Summer Fun for Kids! :)

Hey guys! So, it's (finally) Summer, the sun is occasionally making an appearance, which is good enough for me, and over here in Ireland kids will soon be out of school! (My younger brothers get their holidays in just over a week.) So if you have kids, (or are a kid :D) here are some ideas and crafts to keep you busy for the next 2 months! Parents, no need to thank me! ;)

1. Go for a walk on the beach and collect some stones, pebbles  Then... 

• Paint them like these and have a game of dominoes!

• Paint little faces, spots and stripes on them, glue on some pipecleaners, and create ladybugs, bees, whatever you want! How cute are these pandas?!

•  Make yourself some sock rocks! Follow this easy tutorial to make a whole pile of 'em using old socks!

• Make pig magnets! So cute and fun!

• No flat stones? Use oblong ones to create these circus seals! 

• Find a nice big rock? Use it to make an adorable Bunny Bookend or paperweight!

• And if you really want to go all out, have a look at these painted rocks for inspiration!

     2. If you're one of those "educational fun" parents ;)

• Try these Pasta Skeletons! The kids will have loads of fun raiding the kitchen, picking out the pasta, making a mess, and glueing them down - But hey! they'll be learning the bones! ;)
• Encourage them to read some books by making them this Bookworm Game from Martha Stewart!
• Storing, collecting and learning about stamps and the countries they came from will keep your kids fascinated for hours!
• Have a bit of fun playing aroung with these bouys and teach your child how they stand up in rocky seas! You can make boats and ships out of nearly anything! Newspaper, walnut shells filled with wax, or even coffee can lids!

     3. Make some fun toys and games that you can then play with for the rest of the summer!

• Puppets are always a favourite - make origami ones, paper bag ones, or the original, sock puppets! :) And don't stop there! Make a paper or felt puppet theatre to perform shows in! Hours of entertainment!
• This Sponge Ball is a great toy! Make a few, and then on a hot summer day (if there are any this Summer! *sigh*) let lose, and have a big water fight, with balloons, guns and these!
• For the budding astranaut! Cardboard Space ships!
• If you're willing to put a bit of time and effort into your/ your kid's summer, make them one of these Play Ovens! They will love you forever! ;)

      4. Encourage your kids to save their pocket money over the       Summer by helping them to make one of these sweet Piggy Bottle Banks!  

For more ideas, check out these two slideshows:

• Kid's Summer Crafts & 60 Summer Activities for Kids!

What's that?! You want even MORE? Well, OK then...

• Make this awesome beanbag toss game. Do it on its own, or entertain your kids for HOURS by setting up an obstacle course/mini olympics in your back garden!
• Boys (and monster/robot-loving girls!) will adore this papercraft project!
• Make some DIY Moon Sand! MUCH cheaper than the real thing, and a whole lot funner, as the kids get to help mix in the "gloop" stage! ;)
• Kids love comic books, right?! <Bear with me here. If your kid doesn't, go make the moon sand! :) > Get them to write their own using these FREE (the catchphrase had to appear somewhere!) printables!
• If you and your kid/s want to do a LARGE scale project, this is for you! You use a hula hoop as a giant loom to make a rug. This is possibly the coolest thing I have seen. Ever. there are a number of reasons why. A) You are re-cycling old T-shirts, which is good for the enviroment. Yay! B) The hula hoop and T-shirts are so colourful and this just looks like it would be so much fun! C) At the end, your kid has a fab, handmade rug to put in their room! D) You'll probably have the supplies, so it's FREE!! :D Go check it out (if you haven't already!) here!
  
• Here's a bunch of Bubble-wrap activities for younger kids. If you have recently moved house, and have piles of bubble wrap lying aroung the house, this is for you! Oh! And if you have big boxes as well, make the oven featured above! :)
• Why not print out this calendar, fill it with the projects and crafts mentioned here, and every time your kid comes near you saying "I'm boreddd!" just hand them the calendar! I guarantee your kid will never be bored again!*

*Well actually, they may be, but its not very likely! ;)

• OK, how insanely amazing is this 101 Bits of Summer printable? Very, I tell you! The ideas, the colours, the layout, everything about this screams Summer and makes me want to get started doing it all!
• For younger kids, this picture activity board is great. Print out the little pics here.
• Here's a very long list (100 things, in fact, which is a lot more than I managed!) of things to do with kids during the Summer. There's some fantastic ideas in there, and best of all - she's speakin' my language! ;) It's all FREE!! ;D
  
• And just when you thought I couldn't possibly find any more Summer to-do lists, I did! This DIY is really good, as you can wipe off your ideas when you're finished them, or if you want to re-use the board for next year!
• If you're still awake ;) (This was a very long post!) and you still want more things to do, here is a free printable with over 70 summer activities, with instructions, charts and calendars. AND it's colour-coded. Grab it here.
  

      Thought you weren't ready for summer with the kids? You are now! S xx