During the month of May, I have conflicting feelings about summer, every year. Weeks of no school are just around the corner, but summer schedules were put into our calendar a couple of months ago. So in May we're treading water (and I feel like I'm constantly playing catch up on dates and deadlines for some reason...I mean, didn't I just mentally recover from the Christmas rush...?) Its a delicate balance for us every summer, planned camps and activities on one side of the scale, downtime on the other side. I am a firm believer that my kids need downtime, on their own, to figure out how to have fun, discovering simple fun. So, I make sure my kids are *bored* often. But there are those afternoons that tend to drag on a bit, when they don't have any clue what to do, or the inclination to get creative on their own. For those times, I try to keep a stash of special books and activities to pull from (cause usually at this point I have no imagination left either). I've officially started my annual "creating of the stash" and thought I'd share what we'll be doing.
I recently picked up second hand copy of "Button, Button Who's Got the Button/101 Button games". It appears to have tons of creative games to play with buttons (and lord knows I've got buttons- but, if I run out, I'm planning to send the kids to Alicia's house). Games are tough for us at times, but sorting, button art making, music making with buttons, there seems to be lots of non-competitive things in this book too.
A favorite activity we enjoyed last summer is reading outside in the back yard, or listening to story tapes up in the treehouse, always with a good supply of bunny crackers and chocolate chip cookies. Everyone has favorites which stay in heavy rotation, but our absolute hands down favorite series is Boomerang!. An audio magazine that has been described as "NPR for kids", its the first time I can remember being excited about getting something new for our kids to listen to. Each episode is full of jokes, stories, history, and general advice for kids, all laid out in a way that is interesting and thought-provoking. Boomerang segments have prompted some interesting conversations around our house about people like Edwin Hubble of the famed Hubble Telescope; Agnes de Mille, choreographer of "Oklahoma", and Rosa Parks (the kids on the show go back in time to interview the person). You can subscribe yearly (one new episode a month), or download individual copies at audible.com or I-Tunes. They are recommended for 6 year olds and up, but in our family I know of a 4 year old who really loves them.
Then there is the summer crafting with the kids. The big hit from last year were sunprints on Natureprint sun sensitive paper (here and a basic kit here). For those who are unfamiliar, you place objects on the sun sensitive paper, then expose it in direct sunlight for the amount of time specified (1-2 minutes or so), put the paper in a tub of water, then lie flat to dry. These turned out so beautifully, very successful with young children, we couldn't stop doing them. Mat them in an inexpensive frame and they'd be a nice gift. They are practically mess free, unless you consider water a mess. I would love to get some of the fabric for myself. Didn't Ms. Martha do something with this a few years back? Could be the makings of a new quilt idea. And I see that they are giving a kit away on Whip Up.
I was also led to a great tutorial by Sara to use up fabric scraps here - and yes, I've already started accumulating more scraps, so supply will not be a problem. Thanks for the link Sara.
Lastly, for harmonious sibling playtime while adoring mother gazes lovingly with a cup of tea in her hand, I give you Pete's A Pizza- My kids often act out this book.
Knead the dough
Spread the sauce
"Pizzas aren't supposed to laugh"
Put the pizza in the oven.
Let me know what you'll guys will be doing, I need a large stash...
