Christopher Mannino

ABOUT THE BOOK

Play-centered parenting is what every young child wants and needs, yet it’s hard to manage in today’s busy, hectic world—and it may not come naturally to every adult. How can parents with responsibilities, stress, and distractions drop everything to be silly with their kids? It’s easier than it sounds, and far more powerful than you can imagine. 

Drawing on his experiences as a theatre teacher, improvisation coach, and stay-at-home dad, writer Christopher Mannino encourages imaginative play to strengthen adult-child relationships in Making It Up: A Revolutionary Way to Bond with Kids Through Play. He takes proven techniques from improv and method acting and—for the first time—applies them to parenting to  foster engaged connection, stimulate and facilitate creative fun, and keep emotions regulated. 

Christopher demonstrates how to transform the way adults interact with kids, having more fun and building stronger bonds in the process. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

An expert in helping parents and kids connect, former theatre teacher Christopher Mannino has been featured in Parenting Today, Business Insider, Newsweek, and PBS. His nonfiction book Making It Up offers actionable tools for building better connections through play, but his writing journey began when he was stranded on the Cornish coast, near the legendary birthplace of King Arthur—an experience that inspired his debut fantasy series, The Scythe Wielder’s Secret. Christopher studied mythology, theatre, and literature in the U.S. and at Oxford. He now travels the world with his wife and two inspiring children, writing fiction and nonfiction for children and adults alike.

SUGGESTED INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

1. What makes imaginative play such a powerful tool?
2. How can only 10 minutes a day of ‘Making It Up’ make a difference–in as little as 2 weeks? 
3. The animated kids’ show Bluey was one inspiration for writing this book; how so?
4. What core tenet of improv is useful in stimulating a play-centered mindset?
5. In addition to saying “yes, and” you note it’s also good to say “no, but.” Please elaborate.
6. Why is it important to listen to and validate a child’s ideas?
7. How do you define engaged connection and focused attention?
8. Are grandparents sometimes better at this than parents? How can parents learn from this?
9. How did your background as a theatre educator impact your experience as a stay-at-home dad? How did both of those roles inform this book? 
10. The ‘Making It Up’ method will also be available as an online course with a set of tools designed to transform playtime. Who do you see needing that resource and why?
11. Tell us more about your traveling lifestyle and how that enriches your kids and your parenting style.