Spend the Rest of Summer Outside

Summer is quickly coming to a close, sending kids back school. Take advantage of the nice weather and energetic kids these last few weeks and play outside in the yard. Here are some great game and crafts ideas if you aren’t sure what to do:

• Yard Bowling. This doesn’t have to be fancy. Grab some old milk cartons or other plastic bottles and set them up at the end of the yard. Have the kids roll a ball (any bouncy ball or soccer ball will do) from 30 feet away and see how it goes. Keep score just like you would with regular bowling.

• Red Light, Green Light. An oldie but a goodie, Red Light, Green Light is sure to have your kids tired when they’re done. Choose one person to be the traffic light and have them stand at the opposite side of the yard as the other players. The traffic light says “green light” and turns its back on the other players, allowing the players to run towards them. Periodically the traffic light turns abruptly yelling “red light” indicating the runners need to freeze. If the traffic light sees any of them moving, they have to go back to the start point. The first runner to touch the traffic light wins and is the traffic light for the next round.
   
• Ladder Ball. This requires a ladder ball set, but it’s fun for all ages. A ladder ball set includes two small three run “ladders” and two sets of bolos as seen in this image to the right. This game is for two teams of two. Teams split up with one member standing at each ladder. The players throw the bolos to get them to catch on the ladder rungs. Each run is worth a number of points (1 point for the lowest, 2 for the middle and 3 for the highest). The first team to 21 (win by two) wins.
• Paint! Kids love to paint, but sometimes it’s a little too messy for the inside of your home. Think about some fun things to paint that you could use. Buy some cheap flower pots from your local home improvement store and allow your kids to paint it however they want. Then have them plant something in it! It will be beautiful in more ways than one.
  Pinterest is a great place to find outdoor crafts for kids. Here are a bunch of ideas from Parent Map.

As always, make sure to keep your kids happy and safe when spending time outdoors. Sunscreen and hydration is a must. Dread Skeeter can help protect them from unwanted mosquitoes and ticks as well so they don’t want to go inside away from the annoying pests. To learn about our effective mosquito control, contact your local Mosquito Squad.