A Few Summer Activities for Parents & Kids at Home

This article carefully cut & pasted by Chris Tobeck

(a little busy with summer schedules!)

from www.babycenter.com "Activities kids and parents love."

1. Collect the fun...

...in a "scrap box." On your favorite daily outings — a walk around the neighborhood, a stroll along the beach — gather things (if permitted by the park) to help both of you remember why you like a particular locale or stroll. You might bring along a camera and start snapping away; your child may choose to pick up a really beautiful leaf or a special seashell. Once you're home, help your child decorate a shoebox with construction paper, crayons, glitter, or anything else that makes it unique. Keep both of your collections inside. You might have several different boxes for each outing. On rainy days, snuggle up on the couch with your child and sift through the box. Chances are you'll be able to relive your favorite outings as you dig through the treasures.

2. For the Birds

Bright colors, delicate movements, the ability to defy gravity — it's no wonder that birds fascinate kids and adults alike. Gail Pfister, mother of three from Robinsville, New Jersey, offers these easy instructions for making a bird feeder with your child to attract the fanciful creatures to your backyard:

• Rinse and dry an empty, plastic milk jug.

• Cut out the side opposite the handle, making sure to leave a couple of inches at the bottom so the bird seed doesn't fall out and so that the birds have a place to stand. Try for an opening about 4 inches wide.

• Leave the cap on and tie a string or wire around the neck of the container.

• Fill the inside with birdseed and hang it outside your window. Then grab a book on birds, and sit and enjoy the view. Help your child look up different types of birds and read about them so you can both identify which birds are visiting your homemade bird "restaurant."

3. Food Art

Tired of drawing with crayons and building with blocks? Get creative and turn nature's bounty into a work of art, suggests Pfister. Cut up carrots, tomatoes, celery, or other fruits and vegetables, and help your child arrange the food into pictures on a large plate. The two of you can create a clown, train, or a beautiful piece of abstract art. You can use olives for eyes, round crackers for wheels, slices of cheese as windows — the possibilities are endless. And then the real fun begins:  Eating your masterpiece!

4. Living Room Campouts

Campouts are always fun, but the living-room variety has the added benefit of being temperature controlled and replete with carpet, cushions, and the all-important access to the kitchen and bathroom. Pitch a small pup tent, or make your own by placing blankets over carefully arranged furniture. Then pull out the sleeping bags, pillows, flashlights, and s'mores for a real camping experience. The "tent" can stay up for as long as you want, making it easy for you and your child to go camping anytime.