You never thought going to the playground with your kids could turn into a full body work out. Well, heres how it can:
Swing Crisscross: targets Abs
Sit on a swing and hold the chains, then lean back about 45 degrees. Extend your legs straight in front of you with your feet together and toes pointed. Open your legs slightly to form a V, then cross your left calf over your right, contracting your core muscles to keep the swing as still as possible. Return to V position for one count, then cross your right calf over your left to complete the set. Do 12 to 15 sets.
Jungle-Gym Pull-Up: targets Back and biceps
Using an underhand grip, grasp a jungle-gym bar that's 3 to 4 feet high. Keep your hands shoulder-width apart and extend your legs in front of you until your chest is under the bar; place your feet hip-width apart. Pull your chest close to the bar by drawing your elbows alongside your ribs. Straighten arms and repeat. Aim to do five pull-ups; work up to 12 to 15.
Slide Lunge: targets Butt and Thighs
Stand facing away from the slide and rest your left foot on the bottom of it; place your hands on your hips. Bend your right knee until your right thigh is almost parallel to the ground, but don't let your knee move farther forward than above your toes. Return to starting position by pressing through your right heel. Do 12 to 15 reps, then repeat with the other leg.
Jungle-Gym Standing Push-Up: targets Chest, Shoulders and triceps.
Stand arm-length away from the jungle gym, with feet shoulder-width apart. Place your hands on a bar that's no higher than your chest. Keeping your body straight and your weight on your toes, bend your elbows until your chest nearly touches the bar. Do 12 to 15 push-ups.
For the complete playground work out: http://bit.ly/9LIhJx

Via http://www.parents.com

A couple of weeks ago, I did a post on Sun Prints and how to. I just stumbled across this great kit.

If you have never been camping before, a great way to introduce the kids to outdoor camping is to set up camp in your backyard. We call it "Urban Camping". Pitch a tent, set up a real or pretend campfire and bring back some of the traditional camping activities. It will be a great hit with the kids.

Summer is a time for a family road trip. Here are some easy ideas for keeping the kiddies busy.
1. The Initial Game
Think of a person, either famous or someone everyone in the playing group knows. Knowing just the initials of the person, the group tries to figure out who it is, by asking only yes or no questions.

2. Counting Cars
Make a list of all types of vehicles – semi-trucks, mini-vans, sports cars, sedans, SUVs, pick-up trucks, etc. – and count how many you see. This games is good for counting skills for younger children. Before the game starts, have everyone predict which type of vehicle they’ll see the most. Who was right?

3. License Plate Games
Write down the letters from the first five license plates you see. Try to make words by scrambling the letters.
Taking turns with each license plate you see, players write down the numbers from the license plates. Add up the numbers to see who gets the highest number.

4. Traffic Spies Game
If you’re stuck in traffic in a metropolitan area, kids can get pretty restless and irritated, and so can parents. Tell the kids they’re spies, and have to look around at the nearby buildings and cars and decide what’s going on in them. For instance, if you’re traveling over the holidays, you might lead small children to use their imagination and pretend they can see through the walls of a skyscraper that Santa Claus uses as his headquarters in that city. They could talk about the many floors of elves making toys, the reindeer barn on the roof, the satellite dishes on the top receiving emails from children around the world, etc. For older children, have them read the name of the company on a building and imagine what that company makes and what’s going on in the building. Teenagers can imagine where the people in cars nearby are going and what they’re up to.

5. Songs
Sing-alongs in the car are an old tradition, of course, and one that most smaller children like. Teenagers and older children, however, may think singing is corny, but you can adapt the sing-along by making a CD before you leave. Select songs that fit the towns you’ll be traveling through; there are songs that mention many different places, and you can include them on your CD. If you have teenagers, enlist them for help in selecting songs and making the CD. For instance, if you’re traveling through the southern states in the US, you could include songs like “Sweet Home Alabama” and “Georgia on My Mind.” Singing along with the songs will help the kids to remember the states or cities on your destination and teach them some new tunes. Include some unfamiliar songs on the CD, such as very old or very new songs so the kids can learn something new and get a taste of different kinds of music.

