$5 Friday...Fun Activites for Our Boys of Summer

This summer we are short on funds (it seems we are always short on funds...but who isn't?). However, I really wanted to make sure that we had a super fun summer. So the day after school ended Simon (my little guy) and I sat down and made a 3 page list of ideas that sounded fun and cost next to nothing.

Since then we've been busy crossing activities off of that list. Here are a few of the favorites thus far:

#1. Jedi Bubble Training: Cost: $1 for the bubble wand (we already had the light saber)
Step one... get your light saber (saber? saver? I don't know, who do I look like, Yoda?) and somebody to blow some bubbles. (Dad's are perfect for this.)

Step Two...give the bubble blower the ready sign...
Step Three...prepare yourself for battle...

Step Four...use the force to crush all the bubbles from the dark side...

***Note***In all fairness, this is kind of cheating. We made this game up last summer and played it like crazy. BUT it's still a favorite and is on the list for this summer. We usually play it in the evenings after dinner. It's a fun way to end the day.

#2. Minute to Win It Challenges: Cost: $0---most challenges use items found in your home

Ok, so I've only seen one entire episode of this show but Simon loves it. You can go to the show's website and find a list of all the challenges and rules. They are all fun. Seriously my family even had a Minute to Win it Night (sorry, no photos...I was too busy competing) and my husband and I are planning a neighborhood Minute to Win it Challenge.

Anyways, your boys will have fun trying to master and then better their times with the variety of tasks which will involve items you already have around the house. (And you will have fun watching both your boys and your husband---mine can't resist jumping in and trying the challenges out himself).

#3. Paper Airplane Contests: Cost: $0---all you need are pieces of paper

We have tried both building the coolest looking paper airplanes and seeing who could build the plane that would fly the farthest. Either way it's lots of fun to do as a family or with friends---especially if the boys have been playing hard and need some time to cool off.

#4. Toothpick and Gumdrop Construction: Cost: $1 for the box of toothpicks and $1 for each boy a giant box of gumdrops

This project lasted much longer than I expected. Simon and his friend built with these supplies for almost 2 hours....then they spent another hour destroying their creations and launching the dots from the porch table into a garbage can on the lawn.

I lOVED it--it kept them entertained and when they were done they cleaned it up...so it is quite possibly my favorite activity...I think we'll do it again soon.

#5. PVC Water Mayhem: Cost: Varies---I've bought A TON of PVC pipe already this year...so we just used some from the garage. The pipe is cheap but the joints add up so if you run out to the Home Depot watch the prices as you load your cart.

For this project we cut the pipes in different lengths and then drilled holes everywhere.
And then made a arch way perfect for riding through...

...or running underneath with your buddies...

We also cut and drilled other pieces that can be taken apart, rebuilt and configured into different shapes for water fun on the lawn...I think the boys actually have more fun building the pipes than they do running through them with the water...

And while I'd love to take credit for this idea of summer time perfection I've seen variations of it all over the Internet. (Two of these places are here and here )

#6. Origami: Cost: Several sheets of printer paper

Simon loves to follow the instructions to build Lego's so thinking about that I wondered how he would like following instructions to make some origami animals. I have a folder in my file cabinet full of instructions from a class I once taught so I pulled them out and we gave it a whirl.

For the record, he still likes Lego's better than origami but he did make a pretty mean jumping frog that he couldn't help flipping all over the kitchen. And he did find the concept of making something flat into something three dimensional fascinating.

***Note***Many free origami patterns can be found on the Internet and special origami paper can be purchased at almost any craft or hobby shop. However, I'd try some folding with my boys on plain printer paper first before I invest in any specialty paper...kids usually either love origami or they hate it. There's not a lot of middle ground there.

#7. The Treasure Hunt: Cost: This can be as cheap or as expensive as you make it...it's all up to you!

So we haven't actually done this one yet, but I have it planned. Currently one of the things Simon is in to is the idea of buried treasure. So I got this old trunk and am going to fill it with "treasure". Then I'm going to bury it in a nearby vacant lot. Next I am going to give Simon and his friends a map to find it that will lead them around the neighborhood and end with them digging this up.

I'm so excited about this...I hope they love it as much as I love planning it!

*******Okay so that is where I'll stop (this is turning into the world's longest post). But I'm excited for what is still on the list---jump rope contests (jump ropes are $1 at Wal-Mart), continued work in our "field journals", homemade volcanoes, making a time capsule, etc...

This summer is going to be super fun, even if I have to love Disneyland from a distance for another year.