| Sit,
Slide, and Splat
Ages:
4
months +
Set-up:
Lay
a plastic tarp, shower curtain, or heavy duty garbage bag
on the lawn. Cover with about an inch of water and let it
warm in the sun for a while. Keep the sprinkler or hose
trickling while you play.
Play:
Show
baby how to slap the water with her hands or kick with her
feet. Hold her hands and let her kick, stomp, slip and slide
around the plastic. Slide toys back and forth. Lay her on
her back and gently pull her to slide around on the plastic.
CAUTION:
Be careful! The plastic and baby are slippery!
For
more information click HERE
|
Start
a Journal
Ages:
Old
enough not to eat the crayons!
Set-up:
You
can buy pre-made journals, or gather computer paper, construction
paper, crayons, pencils, pens, etc.
Play:
Why
not take summer boredom and turn it into a gospel lesson.
Teach your kids to start a journal. Even if they can't write
yet, they can draw pictures to express themselves. Kids
love having their own personal journal. Start out the summer
with a brand new journal and a pen (crayons and markers)
for each child.
For
more information click HERE
|
| Backyard
Water Park
Ages:
6
months +
|
Set-up:
Put
an oscillating sprinkler close enough to a swing set
to get kids sprinkled but not soaked.
Play:
Hold
baby on your lap while you sit on a swing, or push
them in a baby swing, in and out of the water. If
you have a slide hold a hose at the end for a splash
landing.
CAUTION:
Again baby and the play equipment are wet so be careful!
For
more information click HERE
|
|
Easy-Baking
Ages:
2-years-old
+
Set-up:
Get
out your cookbooks or recipe file and find a simple recipe
like cookies or muffins that would be fun to work on together.
Play:
Read
the recipe all the way through, assemble the ingredients
and get started. Then enjoy the fruits of your labor --
and don't forget to share with the rest of the family!
For
more information click HERE
|
| Make
Your Own Jewels
Ages:
3-years-old
+
Set-up:
Use
egg cartons to organize beads for your older kids
and macaroni for the younger set.
Play:
Younger
and older kids alike can enjoy creating their own
special necklace. Older kids can thread the beads
using fishing line, and make long enough to slip over
their head. Preschoolers will enjoy threading their
noodles onto shoelaces. (Younger children should not
wear necklaces when unsupervised.)
For
more information click HERE
|
|
| Going
Quackers
Ages:
18
months +
|
Set-up:
Create
a river like race course for rubber duckies (or other
floating toys) with the stream from a hose on a sloping
driveway or walkway. Place a board or brick at the
end of the course to the floating toys.
Play:
Set
2 or more ducks on the waterway to begin the race.
CAUTION:
Concrete can be slippery when wet.
For
more information click HERE
|
|
| Water
Color Pops
Ages:
2-years-old
+
Set-up:
Pour
different colors of washable paint into ice-pop molds or
an ice cube tray (if you want slip in wooden craft sticks
when the cubes are partially solid) and freeze overnight.
Remove them with warm water.
Play:
Let
kids paint outside on large sheets of paper or poster board.
CAUTION:
Make sure kids understand they can't eat them since they
look like popsicle; use nontoxic paints
just
in case.
For
more information click HERE
|
Designer
Threads
Ages:
5-years-old
+
Set-up:
Purchase
an inexpensive light colored cotton shirt. You will also
need a thick piece of cardboard or a paper grocery bag,
nontoxic colorfast markers or puffy paint for fabrics, and
masking tape. Set up a work space and stretch the T-shirt
over the cardboard or grocery bag, securing with tape.
Play:
Kids
can create their own special T-shirt. Once the materials
are assembled, allow your child to have free rein -- designing
a T-shirt that's totally unique.
For
more information click HERE
|
| A
Sure Shot
Ages:
4-years-old
+
Set-up:
Buy
your child a disposable camera, and a small photo album
at the start of the summer.
Play:
Allow
him to capture his favorite summer memories on film. You
might also like to encourage your child to record their
vacation on film. Why not try a disposable underwater camera.
Kids love to take underwater pictures.
For
more information click HERE
|
Bugging
Me
Ages:
2-years-old
+
Set-up:
Gather
canning jars with lids, peanut butter, napkins, etc.
Play:
Do
your kids love bugs? Then this is the perfect "job" for
them. Younger children love to catch bugs and observe them.
Using a cleaned peanut butter jar with holes in the lid,
set out to capture an insect. Put a bit of grass in the
bottom of the jar to give this little creature a place to
hide, and don't keep for more than a few hours. Keep a notebook
listing bugs you have found in your own backyard. Younger
kids may enjoy drawing a picture of the insects they have
found. For older children, purchase a piece of foam board
from an art supply store. Start a bug collection, using
a pin to mount bugs on the foam. Using a field guide, identify
and label the bugs you've found. (Mom may want to keep this
treasure in the garage.)
For
more information click HERE
|
| Getting
a Green Thumb
Ages:
3-years-old
+
|
Play:
Help
your child to plan and create a garden that's all
his own. Begin on a very small scale. You'll both
be very surprised how many plants can happily coexist
together in a small space. Invest in a set of child-sized
gardening tools and gloves. You might want to check
out a couple of books from the library to learn how
to properly care for your garden.
For
more information click HERE
|
|
A
Jurassic Expedition
Ages:
2-years-old
+
Play:
The
study of dinosaurs is enjoying a new popularity. Explore
the dinosaur section at your local public library or book
store. Learn more together about the different periods of
time in which dinosaurs inhabited the earth. Visit a local
museum. Try your hand at sculpting your favorite dinosaur.
Using play-doh or clay and a picture to spark the imagination,
mold the creature of your choice. Or help your child get
started on a dinosaur collage. Buy a large piece of poster
board and a glue stick. Use your computer to access dinosaur
pictures, and facts and combine with your child's dinosaur
artwork. This can be a work-in-progress, that can be added
to throughout the summer.
For
more information click HERE
|
