INSPIRE...DISCOVER...CREATE

Summer is around the corner and I can't wait to be LAZY! What!? You can be lazy with five children, you wonder? Well NO, not really...BUT I have found that if initially you play with your kids, it seems to fill a need and then you can go on and take care of mommy business. At any rate, it pays to have some exciting alternatives in preparation for the inevitable "I'm bored!" exclamation.

My friend Jenny R. is such a fun summer mom (she is for other seasons too : ) Here are some of the activities she does with her kids:

• "The boys each have a four-man tent that they got a few years ago. They love setting them up as forts in the back yard. They each have a pack with a compass, flashlight, water gun, snacks, etc. They play spies, army, camping, etc. for hours. They also love it if it is lightly raining."

• "Water balloons are fun for all four of my kids. I have an attachment that hooks up to the hose so it makes it a lot easier."

• "Taking a picnic to the park along with bikes, scooters, roller blades, etc. is also fun."

• "We have had a swimming pass the last few summers which makes a great incentive to get chores done in the morning. Spending a few hours at the pool is one of their favorite things to do."

• "My girls are really into crafts and projects. I taught them to crochet(Emmy loves it Kylee hates it).

• Paints, beads, weaving, and building things with popsicle sticks are some things they love.

• "For smaller kids one of my favorite things is Water Wow! El Grande Activity Kit- Color with water! It is painting with water so there is no mess. Little kids love it. I just ordered it online."

• "The girls also love the Painting By Number Kits."

THANKS for the fun ideas Jenny!

Another fun idea I haven't actually done YET is a kids projects at Home Depot. All stores on the first Saturday of the month offer a free project for children ages 4-12. Some stores have sign-up lists and some are first come, first serve (check the Home Depot near you). They ask that there is one adult for every two children to help supervise. They have done fun projects such as a birdhouse, a gift for Mother's Day, a hardware sorter for Father's Day, a picnic caddy in July, etc. Try it out and let me know how it goes!

On that note... FYI I had my comments on a restricted setting but now you can leave comments (I hope ;)

Give it a try and share some fun ideas!