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 The long hot days of summer have finally arrived so it's time to turn off the TV and head outside to play.
Keep the kids entertained with these seven fun outdoor games and activities. We promise you won't hear the words, "Mommy, I'm bored," all summer long!
- Break out the craft projects. Find a shady spot to enjoy the weather while working fun, simple craft projects like a Charm Bracelet. Easy to do and fun to learn craft kits are available at www.BabysitterProducts.com. Michaels also has lots of craft ideas in their $1 spot.
- Send them on a scavenger hunt. Your child can do this activity alone, with a friend or in teams, says Lisa Hall, director of the Eastern Start School Age Program in Oriskany, N.Y. Give your child a list of items to find in nature, such as a rock, dandelion, leaf or something a bird would eat. Have the kids draw pictures of what they find and finish the hunt by tallying up how many things they ticked off the list.
- Chalk it up to fun. An inexpensive box of colored chalk can keep the kids busy for hours. Have younger kids draw pictures on the sidewalk or driveway. For the older children, try a game of Tic Tac Toe or hopscotch: draw a hopscotch pattern with eight squares. Players toss a marker (try a stone or button) into a square and then hop over it on one foot.
- Bet on bug races. See how many critters the kids can spot- without actually picking them up--in the backyard for a short time period, such as five minutes, says Penny Warner, author of Kids Outdoor Parties (Meadowbrook Press). "Add up how many bugs they see and give them a sketch pad to sketch as many as they can. Then have them share their artwork."
- Knock 'em over with backyard bowling. Find household items that will tumble over easily, such as empty cereal boxes, empty soda cans and small stuffed toys and align them in a row like bowling pins, suggests Warner. Then, using a smaller ball for older kids and a bigger ball for the young ones, have the children roll the ball. They score a point for each object they knock down.
- Play Kick the Can. A variation on Hide and Seek, this game works best with at least three kids. One person is designated "it" and will guard the "can" (an empty coffee can or ball) which is set in an open space. While the other players hide, the "it" counts to 20 (or higher) and then tries to find and tag the other players. If captured, players must go to "jail." Any player who hasn't been caught can run in and kick the can, setting all of the captured players free. If the "it" finds everyone, he wins the game.
- Create an outdoor canvas. Hang an old sheet on a clothesline or tape paper to a fence for your budding artist to paint on. Encourage them to try painting with different kinds of brushes, says Warner. "Try dipping grass into paint and swishing it on paper, then try painting with a leaf or a twig. The kids can also try painting rocks and creating little people or bugs with them."
- Host a mini-Olympics. Get the kids competing in running and wheelbarrow races, obstacle courses, water balloon tosses and jumping competitions, suggests Hall. Finish off the fun with a mini-Olympic awards ceremony to honor all of the athletes. Buy medals at the local dollar store or make your own with construction paper, colored pencils and string.
-Courtesy of: SeekingSitters.com |
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 Children's Museum of Houston celebrates National Ice Cream Day with weeklong liquid nitrogen demos and snowmaking
Get $1 Icees at Kid’s Café Plus, make your own ice cream on National Ice Cream Day, July 17!
WHAT: Brain Freeze Bash - National Ice Cream Day Celebration
WHEN: July 14 - 20, 2011
WHERE: Children’s Museum of Houston - 1500 Binz, Houston, TX 77004
INFO: You’re invited to beat the Houston heat as we explore ways to make our brain freeze! Come make your own ice cream in celebration of National Ice Cream Day, July 17, or enjoy $1 Icees at the Kid’s Café, July 14 - 20. Plus, chill out with live demos and activities that will keep you cool all week long.
•Ice Cream Making: In 1984, President Ronald Reagan established National Ice Cream Day as the third Sunday in the month. Shake, rattle, and roll your way to this tasty frozen treat you make yourself in Kid’s Hall. Event Date: National Ice Cream Day, July 17 at 1 p.m.
•Liquid Nitrogen Demo: Is the heat getting to you? Discover how temperatures colder than even the arctic regions of the Earth change the properties of everyday substances. See first-hand some of the incredible behaviors of these super-cold substances! Event Date: July 14 – 16, July 19 – 20 at 11 a.m.
•Let It Snow: Snow in Houston in July? You bet! Swing by Science Station to experiment with an interesting polymer which turns regular water into a white, fluffy powder just like snow!
•Just Dessert: What flavors would your ideal ice cream have? So many combinations to choose from and YOU get to decide.
•Cool Wheels: Head to Junktion to deck your ice cream truck with custom parts.
•Ice Cream Man: Dress your ice cream man in flavors you choose at Junktion. |
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 Every summer my parents enrolled me in VBS at church.
It was the highlight of my summer and I still remember some of the crafts I made. My favorites always included flower pots, popsicle sticks or craft foam. Funny the things I remember.
There are excellent Vacation Bible School programs all around the city of Katy next week. You do not need to be a member of the church for your child(ren) to attend and the programs now are amazing!
With crafts, music, bible stories, games, snacks, and more your child will not only be set for a week of fun but may even have their own unforgettable summertime memories (and crafts...lol).
AND you'll have a few hours to enjoy :)
VBS Programs this week- July 11-15th:
Can't believe it's already the middle of July! Wow, this summer is flying! Hope you're enjoying it :) |
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