Fun & Frugal Summer Activites for Kids #32 Start a Family Read Aloud

There are so many great books out there!  Summer time is a great time to kick back, relax and start a family book together.

The Sower Series are wonderful biographies that we have really enjoyed.  We actually just started the one on Abigail Adams , and we are already hooked!

The Jungle Doctor is another great series about, you guessed it a jungle doctor {smile}.

Little House on the Prairie and Anne of Green Gables are also really good choices.  

Have you checked out The Lamplighter Series?  You can't go wrong with these.  We have Three Weavers, Hedge of Thorns, Mary Jones and Her Bible and Stepping Heavenward.

You could simply pick something your child/children are interested in and do a search at the library.  

I highly encourage you to read aloud with your children.  Even your big kids will love to snuggle up next to you on the couch for a read a loud!  

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Weekly Wrap Up {The Week We Started Paths of Settlement}

This week was our second week back to school.  Last week we just eased back into math and language arts type stuff.  This week we started Trail Guide to Learning Paths of Settlement {POS}.

I haven't mentioned it yet, but we are continuing with Trail Guide to Learning this year, which I am SUPER excited about!  We will be learning about some of the great men and women that helped make this nation great, the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, as well as studying the states.

These past two weeks have gone pretty well.  We've been on vacation since Memorial Day, so it had taken the past two weeks to really get back into a routine.  I was really glad the Lord led me to ease back into school verses doing everything on day one.

This is also the first year that I am schooling all four kids, so that was a little bit of an adjustment for me. Little Bits has always done things with us, but now it is for real. {smile}  The girls are pretty independent with a lot of things, so that helps.

This past week with POS we started reading several great books!  As family read alouds we are reading Abigail Adams: First Lady of Faith and Courage (Sower Series) and The Courage of Sarah Noble.  The girls are both reading Ambush in the Wilderness.  My middle school gal was also supposed to start Calico Captive this week, but someone forgot to order it.  It will be here next week. 

We all love the books!  Trail Guide to Learning offers a wonderful selection of books and has never disappointed us. 

We also started our study of the states.  I looks like we are studying two states per week.  This week we learned many important and intersting facts about Massachusetts and Connecticut.  The kids worked on state pages, map and also enjoyed cooking!  

Paths of Settlement encourages you try foods from the different states.  The girls made Scrumptious Beef & Potato Casserole for Connecticut and Boston Cream Pie for Massachusetts, both were delicious!  We have already come across lots of great recipes in Eat Your Way Through the USA, that is actually where our Boston Cream Pie recipe came from.  I decided that I am just going to incorporate recipes from the different states in my meal planning through the year, the goal is one recipe from each state.  My kids are REALLY excited about the cooking part of POS, especially my girls.  

For science, we have all become weather watchers. The kids each made a weather book, basically a front and back cover for the weather observation print outs from POS.  I even let my little guy make a book, his has blank pages to draw a picture for the weather each day {he loves to be big like his siblings}. We set up a rain gauge and outdoor thermometer to help us.  Just this past week we've learned a good deal about how to observe and predict the weather, and some cool facts about our atmosphere.  

All in all, it was a great week!  How was your week?

Be sure to visit Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers for more Weekly Wrap Ups!

          

Fun & Frugal Summer Activities for Kids #31 Homemade Body Paint {For Outside Play}

I recently stumbled across a recipe for Homemade Body Paint, which is meant to be used in the bath tub.  I got to thinking, wouldn't it be fun to let the kids paint themselves, and each other outside with the garden hose near by.  

Photo Source

Things You Need

• muffin tins or several small bowls
• a few cans shaving cream
• food coloring
• paint brushes

Directions

1. First, add some of the shaving cream into each muffin hole.
2. Add a few drops of food coloring on to each mound of shaving cream. 
3. Stir well.
4. Start painting! 

CAUTION:  I would not wear a nice new fancy bathing suit to do this, remember it's FOOD COLORING!

The idea is to have a great time OUTSIDE and then wash off OUTSIDE! 

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Fun & Frugal Summer Activities for Kids #30 Make Candy & Cream Freezer Pops

Here is a quick and easy treat, that also allows the kids to have a little fun in the kitchen.  Candy & Cream Freezer Pops are sure to have your kids saying "Mom, your the best!" or "Mom, you go relax, I'll do all the laundry today."  Ok, maybe I am getting carried away, a mom can dream, right? 

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Don't these little babies look yummy, Candy & Cream Freezer Pops are sure to be a hit!

Ingredients

{this recipe makes about 15 pops}

• 1/2 package sandwich cookies {about 12 to 14 cookies}, crushed
• 15 peanut butter cups, crushed
• 10 ounces M&M's {about 1 cup}, crushed
• 1/2 gallon vanilla or chocolate ice cream, slightly softened {Breyer's All Natural is my favorite}
• Fifteen 5-ounce paper cups - you know, Dixie cup size
• 15 Popsicle sticks

 Directions

1. You have two choices, you can either add a spoonful of the crushed cookies, PB cups and M&M's to have a mixture of flavors going on or you can just do one fixin' per cup.  So, fill your cups about 1/3 -1/2 way full of your goodies.  
2. Next, fill your cups almost to the top with your softened ice cream.  
3. Place a popsicle stick into each cup.  Place your cups on a platter or cookie sheet, then place into the freezer until the ice cream has re-frozen.
4. Once they are completely frozen, tear off the paper cup and ENJOY!  

There are sooo- many different variations that you could do with these. Here are a few more ideas:

• Banana, Strawberries and Chocolate Ice Cream
• Hot Fudge, a Cherry and Nuts in the Bottom with Vanilla Ice Cream
• Peaches and Vanilla Ice Cream
• Your Favorite Candy Bar with Complimenting Ice Cream Flavor  

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Fun & Frugal Summer Activities for Kids #29 Sprinkler Fun & Games!

The weather here has been HOT! HOT! HOT!  One way to get the kids to play outside for a little while is to say something like "Hey! Do you guys what to play in the sprinkler for a bit?"  Usually my kids are out the door in 3 minutes flat.  

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So, after the sprinkler gets boring, and they've already played with the hose on the slide it's time to pull out the "big guns."

The "big guns" would be Sprinkler Games! 

You can visit Savvy Mom for ideas like Water Colouring, Fill "Er Up and Musical Sprinkler/Freeze Dance.

Embrace Your Chaos share games like Simon Says, Water Limbo and Sneaky Sprinkler for your kids to enjoy.    

If you really want to get crazy, you could even make a DIY Kid Wash, like Totally Smitten did, in your yard.  You'll be guaranteed to have every kid in the neighborhood over to play! {he, he,he}

Do you all have any fun sprinkler games to add?  

 Click here to see more Fun & Frugal Summer Activities for Kids.

  Have Fun!