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?

• You must have a blog to enter. Don’t have a blog? Well, now is the time to get one!
• Copy the code below to add our “50 Days” button to your blog. Your button may be in your header or sidebar of your blog, but it must be there and must stay up for the duration of the contest.
• Write a post, advertising this awesome giveaway we’re having, and link back to this post. The more, the merrier!
• 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!

Here’s the code. Just copy everything inside this box and paste it into the appropriate location on your weblog:

<div style="font: bold 12px Arial, Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center">
<a href="http://www.wonderbrains.com/weblog/tag/50-days" mce_href="http://www.wonderbrains.com/weblog/tag/50-days"><img border="0" src="http://www.wonderbrains.com/weblog/images/sm50daysbutton.gif" mce_src="http://www.wonderbrains.com/weblog/images/sm50daysbutton.gif" alt="50 Days of Summer" /></a><br />
Join <a href="http://www.wonderbrains.com" mce_href="http://www.wonderbrains.com">WonderBrains</a><br />
for <a href="http://www.wonderbrains.com/weblog/tag/50-days" mce_href="http://www.wonderbrains.com/weblog/tag/50-days">50 Days of Summer</a>!<br />
</div>

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!

Here’s to another week of fun stuff for you and your family!  We hope this week’s slate of activities inspire your own creativity and ideas…enjoy!

MONDAY: It is blazing hot here in the South (and pretty much everywhere else in the Northern Hemisphere), so let’s make some homemade popsicles!  Use paper cups for the popsicle part, and fill them about 2/3 full with your favorite juice - orange juice works really well, and kids even get into simply freezing water as well.  Cover each cup with foil, and stick a popsicle stick in it (if you don’t have popsicle sticks, you can use plastic spoons, but slip them through the foil from the bottom first before putting them in the cup!).  Set them in the freezer for a few hours to harden, then peel off the paper cups for a yummy summer snack!  Want something a bit different?  Mix up some Jell-0 and freeze it for popsicles!  You can add chopped fruit as well for a bit of nutrition!

TUESDAY: It’s Bubble Day!  We’re going out on the back patio to blow some bubbles.  And, we’re making our own solution!  Here’s my favorite bubble recipe:  3 parts Dawn liquid dishwashing detergent, 2 parts corn syrup (yes, corn syrup!), 16 parts water.  Using this recipe, you can make enough for a small container or plenty to fill a small plastic wading pool!  And yes, I’ve done that!  The key is to make this solution ahead of time and let it sit overnight for the best bubbles.  Find all sorts of objects for your bubble-blowing.  Our favorites include strainers, coat hangers (plastic work best), funnels, and even a small, plastic harmonica!  When we filled the wading pool with solution, we used a hula hoop to create MASSIVE bubbles.  You can even place a child in the middle and pull the hula hoop over them to create a kid in a bubble!  Older kids LOVE this, too!

WEDNESDAY:  Don’t forget to visit your local library today!  We’re going to take our favorite book today and make a movie of it.  My kids LOVE using my digital camera to make movies.  Or, simply film your child reading or retelling their favorite.  Once they get the chance to watch themselves, they’ll want to do it again and again!  Can they tell the story in a funny voice?  Want to dress up in costume?  Invite some friends to help out as well.

THURSDAY: Time to do some exploring outdoors!  Today, we’re going on a nature hunt in our own yard.  We’re finding interesting leaves and other objects that are good for making rubbings.  I’m also including coins and a couple of shape cut-outs I have from my scrapbooking stuff.  Then, we’re going to make rubbings of our objects.  Simply place the objects flat on a table, place a piece of paper over it, then rub the side of a crayon across the paper to create a rubbing of the objects!  Experiment with different sides of leaves to find out which “side” makes the best rubbing!

FRIDAY: We’re going to the zoo today!  My kids love the zoo, even in the heat.  No zoo close to your house?  Why not visit a pet store instead?  Or, call your local animal shelter or humane society and find out if they have a special visitation time.  Get out and visit our furry (and scaly) friends!

Are you ready for another fun-filled week of summer fun?  Check out these activities sure to make your kids (and you) smile!

MONDAY: Our boys have been BEGGING us to take them camping, but the cost of gas keeps us close to home (as does the heat).  So today, we’re backyard camping!  Our tent is an easy one to set up, but even if you don’t have a tent, rig one up in the yard for the kids: either hang a sheet or quilt between a couple of chairs or use a clothesline to drape a large sheet for your tent.  We’re making “binoculars” today as well for our campout: take two toilet paper rolls (empty, please!) and tape them together with duct tape.  You can use paper towel rolls as well (cut in half or leave them long!).  For lunch, we’re cooking weenies and slicing some watermelon, too.  And, if it is simply too hot, too wet or just not a great outdoor camp day, move it indoors.  You’d be amazed how a simple tent can keep kids busy for hours!

