Summer Fun

Sometimes it is just too hot and the days are just too long in the summer!  Here are some ideas to add to your list of fun family activities to try in the summertime, besides laying on the grass and looking for shapes in the clouds while sipping lemonade (which is hard to do while you are lying down!)

Homemade Giant Bubbles
6 cups water
1 cup light corn syrup
2 cups Joy dishwashing soap (If using an ultra concentrated dishwashing liquid, use only 1 1/3 cups)


Directions:
1 In a large bowl (at least 3 quarts) stir water and corn syrup until combined.
2 Add dishwashing liquid and stir very gently until well mixed.
3 (Try not to make any bubbles.) Dip (don't stir) bubble wands into bubble liquid and blow bubbles.  You can use hangers, hula hoops, etc. to make bigger bubbles.
Recipe from food.com

Giant Stringing Beads
Pool Noodles
Rope

Cut pool noodles into 1" to 1 1/2" rings.  Tie a big knot in one end of the rope.  You may want to singe the ends of the rope so it doesn't unravel.  String the pool noodle beads onto the rope!

Flubber
2 cups all-purpose white glue
2 cups warm water
3 tablespoons borax
1/3 cup warm water
liquid watercolor, do not use food coloring


Directions:
1 In a small bowl, mix together 1/3 cup of warm water and 3 TBSP of Borax.
2 Stir until dissolved.
3 In a large bowl, mix together the glue, 2 cups of warm water, and a few drops of liquid watercolor (until desired color is reached).
4 Slowly pour the Borax mixture into the glue mixture, stirring with your hand.
5 Lift and stretch the combined mixture until all or most of the liquid is absorbed.
6 Flubber can be used to make Windbreakers by forcing air pockets out of small round containers (yogurt containers work very well).
7 Store in an airtight container.
8 Important: Flubber will wash out of clothes, but it will not come out of carpet or upholstry.
Recipe from food.com

Kids Bathtub Paints
1/3 cup mild clear Joy dishwashing soap
1 tablespoon cornstarch
food coloring

Directions:
1 Mix cornstarch and liquid soap in bowl.
2 Pour into ice cube tray, filling about 1/2 full.
3 Put 4-8 drops of different food coloring colors into each section and mix till blended.
4 I usually use toothpicks to mix when in the ice cube tray.
5 Give to the kids and let them at it!  They can use it to color themselves or each other, the sidewalk, anything you can then hose off!
6 This washes your child, and will wash off the walls too!
Recipe from food.com