Want a really fun, outdoor activity that your child and the whole neighborhood can participate in? Try organizing a large water gun fight. In addition to being fun, it can also help your child develop organizational and leadership skills at an early age.
==> Help Your Child Make It Happen
If your child is excited about the idea of doing it, make sure he (or she) knows that it’s his project, not yours.
That said, your role is to help your child make sure everything goes smoothly. Sometimes, you may need to lend a helping hand.
It’s important that even when you help out, your child still feels like it’s his project. This helps build a sense of success when the event goes off well.
==> Inviting Other Kids
A big part of developing social skills and later in life professional skills is the ability to get other people excited by your own ideas.
Later in life, that comes in handy when managing projects, finding a job, looking for investments or doing anything in the professional world. As a kid on the playground, it helps make friends and helps build confidence.
Some kids will be able to get others excited about a game without any help. Other kids might have a little trouble. If your child has problems coming up with how to get other kids interested, help out.
Tell your child to start with his or her friends. Contact other parents you know and ask if they’ll bring their kids. Together with your child, create a poster and post it on your school’s bulletin board.
==> Organizing the Game Itself
As for the game itself, help your child go through the process of planning out the day.
Some kids might just want to run around shooting each other with water guns. Other kids might want something more structured, like a “capture the flag” water gun fight.
If your child wants to do something more complex, help him figure out all the rules. Use the internet to help come up with game ideas.
==> Food and Other Aspects
If a bunch of kids are getting together for a water gun fight, that probably means a lot of other parents are going to be there as well.
Instead of just making it a water gun fight, it can also be a BBQ or a picnic in the park. It’ll be a great chance to get to know other parents, as well as your child’s friends.
Try to give your child as much independence to organize the event as possible; however, you should probably handle the food. Give your child the opportunity to focus on just one thing.
Co-organizing a water gun fight with your child is a fantastic way to cool down in summer, have a ton of fun and help your child develop social and organizational skills all at the same time.
Groceries are a big part of the average household’s weekly expenses. In the summer months, with a bit of careful planning, you can bring that number down significantly. You can reduce your food costs by as much as 30% to 40% if you follow these tips.
==> Buy What’s in Season
When you buy food that isn’t in season, the food will be more expensive. It will have been grown either in a greenhouse or through genetic modifications, or it was imported.
Whatever the case is, anything that isn’t just food straight out of the soil is going to add costs. It costs money to hire scientists to modify foods, it costs money to run a greenhouse and it costs money to import.
By contrast, in season foods are just picked. Pure and simple. So do a bit of research, make a list of foods that are in season this summer and stick to buying those foods.
==> Buy from Your Farmer’s Market
Summer is a great time for farmers. It’s warm and tending the fields is much more enjoyable than the rainy winter. Buying directly from farmers will not only save you money, but it’ll also help support these farmers more than if you bought from a supermarket.
When you buy from a supermarket, you’re also paying the wages of the managers and filling the pocketbooks of the owners. When you buy straight from the farmer, you essentially cut out the middleman, save money and support the little guy.
So find your local farmers markets and make it a point to buy most if not all of your foods from farmers’ markets, rather than from large supermarkets.
==> Clip Coupons, Use Members Cards
Pick up copies of free newspapers whenever you can. Turn to the advertising sections and look for coupons. Clip those coupons and use them to save money on your groceries.
Join the members’ clubs of various different stores. It doesn’t cost any money. These members’ clubs will then track the kinds of foods you tend to like and occasionally send you special offers.
If you join the members’ clubs of three different supermarkets, you’ll get enough special offers to regularly be getting 30% discounts.
==> Grow Your Own Food
Want to really save some money on groceries? Grow your own food.
Buying seeds is very inexpensive. All you need to feed the plants is water. You don’t need to buy plants that take forever to bear fruit. You can plant seeds that can be harvested in as little as 6 to 12 months.
These are a few different ways you can save money on groceries this summer. If you’re careful and diligent, you can reduce this major expense by as much as 30% to 40%.
Sometimes, a day trip is just the thing you and your kids need. Day trips are usually less expensive than overnight trips, and you don’t have to worry about packing a lot. Day trips are also a great addition to your kids’ education. Depending on the age and number of kids, there is bound to be a day trip that works for your family. Here are some ideas.
Zoos
Going to the zoo is often an unforgettable experience for children. They can see animals “in real life” that they may have only seen in pictures or on TV. Some children have a particular animal they really like, and a zoo trip can bring that alive.
Other variations on the zoo theme are wildlife refuges and petting zoos. Some wildlife refuges have picnic tables and other accommodations, and you can see the animals that inhabit your local area. Petting zoos are also a fun and interactive way for kids to touch and interact with animals they might otherwise never get close to.
Water Parks
Once your kids learn to swim, a water park is a grand idea. If someone in your family is not a swimmer, look for a water park that has a playground, wading pool, or similar alternatives to swimming. From water slides to wave pools, a water park is a fun outing for children.
Aquariums
A day at an aquarium is fun for everyone. Kids can see ocean life from all over the world collected in one place. Another great thing about aquariums is that all ages can enjoy them – even toddlers and babies enjoy the beautiful, unusual sights, sounds, and colors.
Museums
When you think of museums, does it conjure up images of a stuffy collection of untouchable displays? Think again – museums in this day and age are often kid-friendly, with interactive exhibits and other features. Some museums have programs and activities designed for children.
Camping
You don’t have to spend the night in a tent for it to be camping! You can camp during the day with kids, and many children love it. Bring food and equipment to your nearest campsite, and set up camp. You can even pitch a tent. Build a fire and cook your food over it, and let the kids run around in the woods or enjoy an on-site playground. If there is a creek or stream, the kids will enjoy wading and so forth.
Horseback Riding
This is a fun outing for kids. A professional stable will be able to accommodate most age and experience levels. Very young kids can enjoy a slow walk with an adult leading the horse, and older kids might like a trail ride. It makes for a memorable day trip.
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