The dog days of summer are definitely here!  While the term, “dog days of summer”, actually stems from the position of the Dog Star, Sirius, during this time of year.  Sirius rises and falls with the sun right now, and the Ancient Egyptians thought that this action is what made this time of year so much hotter.  Whatever the reason, cooling off is on tap for this week!

MONDAY:  Nutritious and delicious, I’ve got a great smoothie recipe to share today!  My boys LOVE these smoothies.  If I could make them every day for them, it wouldn’t be enough!  They’re not overly sweet, and they’re full of calcium and vitamins (and, most importantly, they’re COLD!).  These are great for any age and so easy to make!  In a blender, combine a cup of milk (I use skim but any type milk will do), 1/2 cup of yogurt (we use either blueberry or strawberry lowfat yogurt…again, it is your choice as to flavor!), 1 ripe banana (cut into chunks) and four ice cubes.  Blend for about a minute or until smooth.  Pour into your favorite cup and enjoy!

TUESDAY:  It is really too hot to do much of anything outside in Texas these days, so we’re going to create Big Art today – inside!  I am using some old wrapping paper I have (it is actually my leftover Christmas paper from about three years ago) and cutting off long pieces of it.  Then, I’m letting my boys have at it!  Anything goes – markers, crayons, watercolor, construction paper collage – whatever you feel comfortable letting your kids use.  Spread out on the kitchen floor or another solid surface and create Big Art!  The large motions you make with your arms and hands when drawing are great for motor skill development at any level.  Or, to challenge older kids, have them create Big Art using only their FEET!  Have them grasp a marker/paintbrush/crayon in between their toes and create.  You’re sure to get some interesting results!

WEDNESDAY:  Think your kid’s got talent?  Let it shine!  Today is Talent Show Day at our house.  And, ANY talent goes!  I have one that is a total singer, so we’re breaking out his favorite songs on the CD player and sporting our favorite microphone – Mom’s whisk!  My other son is more of the comedian and instrumentalist…I see several entries from both of them.  Invite the neighborhood or just a friend or two – the more the merrier!  I’m going to be the video queen because, what good is showing off your talent if you can’t go back and watch yourself later?  And, don’t forget to check in at your local library today! 

THURSDAY:  Since we are, indeed, in the Dog Days of Summer, let’s gaze at some constellations this evening!  My boys were thrilled to get to stay up a bit later, and to sit and watch the stars come out, one by one.  Here is a great site for printing out a Star Chart (a map to the sky)…there are loads of other websites out there as well that offer great information for kids about constellations and the night sky.  If your kids are too young to stay up and stargaze, you can create your own constellations.  Using black construction paper, cut circles just a bit larger than the diameter of a flashlight.  Poke holes in the construction paper with a straight pin, then hold the circle up to the lighted end of a flashlight.  Turn out the lights (preferably in a dark room) and do your own stargazing – anytime of day!

FRIDAY:  Let’s cool off those piggies today!  If you have a small kiddie pool, this is great, or you can even use a large pan or bucket, as long as it is bigger than your child’s feet!  Put some water in the pool or other container, then drop in several ice cubes.  Now, it is time to go fish – feet first!  Have your kids use their feet to “catch” the ice cubes and pull them out!  Everyone stays cool, and the challenge is on to see who can catch the most cubes – you or the kids!

That’s it for this week!  If you have fun activities you’ve done with the kids this summer, leave us a comment and let us know!

We’re halfway through the summer!  The weather here is hot and sunny – not a cloud in the sky.  So, look for quite a few outdoor activities this week.  Join in a few, and be sure to submit suggestions of your own to add!

