My Greatest Treasures

We got off to a pretty slow start with our summer plan this year.  I had high hopes for a less structured weekly plan than last year, but I found that without the structure, we never got around to actually doing our plan.  So, after nearly three weeks of summer gone, the boys and I sat down and revamped our plan.  Last year, we gave each day of the week a name, representing a theme that we would focus on for that day: My Craft Monday, Tastee Tuesday, Wet Wednesday, Thinking Thursday and Field Trip Friday.  Chad had asked if he could help create the names of our days for this summer, and together, this is what we came up with: Make-It Monday (make a craft or treat together), Take-A-Trip Tuesday (go on a field trip somewhere), Wet Wednesday (sprinklers, Slip-n-Slide, water park or something WET!), Thinking Thursday (read-a-thons, visit the library, science experimenting), Friend Friday (have a friend over to play).  

 

Monday, Tyler had a birthday party during our craft time, but Chad and I created a rain stick.  We used a wrapping paper tube and accordion folded strips of cardstock and placed them inside the tube (to slow the drop of the "rain").  We covered one end with construction paper and decorated the outside.  Then, we filled it with dry, split peas and rice, and covered the other end with paper.  When you turn it, the rice and peas drop to the other end, being slowed by the papers inside, and it sounds like it is raining.  These were really fun, and simple.  

Our trip this Tuesday wasn't much, just a trip to a different park for lunch than we normally go to (mostly because mom needed to run errands south of town so that made a good excuse).  We'll have to try a little harder next week. 

Of course there was water on Wet Wednesday, but we also had to try out these bubble snakes I've been seeing all over Pinterest.  I figured it fit best on a day when we would already be outside and getting wet. 

They had fun with them, but a word of caution for the younger ones-Tyler kept forgetting to take his mouth off the bottle before taking a breath, so he kept getting large gulps of bubbles down his throat.  Not fun.  He finally gave up and decided that mom should blow the bubbles and he'd just watch.  But overall, still a fun activity.  (Just go to Pinterest and search "bubble snake" and you'll find the "how to" on these.) 

So, last summer, Thinking Thursday was the least favorite day for my boys, but since we added in some science experimenting, the boys jumped on it.  I intend to throw together a few read-a-thons throughout the summer, but this week, we made Ooblek (about a 2:1 ratio of cornstarch and water).  Seriously, this stuff was so fun for my boys!  They played for a good hour.  If you haven't played with this before, it acts as a solid when you try to move it or mold it, but at rest, it is a liquid.  Every house the boys build built would instantly melt.  And, it is a super easy clean up.  

And since it's Friday, I guess were in for a day of friends (probably my least favorite day).  Have a great weekend!