Summer Fun 2013

Summer Fun 2013

Here is a list of fun summer ideas I made for a friend who is going to have her grand-kids all summer, and I thought it was a good start of fun summer ideas for us as well, so enjoy this list of ideas of how to handle summer with kiddos :)

Start by printing these things:
Summer Reading Star found here http://www.howdoesshe.com/summer-reading-star-free-exclusive-printable/
Summer Bucket list and weekly journals found here http://lifeasmom.com/2013/05/diy-on-a-dime-the-summer-to-do-list.html and here http://lifeasmom.com/2013/05/diy-on-a-dime-summer-fun-journal.html
100 Things to Do This Summer found here http://www.babble.com/home/100-things-to-do-this-summer-with-your-kids/

Then add this: ~make a relaxed schedule and try to stick with it, except when away from home
~go see the free movies at the Allen Theaters (I recommend the 9am show)
~check out the www.howdoesshe.com and print out the Summer Reading Star program. USE it. One of the great things about having multiple ages is that the bigger ones can read to the little ones. Ask parents what they want to use for prizes.
~Make your own playdough, sidewalk chalk, and finger paints. Use them (see links below)
~Strictly enforce a quiet time after lunch. This is for YOU and them. *reading, puzzles, actual naps, whatever...as long as it's quiet and you aren't disturbed*~Go the library once a week to pick books for quiet reading time/books on CD/a movie in case of a rainy day
~Plan lunches a week in advance so it's one less thing to worry about each day.
~Pack picnics and enjoy them under a tree on a blanket, even if it's in the backyard
~Pull out the board games and teach them to play your favorites.
~Look up www.littlelearninglovies.com for some educational games for cheap that you can print out and use some of that time for learning.
~Make a salt tray for the little ones to practice their letters and numbers
~Check out www.learnforalifetimelc.com for some day camp ideas for a little time away from the kiddos.
~Most zoos/museums have family passes that make it quite affordable.
~Write a story together. Each person gets to tell a sentence, and then illustrate it together and get it copied and bound at Staples or Kinkos.
~If you don't already have some, ask someone make you some wooden blocks and let them build all day (Legos will also work, but only if they are a special occasion thing that normally stays put away)
~Play make overs/beauty parlor/restaurant
~Pack a 'rainy day' box of special things just for days when you can't go out. Puzzles, craft supplies, cards and dice, a fave board game, a new read-aloud book, a DVD from the $5 bin at Wal-Mart, a special treat they all love, etc
~Teach them the glory of just being quiet and enjoying the day. Sip iced tea, read in the shade, enjoy a rocking chair.
~Make them do chores, it they are helping make the mess, they can help clean it up
~Let them be bored, it's ok

http://lifeasmom.com/2013/05/homemade-finger-paint.html
http://lifeasmom.com/2012/12/diy-on-a-dime-make-a-playdough-kit.html
http://www.parenthacks.com/2013/03/homemade-sidewalk-chalk.html

Ta Da! Great summer fun, pretty easy on the budget and it's all right here. Add some lemonade and a swimsuit and you are DONE! :)

"Holiday Hallway" Project

Hello Friends!
Just zipping past with a quick craft for the 'no big holiday' months of January and February. I have this lovely little hallway at the front of my house and I've claimed it as the 'holiday hallway' since hubster doesn't care for my 'clutter', I mean decorating attempts. So since we've arrived last spring, it's been adorned with our Summer Reading Challenge posters, spent a while dressed up for fall, and most recently was a wintry blizzard full of snowflakes. I had intended to leave the snow up all winter, but a certain someone declared with CHRISTMAS decorations and helpfully took them down for me. *ahem, thank you* So I now have a bare hallway that is NEEDING some attention. I've got two long pieces of twine strung along the walls and plenty of mini-clothes pins to hang things on, so it's just a matter of picking a topic. After perusing my calendar for upcoming holidays, I decided that I'd do a multi-holiday theme for the rest of the winter. Those holidays include more snowflakes, hearts for Valentine's Day, President silhouettes and quotes plus national and state flags for President's Day, and "I have a dream" Dream Clouds for Martin Luther King Day where they will fill in their dreams for the world. To some it might be a bit jumbled looking, but I'm excited about it.
I've got a house full today with Jodi's 2 boys here to join my 3, so once nap time is over for the littles, we will be gathering around the craft table with scissors, glue and crayons to enjoy some creative time together.
If you are interested, I printed things from these pages.
Flags~ http://www.free-printable-flags.com/ and http://www.freeprintablecoloringpages.net/category/State_Flags
Hearts~ http://homeschooled-kids.com/valentinesdayhearttemplate.html
Clouds~ http://www.edupics.com/coloring-page-cloud-i22857.html
President Silhouttes~ http://kidscraftzone.com/category/Presidents-Day-Crafts.aspx

Thanks for joining us. I'll be adding a few more pics once we are finished with our craft.