Summer Fun 2013: So Far

Well, I feel like we've done a lot this summer, as we reach the halfway mark with the end of July.  But I look at our list and I see we haven't gotten very far, with several--like strawberry and blueberry picking--that we won't do at all.  Oh, well, that's part of summer, too.  And the kids will be home almost all of August.

1. Activity-kit-a day:  Make a snow globe
2. Activity-kit-a day:  Make your own birdhouse.
3. Activity-kit-a day:  spin art
4. Activity-kit-a day:  My first Chemistry set
5. Activity-kit-a day:  Magic Science kit
6. Activity-kit-a day:  Make a stepping stone
7. Activity-kit-a day:  Etch a tag engraver set
8. Activity-kit-a day:  Pottery kit
9. Activity-kit-a day:  Potato Clock
10. Activity-kit-a day:  Mandala maker
11. Activity-kit-a day:  Lava Volcano kit
12. Activity-kit-a day:  Disgusting Science kit
13. Activity-kit-a day:  tie-dye kit  We haven't done our kit, but we did tie dye at the family picnic and at camp.  Love to tie dye!
14. Activity-kit-a day:  Eco crafts kit
15. Activity-kit-a day:  Sound studio kit
16. Activity-kit-a day:  drawing kit
17. Activity-kit-a day:  light kit
18. Activity-kit-a day:  Sun prints kit
19. Activity-kit-a day:  friendship bracelets Sis has done some at camp, but we still have the kit.
20. Host a sleepover with friends.
21. Join swimming pool.  Well, more like we've been mooching off friends, like Mrs. S and Miss K!
22. Start Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.  Yep, started on June 30.  Finished July 1.  And now they're reading Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
23. Make ice cream in a roly ball.
24. Have a no-electricity day.
25. Have a backwards day.
26. Have a pajama day.
27. Paint like Jackson Pollock.
28. Help at historic house.  They helped prep for a program and even posed for publicity shots!  Then Sis helped out at the event.
29. Work on woven placemats on loom.  Does weaving potholders count??
30. Learn how to clean bathrooms.
31. Learn how to weed garden.  Well, Sis has, anyway.
32. Practice scooping litter boxes.
33. Play putt-putt golf.
34. Sort and donate books.  We gave 6 bags and boxes away to Read to Grow.  And that's just the kids' books.
35. Go strawberry picking.
36. Go blueberry picking.
37. Make jam.
38. Purge and donate toys in basement.  It's a process.  But we've started.
39. Visit Miss S.
40. Write to a pen pal.
41. Organize school papers.
42. Go see a movie in a theater.  With Gommie, Monsters U.
43. Go to one library event.
44. Make popsicles.
45. Have an astronomy night.
46. Have a lemonade stand.
47. Host a Luau/Hawaii party.
48. Build fairy houses.
49. Scrapbook.   
50. Make brandied fruit a la Bloodroot.  I started this before our summer, technically.  But we've added to it and also stirred it everyday.
51. Go on a sketching outing.  At Aunt Sis's!
52. Celebrate July 4th.  With fireworks and a crawfish boil!
53. Celebrate Solstice.  The kids celebrated Solstice on their last day of school by staying up as late as they could; they even put on a performance of Grease for us at 9 p.m.!
54. Celebrate Mama's birthday.  We ate rainbow cake and played a Lego game.
55. Make ice cube candles.
56. Host a culture night.
57. Make fudge.
58. Go to concert in the park.
59. Visit a new museum.
60. Hang pictures.
61. Make treats for animal shelter.

Bonus:  

• make soap
• go to a local festival
• do 1000 piece puzzle
• have a backyard weenie/s'mores roast  Well, sorta.  We had a playdate with a friend and hosted a hot-dog supper.  And we made s'mores at the family picnic.
• make a family songbook
• have a kids-in-charge day
• have a no-cooking day.  Otherwise known as, "pie for dinner" when it's too hot out.  We shared a small apple and a small cherry.
• have an all-outside day
• and did I mention go to Texas?!  Yep!

Go fishing.  At the bay!

Fly a kite.  With Gommie and Pop!

Learn a new game.  Gommie introduced them to Mah Jongg.
Make Gimp with plastic strings.  Also at camp, but we also have a book for making animals with the gimp strings.
Catch fireflies.  Yes, indeed.
Make suncatchers.  Sis painted a cat and a rainbow; Bud did a turtle and a sun.  I did a dolphin.