Keeping Your Cool This Summer

Boy, is it HOT outside!! Looking for ways to stay cool? 

Bike Wash

PVC Sprinkler

Water Bombs

Summer To Do List

REPOST:
Memorial Day is just days away and school is almost over so that can only mean one thing, that summer has unofficially started. In the summer when my kids were little I had a list (in my head) of things I would like to do. Some how summer came and went with most of the items never getting done. To prevent that from happening to you create a summer to do list. Include ideas from the whole family. Write down things you want to do, places you want to go, books you want to read, and things you want to make. Then, each week sit down with your kids and decide what things you want to do, spreading your to do list through out the summer. This will help prevent summer boredom and make sure you accomplish all the fun things you planned to do.  So, what is on your summer to do list?

Kids Bowl Free

Kids Bowl Free is starting up again on May 1, 2011. Bowling alleys across the country are offering two free games of bowling every day all summer long.

To participate, you just have to register your children. You’ll be sent tickets at the beginning of each week that your children can use.  You will have to pay to rent your shoes or bring your own.

Thanks Money Saving Mom

Free Minor League Baseball Tickets from Kraft

Once again Kraft is offer BOGO tickets for Minor League games.  All you have to do is bring your Kraft Cheese wrappers to any Tuesday night home game of your favorite Minor League team, buy one at regular price and you will get one free. This offer is good through September 6th.

Make a Splash!

I don't know about you but this summer heat is getting to me! Anything involving playing outdoors with my daughter must include water. Here are a few new games that will keep your kids cool until the temperatures dip.

DUCK DUCK DOUSE
Play this classic game and instead of tagging the chaser with "goose," let the kids pour a cup of water on their head! It will bring many laughs and will cool the kids off on a hot day! Age: 3+

MAIN SQUEEZE
Setup two small buckets about ten feet apart, one full of water and one empty. Give each player a sponge and have them race to transfer water from the full bucket to the empty one. Age: 3+

YOU'RE IT
Host a game of squirt bottle tag. Draw six-inch circles on construction paper and tape one to each player's back. Once you bull's-eye gets soaked with water, you're out. Age: 4+

TOSS ACROSS
Instead of water balloons fill a small resealable bag with water and see how long you can keep it aloft with the kids. Jazz it up with a few drops of food coloring. Age: 4+

*Ideas from Parenting magazine

Frozen S'more Pops

I saw this recipe on Kraft Foods and just had to share it! It is a great summer alternative to the traditional s'mores. 

INGREDIENTS:

4 squares BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate, melted

2/3 cup  canned sweetened condensed milk

1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened

1-1/4 cups  cold milk

1 pkg. (3.9 oz.) JELL-O Chocolate Instant Pudding

1-1/2 cups  thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping

1 cup JET-PUFFED Miniature Marshmallows

9   NABISCO Grahams, broken in half (18 squares)

DIRECTIONS:

Mix melted chocolate and condensed milk; set aside. Beat cream cheese in large bowl with mixer until creamy. Gradually beat in milk. Add dry pudding mix; beat until well blended. Stir in COOL WHIP and marshmallows.

Spread bottoms of graham squares with chocolate mixture. Place 9 squares, chocolate-sides up, in 9-inch square pan. Cover with pudding mixture and remaining graham squares, chocolate-sides down. Freeze 4 hours.

Remove dessert from freezer 5 min. before serving. Let stand at room temperature to soften slightly. Use serrated knife to cut dessert into 18 bars, following lines in top crackers.

Reminders: Inexpensive Summer Fun

Can you believe back to school sales have started? Summer is disappearing. How are you doing on your summer to do list? Have you done everything on the list and need some help to keep them busy for a few more weeks. Here are some reminders:
Blockbuster - free movie rental for good grades

Sea World -$5.00 tickets for children

Bowling for free

Summer Reading Programs
and Incentive Programs

Take in a ballgame

Visit a National Park

Free Movies

If you have other fun activities or special events please feel free to leave a comment and link to let us know about it.  Keep enjoying the lazy days of summer.

Ice Cream in a baggie

I have fond memories of making homemade ice cream at my granny's house during the summer. It didn't feel like summer without it and it tasted such much better than the store bought stuff! Don't have an ice cream machine? No problem here is a recipe for making ice cream in a ziploc bag! So simple.

Materials:

2 tablespoons sugar

1 cup half and half

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup rock salt (table salt would work too)

Ice cubes (enough to fill each gallon-size bag about half full)

1 pint-size ziplock bag

1 gallon-size ziplock bag

Instructions:

1. Combine the sugar, half and half, and vanilla extract in the pint-size bag and seal it tightly.

2. Place the salt and ice in the gallon-size bag, then place the sealed smaller bag inside as well. Seal the larger bag. Now shake the bags until the mixture hardens (about 5 minutes). Feel the small bag to determine when it's done.

