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Throw
a block party
Select a committee of detail
oriented people to get the job done. You will need to collect a
specific amount of money from each family and this will vary based on
decisions made regarding festivities and food.
Kick off the party with a
parade. Kids will love to decorate their wagons, bikes and
battery powdered vehicles. You can select a theme or have them
dream up something. Give out prizes for the best decorated.
Have them parade to a specific area and then play some games and give
out prizes. We have in the past rented a machine that shoots candy
into the air. The kids loved it!!! Talk to the local police
and fire department to see if they would be interested in joining the
parade.
Ask everyone to decorate the outside of their house/yards/decks for the
festivities again give out prizes for the best decorated.
Provide music -- Hire a Disc
Jockey or Band or looking to save money have everyone on the block
put their stereo on the same station and aim the speakers out the
window. Designate a dance area.
Food -- You can either have a
common food table where everyone can make a salad/dessert and collect a
specific dollar amount per family for meats OR you can have each family
provide their own food.
Games/festivities --
Relay races, treasure hunts, variety show, karaoke, pie or watermelon
eating contest, craft tables, face painting, dunk tank, moon bounce.
Check with the township to see
if you need to get a permit and try and get the street shut down.
Make sure you start your
planning and preparations in advance. It does take time and effort
but it is well worth it in the end. Remember the first year is the
hardest after that you will be able to plan and execute with precision.
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Create Sea Shell Beach Shirt
Fabric paint and puff paint pens in a variety of colors
Clean, white Tee Shirt
Sea shells in a variety of styles and shapes
Start by placing a piece of card board between the shirt to eliminate
paint from leaking through the fabric.
Place fabric paint in paper dishes for ease of use.
Dip
sea shell into paint and lightly press onto shirt to create desired
design. Try not to move it around so that you get a clear imprint.
Use puff paint pens to write your child's name on the shirt if desired.
NOTE: Test shell design on paper prior to putting it on the
shirt. You will find that some shells make a nicer design than
others.
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- Take them Bowling
- Hit the beach or
pool
- Make lemonade
- Have
a movie day, snuggle up together on the sofa and watch a
favorite movie.
- Go
on an excursion to a local museum
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Have a picnic. Helpers will love to decide on the
food, make the sandwiches, pick a location. Going to a park
that has play equipment will extend the excursion.
- Go to story time
at the local library and/or bookstore.
- Create a fort with blankets
draped over furniture
-- make sure there is room for more than one person.
- Create an obstacle course
in the yard.
Have them jump, crawl, hop,
and walk over and under things. You can make it a relay to see
who can do it the fastest.
- Board games are always a great way
to pass the time
- How about teaching them to
juggle?
- Balloon animals was always a
favorite in my house.
- Build a sand castle
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Make a home video -- have the kids put on a show and film it.
They will love preparing props, doing the skit, and then watching it
over and over again.
- Build with Legos or blocks.
- Have a tea party. Set
a table outside with
tea cups, select a dessert (muffins, scones or cookies), invite some
guests (favorite doll, teddy etc... and enjoy
- Make chocolate covered pretzels
- Make a house/fort out of a big
box.
- Have a scavenger hunt.
- Create some fancy
footwear by decorating clean, white canvas sneakers with fabric
markers. Your kids can draw stripes, polka dots, flowers, or
designs onto the fabric. There is no drying time involved.
- Make ice cream
sandwiches with Graham Crackers.
- Go for a stream walk
and search for water creatures.
- Wash the car.
- Go on a hike.
- Go on a boat ride.
- Go kayaking or
rafting.
- Find treasures on
the beach.
- Learn to surf or
boogie board.
- Go skateboarding or
in-line skating
- Go dolphin watching.
- Get a rod and go
fishing.
- Check out Barnes and
Noble Reading Program -- This is a program for elementary aged
children. Once your child reads a specified number of books
they return the completed log sheet and they pick out a free book.
- Check out the free
movies at your local theaters. This is offered by many movie
chains during the summer.
- Create life size
pictures. Get a large sheet of paper and have your child lay
down on his/her back on the paper so that you can draw their
outline. Once this is complete provide all types of art
supplies, material scraps, felt, buttons etc.. so that they can
paint their face and add clothes. When it dries cut out the
shape and you have a life size self portrait.
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Take them to a ballgame A minor league or high school game
will be fun and more cost effective.
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Have a beginning of summer celebration or End of summer party.
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Blanket Volleyball. Create 2 teams of four players and give
each a blanket. Each player gets a corner of the blanket. Have
one team serve the volleyball. This is done by placing the
ball in the middle of their blanket and then lowering the blanket
and raising it quickly as a team so that the ball becomes air borne.
