Summer Fun!

Hellooooo heat wave! Just read here that a woman in Nashville was able to bake cookies on the dashboard of her 107 degree car. Woah. How are all of you surviving this heat? We can often be found flocking to the shade with water bottles in hand to drink drench ourselves. Shady parks and walks sure are gems in this desert climate of ours! Even though this time of year means LOTS more fun OUTdoor stuff, we like finding fun ways that don't involve sweating to death to spend time INdoors too. Here's a somewhat random list of our summer finds/ideas perfect for those restless kiddos....

This idea is SO simple, but SO fun. You can easily do with a large sheet, or picnic blanket. Kids love it! You can also throw things across the top (like inflatable balls) to toss about.

A great activity that my almost 3-year old loves is to help in the kitchen. I'm usually always up for this too, especially since I've discovered this little secret....box mixes! In case you didn't know, they come in all different kinds and can be found in the same aisle as the cake mixes at the grocery store. Since doing anything with a wee one can take a bit longer, one way I've found to shorten up the task on my part is to not have such a long list of ingredients to worry about. We like the Krusteaz brand a lot and they usually only call for a few other ingredients such as water, veg. oil, or eggs. Check, check, and check! I find it such a great way to practice fine motor skills with measuring and mixing, discuss math, and letting them take ownership about starting and fishing something.

Try this 20 minute rule. Even if you're dreading getting out the sunscreen yet a-gain, tell the kids they just have 20 minutes. We often do this at parks, or other places where we know we can't be stretched too thin (ie running after 2) for too long. This time frame is usually just the perfect amount of time for everyone and really works for me on days when I'm tired, but know we could all benefit from getting at least a little bit of sunshine. ;)

Here's a great list of games to play with your little one. Since Benjamin is so vocal right now about EXACTLY what he wants to do, I sometimes feel like I get a little rusty on keeping up with what's at Grant's level. I found this list very creative!

Since the outdoors often involve more messes (ie getting wet, muddy, or popsicley sticky) we're finding that the boys go through more outfits/ day. I've been able to get away with buying boys tops at various places like Old Navy (online only), Smiths, and Kmart but love, love, love Gymboree brand shorts. They're nice and thick, have a wider waistband, and don't fade. They often have online deals, so don't hesitate to stock up....I find that they do run a bit big though.

Here's also a link for a post I did a couple of years ago entitled 5 Rules of Summer. I still find these to be good summer tips too! Oh, and if you're local, be sure to check out the Kids All Around blog (also have button to the left). A friend of mine put it together and I love that it lists EVERYTHING going on in the valley- genius! 

Ok, that's it for now, hope you all are enjoying s u m m e r and staying cool!