It’s Still Summer

It’s Still SUMMER and it’s still HOT! What to do with the kids and grandkids?

Yes, summer is coming to an end, but there’s no doubt the hot days are still with us, and we still have those kiddos at home for a few more weeks. I thought I would share a few of the fun “water” things we do at camp to keep the kids cooled down. 

1. Splash Kick Ball: Purchase three blowup swimming pools (this are better than the hard kind as kids can get hurt on the hard ones) and a playground ball. Set your “field” up like a kickball game with the three pools as bases. Fill the pools with water and let the fun began! Kids love kicking the ball and running to the pools. Amazon.com : AppleRound 8.5 Inch Playground Ball with Air Pump, Pack of 1 Ball with 1 Pump, Official Size for Dodge Ball, Handball, Camps and Schools (Blue) : Sports & Outdoors
2. Water Balloon Volleyball: Blowing up a water balloon these days is as easy as turning on a water hose. Just buy a “bunch of balloons”, put a small amount of water in an ice chest, then blow up the balloons into the ice chest. If you have the space, you can purchase a net to string across two trees or set up with badminton poles. If you don’t have the space or want to purchase a net, just tie a ribbon across any two spaces to give them a “net”. We play water balloon volleyball by giving one balloon to a player on team 1 and letting them toss (not throw) a balloon over the net to team 2. If you have large t-shirts to put on the kids, they can catch the balloon in the t-shirt, then thrown it back. To spice the game up, you can keep a bucket of ice water handy and if anyone dodges a ball, they get dunked with water. After the game, a big water balloon war is the best! Here’s a link to balloons or check our your nearest dollar store. Amazon.com: Bunch O Balloons Pink (3 Bunches) by ZURU, 100+ Rapid-Filling Self-Sealing Pink Colored Instant Water Balloons for Outdoor Family, Friends, Children Summer Fun (3 Bunches, 100 Balloons) : Grocery & Gourmet Food
3. Water Gun War: This one is super easy to set up and inexpensive as water squinters are only around a $1.00 at Dollar Tree or Dollar General or order these. If you have a large bucket or trash can (again, not expensive to purchase and can be used for other things), fill it up with water and put all the guns in the bucket. Let the kids go crazy squinting everything in sight. They will stay cool, get some good exercise, and have lots of fun! Amazon.com: Water Blaster,12 Pcs Foam Squirt Guns for Kids, 30 ft Range Pool Water Squirter, Foam Water Gun Shooter for Summer Swimming Pool Beach : Toys & Games
4. Any number of water relays are also easy to set up and fun to implement. If you have enough children, divide them into two teams. If you don’t have enough to make two teams, just let them play as one team. It’s fun either way! Try passing a plastic cup full of water over each child’s head or tossing a water bottle with no lid on it from child to child or toss large sponges full of water down to each child to see how much water can be squeezed or poured in a bucket at the end. 
5. Splash Pad: This splash pad was a hit at camp this summer. Nothing to do but blow it up and plug it into the hose. Then, watch the kids squeal with delight. Amazon.com: Splash Pad, 68″ Sprinkler for Kids, Outdoor Water Toys for Kids Ages 4-8, Kids Sprinklers for Outside, Backyard Summer Water Park Toddlers Pool Toys Gifts for 3-12 Year Old Boys Girls : Toys & Games

Whatever you do, it’s also fun to just have the sprinklers going or have a hose in your hand so you can water the kids down. Have fun! Enjoy the last month of summer.

Hugs, Chrys