Thoughts of Summer

We all endured the winter with its frigid winds and white flakes falling when and where they wished. We have taken that fresh breath of Spring, with the pops of colors and chirping of the newborn Robins....AND now...we are enduring the hot, sultry, lazy days of summer. I think we all remember as children the thoughts of the last day of school and heading home to throw off the school clothes, grab the shorts and run to the garage where our bicycles had been stored all through the winter, just sitting there waiting for us to take them out, dust them off and get on the seat and fly like we had not a care in the world.
I sometimes wish those days were still with us, as you see children cooped up inside their homes sitting in front of the television playing video games for hours on end or sitting at the computer getting lost in the cyber world. What happened to grabbing the bicycles, or the fishing poles, a good book, a walk in the park to enjoy nature or just using our creative imagination, in other words "our brains" to think and experience new and fun things to do during that summertime vacation. Enjoy life ... it does go by very quickly.
So on with the adventures, I hope that you enjoy some of these summer time thoughts, and creative past times that I have found. Hopefully they will bring a smile to the face of a child that is saying "I am bored"....Enjoy summer time! Sit back with a tall glass of ice tea and remember the fun times as a child.....

Here is a recipe for sand art which I thought maybe the little ones in the household might enjoy:

Sand Art
Materials needed
* newspaper
* glue
* construction paper
* paintbrush
* large tray or cookie sheet
* plastic cup
For each color of sand you want to use:
* 1/2 cup of salt
* food coloring
* bag
How to make It :
1. Pour 1/2 cup of salt into a Ziploc bag and add several drops of food coloring.
2. Close the bag tightly, making sure that most of the air is out (you can add more food coloring to get more vibrant colors of "sand").
3. Use your fingers (on the outside of the bag) to mix the color into the salt. Pour the salt in a thin layer on the newspaper and let it dry.
4. Repeat this for each color, giving each color its own piece of newspaper.(You can use half of a page.) When all colors are dry, pick up the papers one at a time and pour the salt back into Ziploc bags or into separate compartments in an egg carton.
5. Mix together glue and water in equal amounts (if you use two tablespoons of water, use two tablespoons of glue).
6. Put a piece of construction paper in the tray. Use a pencil to draw the design you want to make and then use the paintbrush to paint (glue) the areas where you want ONLY THE FIRST COLOR to stick.
7. Use your fingers to sprinkle the first color over the areas you painted. Wait a few minutes to allow the salt to stick and then hold the paper over the tray to let the "extra" salt fall off of the painting.
8. Pour the "extra" salt back into its container---You can use it again. Repeat steps 6 and 7 until you have all of the colors you want in your painting. Congratulations! You have created "sand" art.

Fun things to fill those long summer days...

1. Start some type of collection - Bugs are everywhere and once properly dried can be collected, marbles of every color and shape, coins or whatever interest them.
2. Record and catalog information - What type of birds they have spotted, wild flowers or animals. There is not enough science in schools and what better way to learn then from hands on experience.
3. Visit the Zoo - But don't just walk through it and you're done. Sit and draw the animals, figure out what they're doing. Research where the animals came from and what do they eat. Have each child pick an animal to research and go back and visit the animal that their interested in several times. Try to come up with ways to raise money for that animal.
4. Visit the Museum -
* Art museum - Have them pick one of their favorite pieces of art and research the artist. Where did they come from and what other works of art are they known for?
* History museum - Research their favorite part of history and share what information they have learned. Build a model of that part of history.
* Science Museum - Find something that interest them in this area and have them research it. Build a machine or model of their interest.
5. Go to the park - Pack a picnic lunch, invite some friends and have fun.
6. Go fishing - Dust off that old fishing pole and take them fishing. Learn the different types of fish that they could catch. What types of bait to use. Don't forget that fishing license.
7. Go biking - Pack a small backpack with water, snacks, and drinks.
8. Go hiking - Hit those trails and start walking. Find some trails that you've never been on before.
9. Study the architect for buildings and walk around town. Take photos or draw the different designs. Research who came up with those ideas and are those designs still used today.
10. Go to your Public Library - They have many great things going on all summer long. Summer reading clubs and a great place for resources and research. And they usually have Air Conditioning on those very hot summer days.
11. Work on a skit or play with your neighborhood kids. Plan out a stage and costumes and invite the rest of the neighborhood for the production.
12. Go to the farmers market to see all the vendors and fresh produce.
13. Do community service work - Pick up litter in a park, work in a shelter serving food, or contact someone to find out where they would need help that the whole family could get involved in.
14. Visit the elderly in homes; make cards for them and fresh cookies.
15. Teach them how to cook and bake. Great learning experience is measuring and following the instruction on a recipe. The greatest reward is eating what you made!
16. Journals - Have them write down there thoughts, feelings, and experiences. Keep them in the habit of writing.
17. Write letters to friends and family. Especially if they don't have email and send those wonderful works of art that are usually over flowing in your own home.
18. Play a game - There are so many great board games and lots of physical games.
19. Clean the house or organize a room. My kids love it when we make a list of what has to be cleaned. Each child loves writing down their name next to the item that they have cleaned. The list really motivates them and you're not telling them what to do. Rewards are paid for all their great and hard work.
20. Plan a vacation or trip. Research together the area that you'll be going and get feedback as to what everyone would like to see. Give them a journal and have them write down what they did that day. They won't like doing it most of the time. When they go back the following year and read it they'll remember certain events with fond memories.

A few summertime quotes...
The summer night is like a perfection of thought.
~ Wallace Stevens

In summer, the song sings itself.
~ William Carlos Williams

Summer afternoon - Summer afternoon...the two most beautiful words in the English language.
~ Henry James

There shall be eternal summer in the grateful heart.
~ Celia Thaxter

In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.
~ Albert Camus

Dirty hands, iced tea, garden fragrances thick in the air and a blanket of color before me, who could ask for more?
~ Bev Adams (Mountain Gardening by the Gardening Gal)

Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass on a summer day listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is hardly a waste of time.
~ John Lubbock

It is the month of June, The month of leaves and roses When pleasant sights salute the eyes, And pleasant scents the noses.
~ N.P. Willis

One last thought before I go...Who can resist ice cream? Here is a great way to spend time creating and eating your rewards!

Homemade Ice Cream in a Bag!

What you'll need:
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup milk or half & half
1/4 teaspoon vanilla

6 tablespoons rock salt
1 pint-size plastic food storage bag (e.g., Ziploc)
1 gallon-size plastic food storage bag
Ice cubes

How to make it:
Fill the large bag half full of ice, and add the rock salt. Seal the bag.
Put milk, vanilla, and sugar into the small bag, and seal it.
Place the small bag inside the large one, and seal it again carefully.
Shake until the mixture is ice cream, which takes about 5 minutes.
Wipe off the top of the small bag, then open it carefully. Enjoy!

Tips:
A 1/2 cup milk will make about 1 scoop of ice cream, so double the recipe if you want more. But don't increase the proportions more that that -- a large amount might be too big for kids to pick-up because the ice itself is heavy.
Don't forget the toppings and sprinkles!

Have a safe, fun and creative summer!!!