
Great news! We’ve just published our 101 Things To Do This Summer list
(yes – the entire 101 list!). Our 101 Things list is chock-full of
educational ideas to keep your children’s minds and bodies busy this
summer – and it’s a really fun resource.
And guess what? This year’s list actually has 103
items – not 101! That’s because we asked our members and
Facebook
followers to suggest additions to the list. Then we chose the most
novel/most popular suggestions.
Many of the 103 Things are suitable for kids to
complete on their own, some require parental permission, and others can
be completed together as a family. Kids can choose any activities they
are interested in and complete them in any order they’d like. The list
includes checkboxes so your kids can check them off as they complete
them.
Something else that’s great? This year’s 101
Things To Do This Summer list is featured in Rebecca Kochenderfer’s
book,
The Summertime Survival Guide for Parents: How to Create a Summer
of Wonder, Discovery and Fun!
_______________________________________
Homeschool.com’s 101/103 Things To Do This Summer
list is sponsored by
Time4Learning. Whether you use
their program for summer skill-building, to prevent backsliding or to
get ahead for next year, the Time4Learning online education program
offers your kids a productive outlet to stimulate their creativity and
promote mental exercise into the summer months.
_______________________________________
Now, onto the 103!
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1. Make your own list—what do you want to do this summer?
Go camping? Swim weekly? Now share your list with your parents. This
list is great, but your list might be even better!
http://www.homeschool.com/Printables/PDFs/Summer_Goals_Handout.pdf |
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2. Its summer, so learn about the sun!http://www.lawrencehallofscience.org/do_science_now/science_apps_and_activities/diy_sun_science
(This is a free app.) |
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3. With your parent’s permission, redecorate and rearrange
your bedroom! You can purchase a gallon of Oops paint for a few
dollars at your local paint/hardware store. |
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4. Now, make a bandana pillow (or two!) for your new room.
This is an easy, no-sew activity.
http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Pillow-Out-of-a-Bandana
https://acraftymix.com/blog/2016/02/02/make-a-bandana-heart/ |
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5. Have a cannonball competition with your friends. Read
the following link and you just might win!
http://www.popularmechanics.com/outdoors/sports/physics/physics-of-cannonball-splash |
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6. Lie outside at night and watch the sky for shooting
stars. Find out why shooting stars aren’t really stars at all.
http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/questions/question12.htmll |
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7. While you’re out there, check out the moon! Learn about
the different phases of the moon. BTW – this summer you’ll be
able to see full moons on the following dates: June 9, July 9,
and August 7th.
http://earthsky.org/moon-phases/full-moon |
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8. Decorate your flip-flops. Be creative!
http://adornabelle.com/how-to-decorate-your-own-flip-flops |
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9. Carve a watermelon! There are great ideas in the link
below. Parental assistance may be necessary.
http://www.watermelon.org/Carvings |
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10. Use the fruit of the watermelon to make
Watermelon Ice. Doesn’t
it taste like summer? |
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11. Now, how about a little watermelon science?
https://homehearts.com/2014/08/19/summer-fun-activity-watermelon-science/ |
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12. You can make your own sidewalk chalk – then you can
make your driveway your canvas!!
http://www.pbs.org/parents/crafts-for-kids/homemade-sidewalk-chalk/
http://onelittleproject.com/sidewalk-chalk-ideas |
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13. Run through the sprinklers or participate in the fun
celebration of Slip-n-Slide! |
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14. On a hot afternoon, watch a musical (or two!).
Seven Brides for Seven
Brothers,
West Side Story
and
Fiddler on the Roof
might be of particular interest. |
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15. Get the 411 on cotton candy. There’s not nearly as much
sugar in cotton candy as you might think. (If you’re not familiar
with the 411 expression, google it.)
http://www.cottoncandy.net |
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16. Do something – anything you choose – to make you a
better you! |
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17. Blow bubbles with bubble gum. Have blowing contests
with your siblings and learn how to blow a double bubble!
http://candywarehouse.com/resources/how-to-blow-championship-bubblegum-bubbles/
http://www.answers.com/Q/How_do_you_blow_a_double_bubble
(can you find the typo on this page?) |
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18. What’s so special about the number nine? You can find
out here:
http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/math/the-magic-of-number-9-part-1 |
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19. Learn to hula hoop and discover the science behind it!
http://www.ehow.com/how_5824896_hula-hoop-beginners.html
http://people.howstuffworks.com/hula-hoop1.htm |
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20. Try a food you’ve never tasted before. Go on…take a
bite! |
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21. Learn about bats and build several bat houses.
http://www.batcon.org/why-bats/bats-are/bats-are-importanthttp://www.nwf.org/Garden-For-Wildlife/Cover/Build-a-Bat-House.aspx |
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22. Have a piñata party. First, make your own piñata.
