The heat is on in our neck of the woods.
The oppressive heat and humidity that has been baking the center of the country for the last few days is now bearing down on the Midwest. Tomorrow’s high is expected to top 92 degrees and with heat indexes pushing 110. As a result, the National Weather Service has issued excessive heat warnings, and tonight our local TV meteorologist suggested that we remain in air conditioned buildings for the next five days.
Clearly, the guy is not a parent.
No kid, especially my little fish, is going to want to be cooped up on a hot, sunny day, regardless of what a bunch of “experts” from the National Weather Service have to say.
Parents, you know the reality of the situation. To beat the heat with kids, you either have to camp out at the local pool or beach, or you need to get creative in your own backyard. If you opt for the latter, then consider these wet and wild activities that are sure to help cool off your children when the mercury starts to rise:
Water Balloon Toss: This game requires dividing a group of kids into two teams. Next, stand each child 10 feet or so apart, facing each other. The object of the game is to have the kids toss the balloon back and forth to each other without breaking it. To kick this game up a notch, place the water balloons in the freezer for a couple of hours before playing. Frozen water balloons yield a bigger explosion when they are dropped.
Musical Water Balloons: If you have younger kids, then forget about the toss and instead, opt for a mild game of musical water balloons. Place the kids in a circle and have them pass the water balloon to each other as a favorite song is played. At random intervals, stop the music. The person left holding the balloon when the music is shut off is “out.” In addition, any player who gets wet by breaking a balloon is “out,” too. The last person in the circle is the winner.
Ice Sculpting: Fill several buckets with water and freeze overnight. The next day leave the buckets in the sun to melt enough to unmold the ice. Then, let kids have a ball using the ice blocks to create frozen masterpieces.
Related Articles:
Do You Let Your Child Run Around Naked in Public?
A Mother’s View from the Pool: Breastfeeding by the Water
A Mother’s View from the Pool-Bikinis on Babies?
A Mother’s View from the Pool: Why are you Wearing Crocs in the Water?