Tag Archives: summer fun

Summer Fun During COVID-19

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Are your kids sad because they cannot go out and enjoy the summer activities they were looking forward to? They aren’t the only ones! The COVID-19 quarantine is hard for kids of all ages (and many adults) to adjust to. Here are some ideas to try that might improve your children’s moods. Parents can start by asking their child, tween, or teen how they are feeling. Get them talking about their emotions. Being able to share what they are thinking and feeling can make people (of all ages) feel heard and understood. Little kids will enjoy splashing around in a … Continue reading →

Fun Ways to Survive the Heat Wave

Sizzling temperatures, streaming sweat and screaming kids. Fun times. A mid-summer heat wave is blanketing the nation this week.  According to meteorologists, more than 50 million people will be affected by dangerously high temperatures which could last all the way through Saturday. Hitting the beach or heading to a local pool is a great way to beat the heat, but for some kids the splishing and splashing may get old after a few days.  With excessive heat warnings posted in dozens of cities, some parents may opt to remain indoors with their children.  If you choose to stay cool in the … Continue reading →

When Mother Nature Rains on Your Summer Fun

Hundreds of towns and cities throughout the south are cancelling or postponing their Fourth of July festivities due to massive storms slamming into the region.  Torrential rains have turned the area into a soggy mess forcing parents to scramble to salvage their family’s mid-summer plans. If Mother Nature rains on your parade, cook-out, party or other outdoor activity this season, consider keeping your kids entertained inside with these summer-themed projects: Campfire Prints:  Have kids use crayons, markers or colored pencils to draw a large circle on a piece of paper.  Next, have them glue gemstones on the circle to mimic … Continue reading →

Simple Sanity Savers

Believe it or not, summer vacation just started for students attending Chicago public schools.  Last fall’s highly publicized teacher strike, which affected nearly 400,000 students, forced kids to stay in school through the end of June. But, now they are free and can join the rest of their compadres in making the most of summer… or what’s left of it. If you are looking for ways to keep your kids busy during their break from school consider the following simple and affordable projects: FLOWER POWER Rather than letting fresh flowers go to waste after they’ve sat pretty in a summer … Continue reading →

Spending Less at the Amusement Park

Last summer, in one big end-of-summer foray, we took the kids on a number of day trips. The “What I did over the summer…” essays would be due soon, and that gave us some parental guilt. While we did have fun, there was nothing big for them to write about, so off we went to make some memories. One of the kids favorite things to do was to visit a large amusement park. They had a lot of fun and still haven’t stop talking about it. Since it was such a great experience, we are going to put it on … Continue reading →

Simple Summer Fun

After an extended school year, brought about by using too many snow days in the winter, classes are officially over for kids in my neck of the woods. And by woods, I mean fenced in backyards where parents can let their kids roam free before cabin fever sets in. If you are looking for simple projects to keep your kids entertained during the endless days of summer, consider the following: Fluorescent Slime Materials: Glow-in-the-dark paint Elmer’s glue gel Borax Hot water Directions: Combine one cup of hot water with a cup of Borax.  Stir until the Borax won’t dissolve anymore. … Continue reading →

Dive Into Summer Fun

Contending with rising temperatures doesn’t have to be a summer bummer.  With a little planning you can have fun beating the heat without busting your budget. Splash into the season with a pool party to remember; only instead of draining your wallet on expensive invitations and activities, consider these affordable options: DIY FISH INVITATIONS Download a fish template from the Internet or free-hand one on construction paper and cut out the center of it.  When you are done, you should have a fish-shaped frame and a smaller paper fish.  Place the frame on the sticky side of clear contact paper. … Continue reading →

Fish Fun

Don’t let Mother Nature put a damper on your summer fishing adventures.  If your big day has to be put on hold because of bad weather, have some fish-themed fun indoors. Children looking forward to reeling in the “big one” can practice their dexterity skills by making the following colorful underwater creatures: Fish Shapes:  Cut various shapes (e.g. rectangles, squares, circles, triangles, diamonds, hearts, etc.) from colored construction paper, and then let kids use the shapes to construct their own fish.  When they’ve put the final touches on their fish, have the kids glue the pieces in place and adhere … Continue reading →

Sip Up Summer Fun

Think about your favorite summer activity.  Do you cherish lounging by the pool, barbequing in the backyard or sitting on the front porch watching your kids catch fireflies? Regardless of where you most enjoy spending the dog days of summer, there’s nothing quite like an ice cold beverage to beat the heat.  Of course, you can’t have fun in you are totally tanked.  Nor is it much fun for kids if they get stuck drinking water while the adults gleefully sip colorful fruity concoctions from neon straws. This summer, have fun making these nonalcoholic tropical drinks that can be served … Continue reading →

The Summer Fun Calendar

Today I am spending some time working on our summer fun calendar. School will be out  soon, so I want to make sure that we prioritize the fun things that we want to do. Of course, we are on a budget. First I start doing my research to find out what free activities and events are available. There is our town website, the “catalogue” of summer activities from neighboring towns, the events for any museums we are members of, library programs and more. I start with these events, since they often have specific activities with dates (make your own glow-in-the-dark … Continue reading →