For a wet twist, consider a water piñata.
https://www.thespruce.com/how-to-make-a-pinata-1252616
http://www.kidspot.com.au/things-to-do/activities/water-balloon-
pinata |
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23. Read one book—or more—a week! Choose topics that really
interest you. |
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24. Discover what it takes to swim like a champion.
http://popularmechanics.com/outdoors/sports/physics/how-to-swim-like-a-champion-according-to-science-10152645 |
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25. Master a cartwheel and learn the physics of tumbling.
https://m.curiosity.com/videos/the-physics-of-a-cartwheel-physics-calculus-lessons-ehoweducation
http://www.unc.edu/~lkessler/ |

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26. Make a kaleidoscope!
http://www.pbs.org/parents/crafts-for-kids/diy-kaleidoscopes/
|
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27. Spend one afternoon of quality time with each
individual in your family. Go exploring with your sister, play a
game with your brother and hang out with your dad. |
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28. Interview your grandparents—they’re interesting people!
Find out what toys they played with when they were young, what
their parents (your great-grandparents) were like, what clothes
they wore and more. Make sure you record the interview.
http://genealogy.about.com/cs/oralhistory/a/interview.htm |
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29. Do something especially nice for Father’s Day (Sunday,
June 18th). Show your Dad how much he means to you. |
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30. Have a S’mores party! If you can’t roast the
marshmallows over a ?re, make Broiler S’mores. Better yet, make
Solar S’mores! Be sure to get permission first.
http://marinmamacooks.com/2012/07/no-campfire-smores
https://www.stevespanglerscience.com/lab/experiments/solar-oven |
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31. Make a nail polish masterpiece (it’s cool and unique)!
http://carlasonheim.com/marbling-with-nail-polish
|
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32. Discover the 11 Rule of Multiplication and practice it
until you can do it in your head!
http://www.mathblaster.com/coolmath/articles/the-11-multiplication-rule |
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33. If you’re being homeschooled through the summer, give
it your all! |
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34. Go camping – even if it’s in your backyard! If you
happen to have a trampoline, trampolines make great sleeping
surfaces! |
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35. Go geocaching!
https://www.geocaching.com/blog/2014/04/5-tricks-of-the-trade-for-geocaching-with-kids/ |
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36. Tour a college campus. There are pros and cons to
touring during the summer months and you can read some of these
at the following link:
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/62655-college-tours-summer.html! |
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37. Buy several pairs of inexpensive sunglasses and
decorate them. Make them as wild as you want!
http://www.bhg.com/crafts/kids/outdoor-projects/kids-summer-sunglasses/ |
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38. Learn about compound interest and start a savings
account. Check out the link below. It’s pretty amazing.
What Happens When You
Double a Penny Every Day for 30 Days! |
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39. Visit a lighthouse. You don’t have to be on the ocean
to do so. There are 680 lighthouses in the United States!
https://www.us-lighthouses.com/all.php |
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40. Learn about bees and discover why they’re so important
to our environment. Also, learn how you can protect them.
http://www.onegreenplanet.org/animalsandnature/why-bees-are-important-to-our-planet/
https://www.mnn.com/family/family-activities/stories/5-ways-to-help-children-help-bees |
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41. Make flower cupcakes. Yum!
http://www.susanevans.org/blog/flower-cupcakes |
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42. Learn to skip stones. There’s a science behind it!
http://www.wikihow.com/Skip-Rocks
http://discovermagazine.com/2003/aug/featscienceof |
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43. Check out these fun water games!
http://parentingteens.about.com/od/games/a/watergames.htm
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44. Go the entire day without electronics. Go on; you can
do it! |
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45. Even better, try the No Impact Week Challenge.
http://noimpactproject.org/experiment
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46. Choose a day—or two—and perform random acts of
kindness. See how others respond. Browse Kindness Ideas and
share your stories.
http://www.randomactsofkindness.org |
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47. Make your own rainbow. All you need is a garden hose!
http://askabiologist.asu.edu/recipe-rainbows
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48. Find out how to take a good photograph. There’s more to
it than pointing and clicking.
http://clickitupanotch.com/2012/07/photography-for-kids |
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49. Eat some butterflies. Yes, you read that correctly!
