Summer is in full swing at our house, so I decided to add some new things into our days to keep the kids entertained.
Exercise Together
Every morning we wake up at 7 a.m. and go for a morning walk. If you are not a morning person, walks in the afternoon are great as well. I also got them a membership at D1 gym. They offer classes for individual ages and are great with kids and adults.
Glove-A-Bubble
These things are amazing! Each glove comes with a bubble solution and the bubble quality is great. The kids wear the gloves, dip it into the solution and swing it around like a bubble wand. This activity is very entertaining for all ages.
And when you run out of solution, you can make your own! All you need is:
Place ingredients in a clean bucket. Stir gently and make sure not to create bubbles. Let the solution sit for an hour before use. You can carry a large spoon with you to skim the foam off that it creates after a while. This recipe works great and is very cheap to make.
You can also make a bubble wand with only 2 straws and string for smaller bubbles or 2 sticks and string for bigger bubbles.
Have a Yard Sale
We did some summer cleaning and had a whole bunch of clothes and toys that were no longer being used. Since we live in an apartment we had our family garage sale at the flea market. We enjoyed spending time together and meeting people. It was a great experience and the boys got to practice their money skills. If you do not have time for a yard sale, there are resale shops that will pay you cash for your stuff. Or you can always donate.
Visit a Fruit-Picking Farm
For the last couple of years, we have visited Punkin Center Berry Farm. At the farm you can pick from two different types of blackberries, strawberries, or grapes. The people there are very friendly and helpful. You are provided with a 5-quart bucket but if you wish to pick more, you may bring your own container.
Visit a New Park
There are so many parks to discover in your area. Some parks even have splash pads to cool off during the hot summer days. I make a list of parks and cross them out as we visit them.
Go on a Factory Tour
We visited San Antonio Shoes for a factory tour. We were able to see the dedication of the shoemakers in each detail of their products. The boys enjoyed seeing the interesting tools they use for their trade. The tour took us about 45 minutes. The only problem was that the tour was for children 6 years and older, so our toddler was not able to attend. He did however enjoy our next destination.
Monster Mini Golf
Since we were in town after the factory tour we headed to Monster Mini Golf. This was one of the many cool places we were able to enjoy thanks to the Pogo Pass. It is a unique, indoor climate-controlled facility. We were able to enjoy 18-hole miniature golf, mini bowling, laser tag and the laser maze. My boys loved the video game arcade and the cool prizes they won from their Monstrous Prize Center.
Attend a Concert
During the summer there are many events that offer free or cheap tickets for concerts. If you are not able to attend a concert, a karaoke night at home could be just as fun.
Puzzle Competition
Everyone gets a puzzle with the same number of pieces. You can set a start time and take breaks as long as everyone stops at the same time. The first to finish the puzzle wins.
Gabriela is wife to husband, Aaron, and mom to four boys! She is a full-time mom, works as a substitute teacher, and owns her own cleaning business. She runs the Facebook group, I Only Make Boys, where she enjoys chronicling her boys' crazy adventures and sharing wisdom with other boymoms.
