Yesterday Tottie was bored. It was a beautiful day outside but she was tired of her sidewalk chalk, scooter, and bike. It was time for something new to do. Thank goodness for bubble painting! What is bubble painting you ask? Read on... I got out our large jug of bubble solution, some food coloring, small containers, and some paper. (If you don't have bubble solution, dish soap mixed with a little bit of water makes a good bubble solution.) I poured a small amount of bubble solution into each container then added different food coloring to each container. Tottie then dipped her bubble wand into a container and blew bubbles onto the paper. When they popped, they "painted" the paper! She has so much fun doing it! Just a few notes though...She made a mess dripping colored bubble solution all over the place so make sure when you do it, to do it outside too. Also, beware because the bubbles do pop in your face. All said and done, Tottie made seven paintings. She liked … [Read more...]
Budget-Friendly Summer Activities For Kids–Camp Alternatives #Spon
Summer is almost over but many kids are still packing their bags to attend overnight camps. According to the American Camp Association, the average cost of one week at overnight camp is $690. If you don’t want to pay the high price tag of a summer camp, there are plenty of camp alternatives that won’t empty your wallet. Read on to discover six budget-friendly summer activities for kids. Sign kids up for a reading program. This is an especially good summer activity for kids who are just learning to read. Find out what programs your local library offers, and sign up your little ones. It’s a great way to keep kids busy for a few hours each day. Start your own “camp.” It will require a bit of coordination and planning, but the closest camp alternative is creating your own “camp program.” Decide which parent will be hosting “camp” each day of the week and make a list of activities for each “session.” If you will be driving the group of campers, make sure everyone in your vehicle is … [Read more...]
Berry Picking
Do you have a fun place to get away from the "real world?" We do! We go up north to my father-in laws house twice a year...once at Christmas time and once in the summer. Summer is my favorite time to go there for sure. There are so many fun things to do and see that we don't get down here in the big city. When we go in the summer we spend the majority of the days outside enjoying the fresh air! We ride papa's tractor, the fancy John Deer Green Truck, four wheelers and so much more. My favorite thing by far is to go berry picking! We haven't been all that lucky the last two years because the weather has not cooperated. Two years ago it was too cool and a frost destroyed all the berries, last year it was too hot and the berries were destroyed....this year the weather has been JUST RIGHT! We brought some of our dear friends up north with us this time too! We scavenger around the forest for wild blueberries, wild strawberries, and my personal favorite wild raspberries. Even though I … [Read more...]
National Night Out Party Ideas
National Night Out celebrates it's 30th anniversary on August 6th, 2013. Though my neighborhood doesn't celebrate National Night Out (we like to be different), we do have a block party every summer. Just like the official "Night Out", our block party is a time to get to know the new neighbors and connect with the established ones that we don't see on a regular basis. We are known to have the "the best block party in town" and frequently have people from neighborhoods close by crash our party to hear the bands play. Our block party really is big deal... In honor of this year's upcoming National Night Out 30th Anniversary, I thought I would share some ideas from my neighborhood block parties that have helped them to be successful every year... 1) Register your party on the National Night Out website. They've got a ton more ideas than we do to make your party a success! If your party is simply a block party and not related to National Night Out, make sure to call … [Read more...]
Summer Fun Brought To You By GE® #spon
It was hot last week in Minnesota--the upper 90s with humidity making it feel like the 100s. It was a good week to hang out in the air conditioned inside, or better yet, have fun at the pool and lake! That's exactly what my family did... On Wednesday, we went to our friend's pool for the afternoon. We had a ton of fun, stayed cool, got a lot of exercise, and thankfully, didn't get a sunburn. Tottie even jumped off the diving board for the very first time! Thursday, Hubby had an unexpected day off of work so we headed out on our boat for the day. Unfortunately, I wasn't so lucky in the sunburn department that day (I even put sunscreen on!)...Luckily, the girls were ok. Friday, was a mom's "playdate" with all of Nutty's friend's moms. We decided that since the girls have playdates so often, we needed one. After work, I headed to her pool for margaritas. Saturday, was fun in the sprinklers at another friend's house...Yes, our swimsuits got a lot of wear this … [Read more...]
Calculator Hopscotch
Ready for a little math fun? All you need is sidewalk chalk and a rock. Draw a calculator like the one in this photo below large enough for feet to fit inside the buttons. Toss the rock onto the calculator. What ever number it lands on is your goal number. For example, if it lands on number 5 then have your child hop onto the equation that would make five....1+4=5, 7-2=5, and so on. If you want to play with other kids have them be in a competition to see who can work through all ten numbers first. … [Read more...]
