Saturday 30 June 2012

Summer DIY Games... For you and the Kids!


Bored? Have a house full of kids? Having people over for a weekend BBQ? Need something to fill up some of your day? Check out some of the following DIY ideas to keep you busy and entertained this summer!

Outdoor Twister
This one is for both the adults and the kids... :) Come on, you can't say a little Twister and some drinks in the backyard isn't one of the funnest things to do on a Saturday afternoon or evening!

Grab a white sheet and paint circles on to match a Twister Board. Let dry. If you want to skip the sheet and just paint circles on the grass, that works too! Oh and make sure you let the paint dry before playing!! If you don't have an old Twister spinner you can make up labels and draw from a box or container or make up your own creative way of picking what body part goes where!!


The Tire Swing
If you are lucky enough to have a big tree in your front or back yard, then hang up a tire swing!! These are perfect for the kids to play on. I used to relax on one all the time as a kid!! Paint it a nice bright colour to make it much more enjoyable and more apt to hang out on!


Horseshoes!
And then there's the classic game of Horseshoes!! Everybody loves 'em! And they are perfect if you are having a few friends over or up at the cottage!


What you'll need:
4 Horseshoes
2 Stakes
Scoreboard - Sheet of paper works good! lol!

If you wanna get really fancy, build an actual box with 2x4's around your stake and fill pit with sand. When I was in highschool we had a pit in our backyard, it was awesome! We would always have tournaments on the weekends!!

Put your stakes in the ground approximately 40 feet apart. You get 2 horseshoes per person or team. Most games are played to 21 points and the winner must win by 2.

Points: 
Horseshoe lands within 6 inches of the stake – 1 point
Leaner - the horseshoe leans on the stake - 2 points
Ringer - the horseshoe completely latches the stake - 3 points


The Human Bubble!
This is super cool if you have a bunch of kids over for a birthday party... or if you are just the lucky house on the street and entertain all the kids on the block. All you need for this is a plastic pool, a hula hoop and Dial Dish Soap (Not anti-bacterial). Mix 10 cups of Dial Dish Soap in 5 gallons of distilled water. Mix it in the pool and let it sit over night (or as long as you can).


Have the kids (one at a time of course) stand in the pool and have them or someone else raise the hula hoop! They'll be inside the bubble! Get them to get a blower and blow little bubbles inside the big bubbles. Take lotsa pictures! These definitely would make great action shots for some wall art! 

Sun Beads! 
Similar to stained glass sun catchers but a lot more easy and quick to make! Great activity for the kids... okay and us adults too! I love the finished product glazing in the sun! Beaaaauuutiful!!!!


Here's what you'll do:
Layer plastic beads in cake pans (no lining required for these) and then put it in the over at 400F for 20 minutes. Let them cool. Once cool take your pan and you can just flip them out. Drill a hole in it, lace it with a string and hang it up to make it a sun catcher.

Pop Bottle Water Sprinkler!!
Well hey... it's easy... and soooo cheap (like me, lol) and you get to drink a nice bottle of refreshing Pepsi before you make it!


Take your pop bottle, poke holes in it. Attatch the bottle end to the hose and twist on. Seal with electrical tape. Turn on the hose and run through the home made sprinkler you got!! Easy as 1 2 3.

Rainbow Bubble Snakes!
Cut off the bottom of a water bottle. Then slide the sock over the bottom of the bottle.  Use an elastic or Duct Tape to secure. Pour some dish soap into a shallow container with a little bit of water and gently mix.  Add some food colouring, mix the colours or just add one! Dip the sock covered bubble blower into the solution and gently blow.


I think these are super cool and we are gonna make them for Canada Day using red bubbles!!! :)

Backyard Jenga
We all have probably played Jenga a time or two in our day. But have you played the Giant Outdoor Version?


If ya wanna make em' go to your Dad's or Grampa's and see if they have extra 2x4’s laying around BEFORE going to the store (LOL) and cut them into approx 10 ½ inch long pieces. Make 54 pieces! Once your done sand them to make them easier to work with... we don't want slivers, they suck. If ya wanna get really fancy, decorate em with paint or write on them for fun!

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