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/311663236684008059
https://www.pinterest.com/MyButterflyLady/edible-butterflies-and-caterpillars/
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50. Swing on a tire swing or a rope swing. Don’t have one? That’s an easy fix!
http://www.ehow.com/how_2085185_tire-swing.html
http://www.ehow.com/how_2105748_make-rope- swing.html
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51. Make friendship bracelets for all of your friends—and
your siblings, too!!
https://www.verywell.com/summer-crafts-for-kids-easy-friendship-bracelets-620020 |
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52. Attend your sibling’s game and really root for him or
her |
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53. The number 1089 is the centerpiece of a curious
mathematical trick. Google it and impress others with your
knowledge! |
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54. Go somewhere fun with your family – enjoy togetherness! |
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55. Try floating down a river on inner tubes. Tubing is a
blast! |
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56. While on your family adventure, gather everything
you’ll need to make a Summer Memory Jar or a Summer Travel
Chain.
https://homehearts.com/2013/07/17/summer-fun-activity-summer-memory-jar
https://www.homeschool.com/Top10/top10traveltips.asp |
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57. Visit a museum – in your
area, or while traveling. There are museums for all types of
interests, such as science museums (where you can do loads of
hands-on activities and experiments), history museums, art
museums and even children’s museums. Check this website to find
out what types are available in your area:
http://www.museumsusa.org/museums/ |
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58. Slide down a hill! You can choose a piece of cardboard,
a block of ice, or an old skateboard deck. You’ll need parental
permission—and don’t forget to wear your safety gear.
http://www.beafunmum.com/2015/02/grass-sledding
http://www.mnn.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/stories/no-snow-sled-try-ice-blocking
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grass_surfing |
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59. Make a new friend. Reach out to someone who has just
moved into your neighborhood or to someone who doesn’t have many
friends. This person might end up being your best friend. |
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60. Think about what you want to
be when you grow up and find out what type of education is
required. Go online and determine the demand for the field and
the starting salary. Some adults do what they love regardless of
the compensation; others go into a field because of the pay. Both
http://www.careeronestop.org
and
http://www.learnhowtobecome.org
are great places to start. |
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61. Make and fly a variety of paper airplanes. Learn the
science behind it.
http://www.diynetwork.com/made-and-remade/learn-it/5-basic-paper-airplanes
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/bring-science-home-paper-planes-drag |
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62. Similarly, you can make and ?y a kite (or several
kites). There are 19 kite possibilities
at http://www.howtomakeand?ykites.com. Learn about lift,
drag, and gravity at
http://www.gombergkites.com/nkm/why.html |
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63. Find out how hot air balloons work. Depending on where
you live, you might be able to go on one or at least watch one
take flight. Did you know they make quite a bit of noise?
http://www.howstuffworks.com/transport/flight/modern/hot-air-balloon.htm |
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64. You can make your own art supplies (with parental
permission). Below are links for making playdough and water
colors.
www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-Playdough-Play-doh
http://happyhooligans.ca/homemade-watercolour-paints |
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65. Engage in educational and fun variations of hopscotch.
http://guiltfreehomeschooling.org/?p=944
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66. Bake cookies on the dashboard of your parent’s car
(with their permission, of course)! Learn now/why this works.
http://www.instructables.com/id/dashboard-baking |
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67. Compete in a
sack or wheelbarrow race. |
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68. Figure out new and fun uses for pool noodles.
http://quiverfullofblessings.com/2012/05/22/10-fun-uses-for-pool-noodles
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69. Or make a Tic-Tac-Towel
http://www.marthastewart.com/273719/tic-tac-towel
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70. How about building a sandcastle!
http://www.ehow.com/how_7470_ build-sand-castle.html
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71. Learn and tell summer jokes.
http://www.bestfamilyadvice.com/summer-jokes-for-kids.html
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72. Decorate your bike… spruce it up… and ride with
friends.
http://www.artistshelpingchildren.org/howtodecoratebikebicyclescraftskids.html |
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73. Find a mentor. Want to learn a specific skill? See if
someone in the community can be your mentor. This can be a
family member, family friend or someone you don’t even know yet. |
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74. Be a mentor! |
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75. Master a few jump rope tricks. Find jump rope videos on
the internet to give you inspiration. It’s amazing what people
can do with a jump rope! |

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76. Have an old-fashioned weenie roast and make your own
mustard. There are over 100 recipes for mustard at the following
link:
http://www.melborponsti.com/inxmtd.html |
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77. Understand the physics behind roller coasters. They
aren’t as dangerous as they seem!
http://www.learner.org/exhibits/parkphysics |
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78. Barter your services. Want to ride a horse? Offer to
clean out stalls in return for riding time. Want to take guitar
lessons? Offer to mow the instructor’s lawn in return for
lessons. Get your parent’s permission and then make sure you
follow through on your end. |
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79. Play hide and go seek—in the dark! Turn off all the
lights in the house… and play for hours. Warning: this can get
a bit raucous. Parental permission is required. |
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80. Visit an educational and fun farm. Can’t make it to a
farm? Visit a
virtual farm. |
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81. Recycle something old into something new. Here is an
example –
http://www.homeschool.com/blog/index.php/2013/08/back-to-homeschool-my-most-favorite-crafts-project-ever/.