MONDAY:  Since it has been so hot here, my boys have been inside most of the time.  However, I do manage to get them out of doors for a little while each day.  Today, we’re going to cool off outside!  While my boys love squirt guns, I’m not that keen on them (there’s just something weird about my three year-old holding an Uzi-looking water gun…).  So, I invested in a couple of Dollar Store squirt bottles.  They hold TONS more water than a squirt gun and are just as effective!  Unscrew the nozzle for a more direct spray, or leave the nozzle almost closed for a mist effect!  If I’m lucky, they’ll also water the plants for me…

TUESDAY:  We’re putting a spin on Jell-o today.  My boys are making blue Jell-o today, but we’re going to add whipped topping to it after it sets for about 90 minutes.  The result is an amazing concoction we call “fluff”.  Add as much or as little whipped topping as you desire.  The more, the fluffier!  Use a hand mixer to combine until smooth.  It is the perfect summertime treat.  Not a fan of blue Jell-o?  Any flavor will do!  What a treat!

WEDNESDAY:  We definitely need to get out of the house, so after our stop at the library, we’re taking our bikes to the local park. We love to ride bikes and we love to go to the park so we’re combining them today! And if it is raining today where you are, how about sending some lovin’ through a little Monk-e-Mail today? My boys LOVE sending this to Daddy at work and the grandparents as well!

THURSDAY: Make your own beach activity today without even going to the beach!  Take a piece of heavy paper or cardboard and doodle on it with a bottle of glue…the more squiggly lines and swirls, the better!  Then, flip the creation over in the sandbox (if you don’t have a sandbox, sprinkle sand on top of it).  Viola!  Sand art!  When it dries, it makes a GREAT tactile creation for little ones!

FRIDAY:  Turn off the TV, put the car keys away for an evening, and have a Family Game Night!  Whether it be “Peek a Boo” with a baby, “I Spy” with a toddler, or your kids’ favorite board and card games, make tonight a night of games.  If you are tired of the same old games, pull out a deck of cards and learn a new card game (US Playing Card website has some great children’s card games).  Or combine the pieces from a few board games and create your own unique game. 

That’s it for this week!

Whew!  Last week was a whirlwind, but the summer heat is starting to get to us, and we’re looking for ways to cool off around here!  Let’s take a look at this week’s activities!

MONDAY:  Beat the heat with these chilly necklaces!  Take an ice cube tray and fill it halfway full with water and freeze.  Then, cut pieces of plastic straws to just fit inside the ice cube trays and drop one on each cube horizontally.  Fill the tray up with water and freeze again.  Take the cubes out, string them on a ribbon and now you have a frozen necklace!  These are great for playing outside in the yard and grabbing a bit of a cool treat in the process.

TUESDAY:  We posted a great popsicle recipe a couple of weeks ago, and since then I’ve found an awesome frozen yogurt pop recipe!  Mix low-fat vanilla yogurt with your favorite fruits: strawberries, melons, bananas, blueberries and cherries are great choices.  Blend everything together in a blender for about 30 seconds, then pour into paper cups.  Cover with foil and poke a popsicle stick through the top and into the cup.  If you do not have popsicle sticks, plastic spoons can be used; simply poke them through the top of the foil before covering the cup.  Freeze for at least four hours.  Peel off the paper cup and enjoy!

WEDNESDAY:  Book day!  Be sure to stop by your library or swap books with a friend.  While we are out at the library, we’re going to stop at our local bowling alley for a game or two.  Our bowling alley runs a special on Wednesday for school-aged kids – free shoe rental and dollar games!  It is air-conditioned and enclosed; what could be better?  No bowling alley near you?  Make your own!  Use empty water bottles and a small ball.  Set up your “lane” down a hallway and bowl a game or two today!

THURSDAY:  It has been dry and dusty here, and quite frankly, my car is taking a beating.  So, we’re declaring today “Pamper The Automobile” day!  We are getting out our sponges and buckets and soaping down the car this morning.  My guess is everyone is going to get a little bit wet, but that will be perfect in this heat!  After we’re done washing Old Bessie, we’re cleaning out the inside.  After all, we’re only halfway through the summer and the “stuff” is getting quite thick on the floorboards!  Time to pull out the old socks, the papers from Sunday School, the empty fruit snack packets and all the other “treasures” my children have stowed in the back seat. 

