming it across. Either way, the idea is to score goals. The team with the most goals wins.

Zoo Adventure

The San Francisco Zoo is just one location for the zoo game. David Paul Morris/Getty Images News/Getty Images

Nim's closest friends on the island are a bird named Galileo, a lizard named Fred, the turtle Chica and a sea lion named Selkie. A game that relates to Nim's involvement with animals on the island and is educational involves a field trip to a zoo. Take children to the zoo to see which child can identify the most animals. Have each child make a list; the child with the longest list at the end of the field trip wins.

Quiz

After watching the "Nim's Island" movie or reading the book, children can compete in a quiz to learn who knows the most information about the story. The educational game also builds recall skills. Questions could include: Who are Nim's animal friends? What are the names of Nim's animal friends? What happened to Nim's mother? What is Nim's father's job? Who is Nim's favorite author? Who invades the island while Nim's father is away? Who is Alex Rover?

References

• Walden Media: Nim's Island -- Educator's Guide
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: National Marine Sanctuaries; Education -- Nim's Island

Resources

• Nick Jr.: Age-by-Age Guide -- Nim's Island
• WendyOrr.com: "Nim's Island" Author's Website