For a project like this, you may need parental help. What
projects can you think of? Think big and ask for assistance if
necessary. |
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82. Make bubble solution—but first, learn the optimum
conditions for making bubbles.
http://www.bubblemania.com/faq/solution.html |
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83. Designate theme days. Blue Day, Backward Day and Funny
Hair Day are just a few ideas but the options are endless! |
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84. Understand the science behind fireworks.
http://www.howstuffworks.com/innovation/everyday-innovations/fireworks.htm
|
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85. Read
The Little Prince.
This is a phenomenal piece of literature with multiple layers,
and it’s a short read. Discover why it has been translated into
more than 180 languages and why it has sold more than 80 million
copies. 80 million! |
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86. Learn how to whistle with two fingers.
http://www.wikihow.com/Whistle-With-Your-Fingers
|
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87. Discover the physics behind skateboarding.
http://www.real-world-physics-problems.com/physics-of-skateboarding.html
|
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88. Make up with someone. Go ahead—end the feud! |
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89. Spoil your pet for a day. Give your dog a bath, play
ball with him and take him for a walk. You can also cuddle your
cat, pet your hamster or talk to your bird. Spoil your pet
several times over the summer. Turn it into a habit! |
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90. Find recipes that use pink lemonade as an ingredient.
Here are a couple to get you started:
https://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/pink-lemonade-cupcakes/f2b726de-4fd1-4ace-a8b0-3a0cf769d02a
https://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/pink-lemonade-thins/62a94dd7-56bb-4025-a177-468247e9e24b |
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91. Discover why a lightning bug (or firefly) is neither a
bug nor a fly.
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/bugs/firefly/ |
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92. Have a Silly String fight, a water balloon fight or a
pillow fight. Have some raucous fun! Make sure to get permission
first. |
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93. Have a neighborhood outdoor game day. Revisit 4-square;
Red Rover, Red Rover; Duck, Duck, Goose; and Mother May I. Or
better yet, learn some new games!
http://redtri.com/old-school-yard-games/
|
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94. Play badminton. It’s a fun game. Compare it to
ping-pong and tennis. Just because you’re good at one doesn’t
mean you’re good at another. Google and find out why that’s the case. |
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95. Attend a first aid class or take a
free class online.
You never know when this knowledge will come in handy.
|
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96. Plant a garden. Think fall pumpkins! |
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97. You might want to build bird feeders and bird baths, as
well as butterfly and ladybug feeders. Ask your parents what
they’d like to attract to the garden and build accordingly.
http://www.naturallivingideas.com/14-diy-butterfly-feeders/
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/how-to-make-a-ladybug-feeder-attract-
them-to-your-garden-169681 |
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98. Make a hammock and lounge a bit!
http://www.ehow.com/how_2180458_improvise-a-hammock.html
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99. Build a fort. You can make one out of blankets for
your living room or with wood and braces for a tree. If
actual construction is involved, you will need an adult to
help/supervise. Depending on where you live, you may even need a
building permit or approval from a Homeowner’s Association. In
any case, think how much fun it will be! |
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100. YOU decided! That’s right,
we asked and you listened! We were looking fun/super ideas to
add to our list this year, and you responded. Thanks to Heather,
a subscriber to
our Facebook group,
we’re adding living forts to our list. What’s a living
fort? Check out this link for some general info:
https://theherbalacademy.com/plant-a-magical-living-fort-for-kids/
and if you’d like to build one with sunflowers growing on the
outside, you can check out this link:
https://www.nwf.org/kids/family-fun/outdoor-activities/grow-a-sunflower-playhouse.aspx |
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101. Another great
idea….new this year….suggested by
Homeschool.com member Tamaran – make gummy bear popsicles!
And FYI – you can turn this into a science experiment at the same
time!https://www.diy-queen.com/2013/02/gummy-bear-popsicles
https://www.homeschool.com/blog/index.php/2014/04/homeschool-science-gummy-bear-osmosis |
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102. Conjure up some homemade ice cream and celebrate the
fact that you’re one summer older!
https://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/recipe-collections-favorites/desserts/homemade-ice-cream-recipes |
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103. Last but not least… get ready for homeschool to
resume. Summer is GREAT but so is the fall! |



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