The other team must catch the volleyball with their blanket and
continue the play.
Water Games
Water Bottle Relay
Race: Give each team a
bucket of water, Dixie cups and a large, empty soda bottle. One
"lucky" person sits on a lawn chair, opposite end from the water bucket,
holding the soda bottle between their legs. The rest of the group
proceeds to fill their Dixie cups with water, run to the other
end and pour the water into the bottle. The first team to
completely fill the bottle wins.
Water Balloon Toss:
Fill balloons with water.
Have everyone form two lines facing each other about three feet apart.
Each pair is given a water balloon. On GO they carefully
throw their balloon to their partner. If the catch is successful they
take a large step backwards so they gap between them gets greater and
they throw the balloon again. The winner is the last group left
with an unbroken water balloon.
Play Hose Limbo:
Follow the rules for Limbo
only use your hose instead of a stick.
Water Balloon Baseball:
Get a collection of water
balloons and tennis balls that are the same color. The pitcher
selects either a balloon or ball and pitches to the batter. The
batter decides whether to swing or not. If it is a balloon he/she
may get very wet!! Be sure to switch positions to make it fun for
all.
Ice Excavating:
Fill a large container with
water. Add some artifacts that the kids can discover (plastic
insects, dinosaurs, action figures etc.. ) and put it in the freezer
until it is frozen solid. Remove it from the container. Have
your child put on eye protection. Give them a hammer and a screw
driver and have your paleontologist go to work. You should do this
outside.
Squirt the Ball:
Using soaker-type squirt guns
and beach balls have your kids fight or squirt to the finish line.
The first to blast their beach ball over their
opponents finish line wins.
Create a Car Wash
-- Have the kids line up toy
cars/trucks, bikes and scooters. Put them in their bathing suits
and give them a bucket with soapy water, a scrub cloth and the garden
hose. Let the fun begin.
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Fun Outdoor Games
Red Rover:
A great game for a large group of kids plus an adult
to supervise. Divide kids into two teams and form a line facing
each other. Select the team to go first in a fair fashion such as
a coin toss. Members of the team hold hands and call by chanting :
"Red Rover, Red Rover send (Fill in a name) right over!" for
someone from the other team. The object is for them is to run and try to
break the weakest link and go through their line. If he/she succeeds in
breaking the line they pick anyone from the line to go and join their
team. If they fail to succeed they join the line. The game
continues until everyone is on one team.
Freeze Tag:
A tag game with a twist. When you are "it" the players that you
tag are frozen in their place. The only way they are set free is
if they are tagged by another player. The game ends when whoever
is "it" is very lucky and freezes everyone or when any player has been
frozen three times. At that point that person would be "it".
Over the Ocean:
Establish two base lines at opposite ends of the yard. One person
who is "it" stands in the middle while all other players stand along the
lines. Whenever someone yells go the groups runs to the other end.
The person who is "it" tries to tag them as they run past. If you
are tagged you move to the middle and help catch runners. The play
continues until all are caught.
Soccer Sharks
and Minnows: Establish two base lines at opposite ends
of the yard. One person who is "it" stands in the middle while all
other players stand along the lines. Whenever someone yells go the
groups dribble their soccer ball while they run to the other end.
The person who is "it" tries to kick the balls out of bounds as they run
past. If your ball is kicked away you move to the middle and help
catch runners. The play continues until all are caught.
Ghost in the
Graveyard: Great game to play at night.
Start by selecting someone to be the "ghost". The ghost hides
while the remainder of the players count to 100 at the base. They
then start out to find the "ghost". When someone sees the ghost
they yell "Ghost in the graveyard" and everyone runs to get back to base
before the ghost tags them. The person tagged becomes the new
ghost.
Kick the Can:
Set an empty can on a flat spot and call it base. The person that is
"it" counts to 100 while the other kids run and hide in a designated
area. The object is then for the person that is it to search for
the other kids. When you find one the two of you race to base to kick
the can. The first to reach the can is the winner and the other
person is then "it".
Noodle Toss:
Hang a hula hoop from a tree branch. Give each kid a pool noodle
and place him/her several steps away from the hoop. Have them
throw the noodle through the hoop. Success means on their next
turn he/she takes a giant step backwards (away from the hoop) and they
try their luck again. Once you miss your play stops and you mark
your spot and the others continue. The player who is the farthest
away from the hoop in the end is the winner.
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Summer
Fun Ideas