I am a pretty big fan of summertime, and now that I have a child, I am even more excited to introduce her to fun summer activities and create some memories. For those of you with kids in school, it’s not a shocker to anyone to admit that they can drive you a little nuts when they’re home 24/7 (no judgments here).
So this post goes out to all the moms… Here’s a roundup of some fun activities to keep you and the kiddos occupied and happy this summer!
Create a lemonade stand from a Goodwill find
Amy from Just Pleased As Punch created a fun lemonade stand from a microwave cart. I’ve also seen them made from nightstands, tables, etc. Find a cheap piece of furniture and get creative! Then get your kids to make back the money you spent to buy materials (ha ha).
Create a doorway puppet theater
This could easily be made from an old sheet, tablecloth, or leftover fabric. Let your kids help design it, whip it up (if you don’t sew, you could easy manufacture something with scissors and a glue gun), and then let them go to town creating their own puppet shows. This one was found on Etsy, and although it’s been sold, you may be able to convince the seller to make you another one (ah, that would be so much easier than making your own!).
Create an outdoor chalkboard
Sure, playing with chalk on the sidewalk is fun, but having your own chalkboard is way cooler. With a piece of plywood and some chalkboard paint (bucket or spraypaint), you could have your own outdoor artboard for super cheap (and you won’t be rinsing hopscotch and stick figures off your sidewalk each weekend). (from ohdeedoh.com)
Paint chip color match activity
I love this idea from ohdeedoh.com of using paint chips to create a color match game for your kids! Just create little booklets with paint chips from your local hardware store and let the kids have fun running around finding things in nature to match each color. If you’re really feeling adventurous, you can even take them to the park, the beach, or on a hiking trail to look for color matches.
Paper road map
Here’s an activity that keeps on giving. Purchase some brown paper at a local craft store and let the kids help you draw, color, or paint a road and surrounding city. After it’s done, gather all the cars and trucks you have and let the kids play. This is great to keep indoors for rainy days and is much cheaper than purchasing a pre-made rug. (found on blog.holamama.es)
Create an a-frame tent
I love this easy-to-make tent from grosgrainfabulous.blogspot.com. I don’t usually work with tools, but I actually think I could do this! You don’t need many materials, and if you’ve got an old California King size sheet, it would give you enough yardage for the tent cover. This would be a great summer addition for a living room, play room, or covered patio.
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