3. Take the smaller bag out of the larger one, add mix-ins, and eat the ice cream right out of the bag. Easy cleanup too! Serves 1.

Water Games

On a hot summer day water is the best way to bring a smile to a child's face and maybe even a few "grown ups".  Gather the kids, their friends, the neighborhood children, neices and nephews for a water party.  This is a fun, inexpensive way to stay cool and it is sure to be hit with all the kids.

Paint with Water

Supply your child with a clean paint brush and bucket of water. Let them paint the house, sidewalk, driveways, fence etc.   Watch it evaporate. 

Splash Tag
You will need a sponge ball and a bucket of water.
This is played like the classic tag  game. It requires one person to be "IT". "IT" tries to tag running players with a wet sponge ball. Once tagged, that person becomes the new "It".  No cheating in this game ...  the wet mark on their back will  give them away!

Water Relay

You will need two buckets and a sponge ball per team.
 Each team is given a full bucket of water at the starting line. The empty bucket is placed 10 -15 feet from the start line. Vary the distance based on the age of the players.  The goal is for the teams to transfer the water in the full bucket to the empty bucket, using only the sponge ball.  Players take turns relay race style pass the ball to the next player.

Variation: Instead of the sponge ball use a plastic cup with a whole in the bottom to transfer water. 

Over the River
You will need a water hose attached to the water. A  person holds the stream of water very low to the ground and everyone lines up and skips over it. Then the stream gets inch higher, everyone skips over it. If anyone hits the stream, they are out. The last person is the winner.
Variation:  Play limbo with the hose.

Dribble, Dribble, SPLASH
You will need one sponge ball and a bucket of water. This game is played the same way that Duck, Duck, Goose is played only you wring out the sponge on the persons head when you 'splash'. 

Sprinkler
If you want to keep things simple turn on the sprinklers.  Who doesn't love to just run around a get wet?

Free Slurpee at 7-Eleven on 7/11

Looking for a way to beat the summer heat. Cool off Sunday, 7/11 by picking up a FREE 7.11-oz. Slurpee at your local 7-Eleven   from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.

Yummy Popsicles

 Summer time is magical.  The time we spend with are children are the memories they cherish.  Create some fun summer memories for your child by making some COOL treats together. 
To get started you will need popsicle molds.  These are widely available today at WalMart, Target, Dollar Tree.... or you can use papercups and popsicle sticks. 
To make popsicles you can use just about anything that will freeze like juice, pudding, yogurt, or milk.  Here are a few creative recipes to get you started.

Dripless Popsicles
1 package fruit flavored Jell-o
1 package kool-aid
2/3 cup hot water
2 cups cold water
1 cup sugar
In a large pouring pitcher mix together: Jell-o, Kool-Aid, sugar and hot water, until dissolved. Then add cold water. Pour into molds and freeze. Will not drip!
Recipe from: recipesource.com

Creamy Juice Pops
1-6 oz. can frozen orange juice concentrate, softened (or grape juice, cranberry juice)
1-6 oz. can water
1 pint vanilla yogurt
Blend in blender. Pour into molds, insert sticks, and freeze.

Recipe for MasterChef

Chocolate Fudge Pops
1 (3.9 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix
1/2 cup white sugar
3 cups milk
In a mixing bowl, combine pudding, sugar, and milk. Pour mixture into molds and freeze.  Serve when frozen.

Post a comment and share your favorite popsicle recipe?

Sponge Balls

Summer is here and so is the heat.  This week we are going to provide some ways to stay COOL and keep the kids entertained. 

Every year when I was teaching school we always ended the school year with a water day.  One of the kids favorite activities was water balloons.  How many of you have every filled water balloons for 800 children?  You can imagine how time consuming this is.  Luck for me I saw this wonderful idea for sponge balls in Family Fun magazine.  Made from kitchen sponges that are cut in strips and tied together, they last longer than water balloons and are softer and splash better than regular water balls. The kids loved them and we didn't have to fill balloons or pick up all the pieces when they were done.  The balls lasted for years. These are great for a game of tag on a scorching hot day.

Materials:

3 plain kitchen sponges (you can get a large bag cheap at WalMart or  6 for $1.00 at Dollar Tree)

Scissors

Strong string or floss

Bucket

Instructions:
For each ball, you'll need 3 plain kitchen sponges fresh from the package and still slightly damp. Use scissors to cut each sponge lengthwise into 5 strips about a half-inch wide. Stack the strips as shown. Loop a piece of strong string around the center of the stack and pull tightly. Double-knot the string and trim the excess.  Fill a bucket with water and let them games begin.  You can play tag, keep away, dodge ball, throw at a target ... be creative and COOL off. 

Courtesy of Family Fun