Search Results for: blog water balloon fun

Wet and Wild Summer Fun

Splurging on a summer pass to the community pool may not be an affordable option for some families.  Fortunately, there are a number of ways to keep cool when the mercury soars without breaking the bank. The following simple projects prove that splashtastic fun can be had by kids of all ages with a simple garden hose and a few inexpensive household items: Water Balloon Piñata Materials: Package of water balloons String Garden hose Small plastic funnel Plastic baseball bat Directions: Fill up the water balloons using the funnel and hose.  Keep in mind that the more water you add … Continue reading →

Homemade Cinco de Mayo Fun

Ole!  It’s almost time to fiesta Cinco de Mayo-style. Fortunately, throwing a party to celebrate El Día de la Batalla de Puebla (The Day of the Battle of Puebla) doesn’t have to cost you plenty of pesos.  Instead of heading to your local party shop to purchase fancy games and decorations, look around your house for items that can be given a Mexican twist. For example, you can pull out an old “Pin the Tail on the Donkey” game, make some minor changes with a Sharpie and play “Pin the Sombrero on the Burro.”  The Mexican hats can be sketched … Continue reading →

Affordable Football Fun

Are you ready for some football? Pigskin season has officially begun. High school, college and professional players are back in action with today being the kickoff of the 2012 NFL regular season Sunday games. For many fans, it’s time to celebrate. Whether you choose to tailgate at the game, in your garage, or on your couch, you’ll need some festive decorations to add spice to your party. Unfortunately, football-themed decor can add up quick and you may find yourself bleeding from your pockets if you are not careful. You can tackle this problem by making embellishments from inexpensive items found … Continue reading →

Potpourri of Cheap Summer Fun

Are you running out of affordable ways to keep your kids busy during the last days of summer vacation? August is quickly coming to an end, but for some families, money for summer fun ran out a long time ago. Now is the perfect time to use up any supplies you might have leftover from early summer projects or parties. For example, if you have any extra water balloons in your home fill them up and place them in the freezer for a few hours or overnight. When your kids start singing the “I’m bored” blues, cut away the balloon … Continue reading →

Wet and Wild Summer Fun

The heat is on across the nation. Less than a week after the official start of summer and residents from coast-to-coast are baking in record high temperatures. If you have been desperately looking for a way to cool off, you aren’t alone. Millions of people have hit public pools, trekked to the beach or visited community splash pads. But, what happens if you don’t have access to the aforementioned resources? Fortunately, there are easy ways you can beat the heat without having to travel far or spend a lot of money. Two words: Water balloons. Don’t underestimate the power of … Continue reading →

Extreme Fun in the Extreme Heat

This week’s heat wave has left many families deep-fried and looking for ways to cool off. Our city was under an excessive heat warning for five straight days. Unfortunately, when you have young kids, sitting around in air conditioning the entire time isn’t an option. When the mercury starts to rise, it’s time to flex that creative muscle to come up with ways to beat the heat and still have fun in the process. Some ideas include: Blind Man’s Catch: This game is basically like Water Balloon Toss, but with the added challenge of being blindfolded. Split a group of … Continue reading →

Wet and Wild Summer Fun

The heat is on in our neck of the woods. The oppressive heat and humidity that has been baking the center of the country for the last few days is now bearing down on the Midwest. Tomorrow’s high is expected to top 92 degrees and with heat indexes pushing 110. As a result, the National Weather Service has issued excessive heat warnings, and tonight our local TV meteorologist suggested that we remain in air conditioned buildings for the next five days. Clearly, the guy is not a parent. No kid, especially my little fish, is going to want to be … Continue reading →

Ways to Have Fun While Decorating for an Outdoor Party

If a tight budget has put the kibosh on your plans to host an outdoor party this summer, then I have good news for you. There are many simple ways to liven up your outdoor entertaining space without going broke and without making it look like a kiddie party ala balloons and paper streamers. One very inexpensive way to brighten up your party area is to use fresh fruit as part of your decor. Lemons, limes, apples, oranges, pomegranates and kumquats placed in a glass bowl or cylinder make an easy and vibrant centerpiece. Another way to add splashes of … Continue reading →

Dinosaur Fun

My daughter wants to celebrate her 6th birthday with a huge dinosaur-theme party. The only problem is that she won’t be turning six until late next spring. That’s an eternity for a kindergartner. In an effort to make the wait a bit more tolerable, I’ve been collecting dinosaur-theme crafts for her to make on the weekends. Some of them will be used as party decorations while others are being used as tests to see if they are appropriate projects to make with a dozen or so 5 year olds. Here’s what we’ve been working on: PAPER PLATE DINO Materials: Paper … Continue reading →

Edible Sand Castle and Other Summer Fun for Kids

Can’t make it to the beach this summer? Don’t let the “Mom, I’m bored!” blues get you down. Instead, consider making your own summer fun at home with the following fun ideas: EDIBLE SAND CASTLE Ingredients: 1 package (18 1/4 ounces) banana cake mix plus ingredients to prepare mix as directed on box 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 package (6 serving size) instant butterscotch flavor pudding mix, plus ingredients to prepare mix as directed on box Clean small plastic beach pail and shovel 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs, divided Beach-themed candy: Gummy fish, octopus, starfish, … Continue reading →