Okay, reading my last blog there are a few more I just have to add.
Gardening: The first that comes to mind is gardening. This is a great fun activity and it's not too late! Last year my daughter took her own money and bought her own plants. She dig up her own spot for her garden. When friends came over she showed them "her" garden.
This year I'm trying to have a good garden. I was thinking it would be fun to keep a notebook. Why not sketch out your plan and take pictures and sketches along the way. Even if you don't want to do a full "garden" a small spot for a few things doesn't take much effort. Sunflowers are great one for kids to grow as well as morning glories. For vegetables try cucumbers and pumpkins if you want easy results.
Learning abounds here and it can be rewarding for your kitchen too!
Canning and Preserving: Okay, this one can go along with gardening but you can pick your own at U-pick places (an event in itself) or just buy your produce. The very first and easiest to do is strawberry freezer jam. I have done the cooked strawberry jam and the freezer and we by far prefer the freezer method. What I love about this too is it can be done quickly (even with very little ones helping) and it doesn't heat up the kitchen.
We like to can a lot of jams. We usually do cherry (probably my favorite), blueberry and peach. We have our own raspberry patch but we love them and eat so much that I rarely get jam. Check this site for canning directions on jam. That site has directions, recipes and more and it's a pdf you can print if you like. If you're already a pro try some new recipes this year! Oh, and don't forget your kids can enter these in the fair!
Another really easy one to can (and use up) is tomatoes. Typically, I run out of my canned tomatoes by January so this year I've planted more in my garden as I'm determined to not run out so quickly next year. I usually just can them whole although this year I may do them more diced since I'm finding I end up sticking kitchen scissors in the jars and chopping before I use most of the time anyway. Here's again another nice booklet you can print with directions for tomatoes.
A lot of nothing: Our kids are so busy these days. Plan to not have plans for even weeks! You’d be surprised what the kids will come up with (especially with a little direction.) How about a sidewalk chalk art contest? Or you could make homemade bubbles and wands. Catch firefly’s! Stay up late, watch the stars and see if you can find any galaxies! Have a bike, “car wash”. Just give them time to create and play!
Enjoy your summer! | 
