More Fun Stuff!

Ok, I posted 2 gross motor games and one creative art/fine motor activity. Here are some more ideas of what to do on a rainy, summer day. Have fun! The following games/activities are appropriate for ages 3-12 unless otherwise noted.

• Puddle Splash: just like it sounds! Have your children wear flip-flops, water shoes or jus barefoot if there are no small pebbles and let them splash to their hearts' content! Add even more fun on a hot, rainy day by letting them put on their bathing suits first. Provide thick beach towels for drying off, leave the shoes/sandels on the porch or deck and make popcorn and lemonade for a fun treat after playtime!
• Chinese Checkers: this is more appropriate for ages 5-10 but sometimes older children like to play it with a younger sibling. If you have a toddler in the house (ages 3 and under) avoid letting her get to the marbles! Play a more challenging version by using 2 different colors per person (playing 2 groups to get "home"). We play this alot in our house, both on rainy summer days (especially when stuck in the camper!) and on winter afternoons. Inexpensive Chinese checkers games can be found at stores such as Target, Toys R Us. For nicer wooden versions try game stores at your local mall or Parent Teacher Stores or higher end toy stores.
• Raindrop Catch: this is a fun activity for older kids who are into science or math. My children have liked this from ages 6-12. Take styrofoam cups and put outside while raining. Have each child guess how much rain (inches) will be in the cup after 1 hour. Set the timer and meanwhile, children can play cards or a computer game. After the hour is up, have each child measure the water in her cup. Decorate the cup with markers. Give prizes such as piece of gum, stickers, lollipop, or other "fun" treats to reward the child who guessed closest. Give prizes to child who had most creative cup or most colorful. Or think of your own category. Each child can "win" if you get creative!
  
• Solar-powered Art: this is a very fun way to "create" art especially if you are also teaching science, or have a child interested in the environment and taking care of our planet, recycling, etc. This is great for all ages! Provide each child with a piece of construction paper of their choice. Any color will do. If you want to make a greeting card, just fold the paper in half. Have your child place different objects (or just one, depending on your child and what he wants it to look like) onto the paper. DO THIS OUTDOORS ON A DECK OR BACKYARD OR SOMEPLACE THAT GETS FULL SUN ALL DAY. This project requires a full day of sun. Use objects such as rocks, a key, a leaf, a small household item with an interesting shape, such as a pair of scissors opened, a comb, or cut out letters or shapes from another piece of paper and arrange on top of the first piece. After dinner, check the paper with your child. During the day the paper color should have faded, leaving an imprint of the items placed. Older kids (ages 7-12) could spell out words or a sentence! Get creative. Moms and Dads can make one too! FAX paper also works well as it quickly turns yellow or brown when exposed to sunlight. This teaches recycling! Your child will have a blast making original solar-powered art! Later, read books about the sun and solar power energy, or borrow books from the library about the topic. To make this activity into a language arts activity, simply have your child journal in writing and by drawing pictures of what she did, what 2 new things she learned about the sun or solar power and then follow up with a cooking activity. Make sugar cookies and add yellow food coloring. Cut into circles to represent the sun. Enjoy with lemonade. Have an art exhibit and enjoy the snack once everyone has viewed the various art pieces. This makes a great playdate idea as well! Have fun!