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| (photo courtesy of Come Together Kids) |
Bubbles are always a hit with children but it can get very messy. To help make the activity a little less sticky use a large drink dispenser. If you have an old one laying around or find one at a local thrift shop it can be a surprisingly cheep alternative to spilled bubble soap bottles.
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| photo courtesy of Planet of the Apels |
Some small holes in a two by four, water guns, golf tees, and ping pong balls will make the perfect homemade carnival game. The kids can race each other to hit all the ping pong balls off with their water stream if you make more than one. And they can always make it more challenging by moving further away from the target.
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| Photo courtesy of Doodle Craft |
These jet packs are so easy to make and they will be a great accessory. Just paint some soda bottles and add some flames and straps and the kids will be jetting around the yard like there is no tomorrow.
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| photo courtesy of Ashley Ann Photography |
If you have a lot of trees in your yard you can tie string across them to create an obstacle course. Or they can pretend the strings are laser beams and fine tune their spy skills.
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| (photo courtesy of Chasing Fireflys) |
This game has the same basic concept as soccer but you can alter the scoring system by making different colored goals worth different points. The possibilities are endless and will keep the kids entertained for hours. You can make the goals by cutting hula hoops in half and sticking each end into the ground.
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| (photo courtesy of The Mom Bot) |
Bowling is always a hit with children and a DIY bowling alley is such a simple, creative remedy to those lazy summer days.
A little spray paint can go a long way if you use it to make an outdoor Twister mat like this. The good thing about this game is you can make it as easy or challenging as your kids want depending on how many circles there are and how far they are spaced. Don't feel obligated to make the original rectangle shape of the mat either. Try a circular, triangular, or any other shape outline that you want to see which is most fun.
