Hi!
I am Faith from 1st Grade Fantabulous! One of my best blogging buddies is your friend Jessica. She asked me if I would like to do a guest blog and I told her I would. The only problem is what in the world do you blog about in the summer? I know teachers do lots of extra work during the summer, but I also know that you need a little down time, especially if you have a couple of little guys running around at home.
Anyway, I bounced around a few ideas and I thought, "If I were a teacher and a mom, what would I want?" So, here it is - a Top 3 Kid Projects to Do "IF" it is raining! Seriously, I remember growing up, rain always shows up at the worst possible moments and within two hours my sister and I were both in our rooms with the, "Don't come out of your room until your Dad gets home." Since I'm sure naps aren't really an option here are a few things I grabbed off Pinterest that don't require you to be a supermom or a super teacher, but will be fun without costing a lot of money.
#1 - Build-A-Something
This is something fun to do at home or at school. The best part is you have several options.
1. You can take toothpicks and marshmallows and let your kids see who can build the biggest building. You can get both of these items usually for $1 a piece, so for $2 to $4 you can make everyone happy.
2. You can take random boxes, duct tape, paint, etc. and let your kids build robots. Show them a few pictures on the Internet and then cut them loose. They will LOVE it and it will keep them busy for hours.
I've done both of these ideas in my classroom and they turned out great! For more information check out
Pink and Green Mama and
Craft Interrupted. The best part is both of these sites have other things you can do to keep your kids entertained.
#2 - Slimy Science
One of the coolest things we did in my classroom this year was make slime. All you need is water, Borax (You can get it at Walmart), and glue. I used clear glue for my first batch, but white glue worked much better, so I suggest getting white glue. Plus, it's around half the price. You can also add food coloring or glitter, but you don't have to if you want to skip that part.
Give each of your kiddos two bowls each (I used plastic bowls) and have them mix 1/4 cup of water and 1/4 cup of glue with food coloring/glitter (optional). Then, in the other bowl have your kiddos mix
1/4 cup of water and 1 teaspoon of Borax. Make sure they mix it well. Once it is mixed, combine the two bowls into one bowl. At first, you will stir with a spoon and then you will use your hands. Now you have slime!
#3 - Snowy Summer Day
Snow in the summer? Is it possible? Guess what? It is! Make sure the next time you go to the Dollar Store that you grab a bottle or two of cheap conditioner. When I went, I grabbed one that smelled like coconut
. Then, grab a couple of boxes of baking soda. Oh, and while you are there, you may want to grab a cheap plastic table cloth because this can be a little messy.
Once you have all of your ingredients, mix 3 cups of baking soda and 1/2 a cup of conditioner in a pan. After a few minutes of mixing, you will have a texture similar to snow.
If you want more information on this project, you can check out
Mommas Fun World. That's where I first saw the idea.
Now, if you finish ALL of those projects and it is still raining, it is definitely time for a Movie Night! Let your kids build a gigantic pallet in your living room, pop some popcorn, grab some Dollar Store candy, and watch a fun movie. You can also order pizza if you want.
Thanks for letting me hang out with you guys today. I hope this comes in handy for you at some point this summer and saves you from at least one or two headaches. Feel free to stop by and visit my blog. Just click on the button at the top of the page and it will take you there.
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