FRIDAY:  Homemade pizza time!  For this one, I always end up with an extra mouth or two around…tonight, my older child will be having a couple of friends stay the night, so this is perfect!  I’m not kitchen-worthy enough to create my own crust, so we use the Boboli brand crust in the deli department of our grocery store.  Making your own crust would be great, though.  If you would rather make individual pizzas, try using bagels for a different spin.  Spread some sauce on your crust, put on your favorite toppings and loads of cheese, pop in the oven for about 10 minutes (for premade crust) and then enjoy!  Want to try something different?  Use the Pillsbury dough crust, bake, top with cream cheese and fruit, and eat.  Or, try topping your crust with melted butter, sugar and cinnamon for a delicious dessert!

Would you like to shop on our site for free this summer? Here’s a great opportunity for you! Participate in our 50 Days of Summer and you’ll have a chance to win a gift certificate.

WonderBrains is hosting a contest in conjunction with our “50 Days Of Summer Fun” extravaganza on our weblog! One lucky winner will receive a $50 gift certificate to the WonderBrains store, to be awarded in August at the end of our “50 Days” journey. That’s $50 to use on gifts, back-to-school items, anything you want at the WonderBrains store! So, how can you enter?

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• Leave a comment on this post, letting us know you’re done. And that’s it!

Winner will be announced August 15th here on our weblog. Check back each week for ideas and activities to keep you and your kids having fun this summer, and be sure to share your own ideas with us here as well!

Happy Summer!

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Welcome to our Independence Day edition!  Fourth of July in the States will be celebrated this week, so we’re finding things around the house to get ready for it!  Join us!

MONDAY:  Time to decorate!  My kids are placing small flags along our driveway today, and we’ll have a few extra to share with our neighbors.  We are also making streamer holders for later in the week (see Friday).  We are covering empty paper towel rolls with construction paper, and we are taping several lengths of red, white and blue streamers to the inside of one end of the roll…viola!  A streamer holder!  My kids can decorate the rolls however they see fit.  We’re reusing our paper towel rolls, making something for an activity later on in the week, and spending some qualtiy time together – what could be better?

TUESDAY: We’re cooking today, getting ready for Friday’s celebration!  I’m putting my kids in charge of dessert, partly because they love to be in the kitchen with me and partly because I’ll be less likely to eat it all while I’m working on it with them around.  I’m doing something simple this year, simply for time’s sake.  I’m taking the pre-made roll of sugar cookie dough from the refrigerated section of my grocery store and rolling it out.  We’re cutting stars from our dough this year (I have about three different sized star cookie cutters).  Once we get the cookies baked and cooled, the kids are going to decorate them.  I am using premade frosting, although making your own would be nice (no time this year for me!), and we’re simply using sprinkles on those.  You can go all-out by using decorator bags and tips, different cutters, or even take it a bit further…why not teach your child how to make Great-Aunt Sally’s secret apple pie this year?  Or, how about making some cupcakes and decorating those?

WEDNESDAY: Strike up the band!  Yeah, yeah, I know I am asking for trouble, but what kid doesn’t like to make a bit of noise?  We’re making our own musical instruments today, from a shoe box guitar (rubber bands across an open shoe box), tin can drums and a plastic bottle pipe.  My older son loves to fill plastic bottles with varying amounts of water to get the different tones and then create his own melody.  Its fun, and it keeps him busy for a long, long time!

THURSDAY:  I scream, you scream – yes, its time for ICE CREAM!  We’re gearing up for the weekend by making our own ice cream sundaes today, complete with whipping cream, cherries, sprinkles and syrups.  Everyone gets to make his or her own.  Extra points to those that can create an object out of their sundae! 

FRIDAY:  Everyone loves a parade!  Find out if your community will host a parade today and be sure to join in!  If there isn’t a local parade, why not make your own?  Decorate wagons, bikes, scooters and trikes with balloons, streamers, flags and ribbons.  Invite the neighborhood kids to join in and have your own parade!  Be sure to use your streamer holders and wave them proudly!