If you have a child with blonde hair or your hair is color treated and
have ever spent some time swimming in a pool, there is a good chance
you have had the unfortunate mishap of turning your hair green.
Growing up with a pool has taught me over time how to keep my hair in
great condition while still enjoying daily swims. Many people believe
that the chlorine put into the pool to kill germs is what is turning
your hair green, when in fact it is the copper in the water that is
the culprit. When chlorine is mixed with copper it can cause the
copper to turn your dark blonde hair yellow, turn your highlights
brassy, or turn your light blonde hair green.
If you don't have  blonde or chemically treated hair you are lucky
that you shouldn't have to worry about any color changes, but your
hair can still end up extremely dry from frequent exposure to
chlorine. Before you go into the pool be sure to rinse your hair
thoroughly with water from either the shower or the hose is fine if
you are outdoors. Then apply some conditioner to your hair. This will
help coat your hair and prevent it from absorbing the pool water, and
will protect it from the chlorine and copper mixture.

I am constantly looking for fun activities to keep my kids busy. This
is for all ages - Bubbles wands. We have used wands made from wire
coat hangers, washing line flex suspended between two lengths of dowel
and even hula hoops – put a couple of inches of bubble mixture in the
bottom of a paddling pool, stand a child in the middle then gently
raise the hoop to make a bubble around the child! All thanks to
finding a bottle of glycerine which helps make your bubbles strong. I
thought you might like to join in the fun so here is our recipe:

1 gallon of cold water
70ml of washing up liquid (eco brands just don't cut it)
20 ml of Glycerine (can buy it from the pharmacy but more recently
started cropping up in the supermarket bakery section in small
bottles)

Mix the ingredients gently (so no foam) in a bowl or bucket if making
a large batch. Leave the mix to settle over night. Bottle up or get
the bubble wands out straight away. If you want to make really huge
bubbles you may need to up the amount of glycerine in the recipe.

A word of warning before you head out with your bubbles – large
bubbles make for very slippy grass so do be careful!

Take advantage of the hot summer's sun and create sun prints. 

   

Click here to download:

Tie_Dye_Eggs.zip (208 KB)

Paisley, striped and polka dot eggs? They¹re easy to create with this new
Tie-Dye Eggs Kits! The creative folks at Maude + Claude have hand assembled
all of the essentials for you to transfer the patterns from recycled vintage
neck ties onto eggs. The technique is deceptively simple and can be tackled
by even the younger kids with the assistance of an adult helper. You¹ll just
need to provide a few readily available ingredients and tools that are
likely already in your kitchen (scissors, cooking pot, water, white vinegar,
tongs). We¹ve found this method of decorating eggs makes less mess than
traditional liquid dyes and creates far more impressive results!
http://www.mahardrygoods.com

Try Potting Shed Creations¹ certified-organic sunflower-in-a-bag, which
contains everything you need to sprout a wee version of the cheery spring
herald. The flowers, which blossom 60 to 70 days after germination, last up
to five weeks ‹ far longer than cut blooms that wilt after a few days. The
best part? Your tot can color and personalize the bag to create a great gift
for anyone pining for the return of sunnier days. http://bit.ly/dAEtqc

Via http://www.inhabitots.com/

One way to get your kids interested in the Olympic Games is to host your own
family Olympic Games event. Have your kids design their teams flag and come
up with names. Every Olympics has a mascot, perhaps a teddy bear or favorite
doll. Hold an opening ceremonies. Here are some ideas for games:

Paper plane folding and throwing
Obstacle course
Discus (using paper plates)
Sock slide (if you have hardwood floors)
Throw the bean bag
Simple gymnastic display

Of course no Olympics Games can be complete without awarding medals and
closing ceremonies. Print out medals. Everyone is a winner!
http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/Olympic_medals_with_ribbon.pdf

Via http://www.activityvillage.co.uk