TUESDAY: Time to get those kids in the kitchen for a bit of cooking!  Today, my kids are making chocolate no-bake cookies.  Our reasoning is two-fold today: 1) I adore anything with powdered sugar and 2) we have to take a dessert to a cub scout picnic this weekend, so guess who is preparing that for us?  These are so simple and easy to make.  Take a box of Nilla Wafers and crush them.  The easiest way is either with a blender or a food processor; you just want to make it a fine powder.  In a large bowl, combine the Nilla wafers, a small can of frozen orange juice concentrate (thawed) a box of powdered sugar and a stick of melted butter.  It will be a thick goopy mess when it is thoroughly stirred.  I let my bowl sit for about 30 minutes before doing the second part, just to give it some time to firm up.  When you are ready to make the orange balls, pour some powdered sugar into a small bowl.  Roll the orange ball dough into small, bite-size balls, then roll them in the powdered sugar.  Set them on waxed paper to “dry”.  My boys will sit forever and roll orange balls for me; I find it interesting, though, that my recipe doesn’t make NEARLY as many as I assumed it would!  And, be ready to clean up some powdered sugar. 

WEDNESDAY:  Book day!  Today, we’re heading to the library to exchange our books.  In addition to this, we’re going to start on our summer book-making project.  This is a project we do each summer.  This is great for trips, outings, special times with friends, or just a day when you’re looking for something interesting to do!  I get each of my boys a disposable camera.  Then they spend the day taking pictures of whatever they want: things around the house, each other, friends, sights around town, special places on a trip.  The pictures do not have to be taken in one day, but my boys rarely leave a picture left in the camera after a couple of hours!  This is all we’re doing on this project for this week (check back each week to see how we make our books).

THURSDAY: Its water day!  My boys have been on each other’s nerves these past few weeks, so it is time to break the monotony.  I’m issuing them each a mister/squirt bottle.  I keep a couple on hand for my plants anyway, so for today, the kids get them.  As we fill the bottles, I’m taking the water from a pitcher instead of directly from the sink and telling the boys that this is “special” water.  It is GIGGLE JUICE.  The only way that giggle juice will affect you is if it lands on you.  Then, off we go into the back yard.  This is great with my little guy because he absolutely melts in fear when he sees his big brother’s water guns come out, but put a mister in each boy’s hand and the kid is a maniac.  “Shooting” at point-blank range is harmless with a mister, and it sure feels good on a hot summer day!

FRIDAY: Time for an outing!  It is beyond hot here, so this will be an early-morning activity for us (which works well with children who believe they MUST get up before the sun does each morning).  Take a walk around the block, ride a bike, trek through a field - whatever is around you.  Find a new path to follow and a different way home.  Get your children up, out and moving today.  And on your way, you just might find something new to share with each other.

That’s it for this week!  Check back next Monday for Week 3!

Get ready to have some fun over the next ten weeks!  Each week, there will be five activities, one per weekday, that you can do at home with your kids.  Adapt them to their age and ability levels, and do not feel like Monday’s activity has to be done on Monday…make it work for your schedule!

Ready?  Here we go!

MONDAY:  Its a Kickoff the Summer Party Day!  Our summer schedules haven’t gotten quite as busy as they will yet, so we’re taking today to celebrate summer.  Each summer, I have my kids decorate a t-shirt on this day.  You can go all-out and tie dye or simply throw out the markers and let your kids go nuts.  Either way, we use a cheap undershirt, and this shirt becomes our “theme shirt” for the summer.  We may use it for craft projects that might get a tad too icky or as a cover-up after swimming.  The sky is the limit with this one!  In addition to the t-shirt decorating, we bring out the bowls, spoons and a bit of ice cream for a celebratory toast to the beginning of summer.  One year, we made root beer floats, and if you don’t want to use soda, try vanilla ice cream and grape kool-aid…it is AWESOME together!

TUESDAY: I try to incorporate at least one kitchen activity into each week.  Not only do I think kids should be in the kitchen early to learn to cook, but there are so many other lessons that stem from cooking - measuring and following directions to name a couple.  Today, we’re boiling spaghetti, ziti and elbow macaroni.  We are actually having spaghetti tonight for dinner; the ziti and elbow macaroni are simply left over from other meals, and so we’re cooking them up as well.  Once the noodles are done, we’re going to COLOR them (not the spaghetti we’re going to eat, although that would be fun - weird, but fun - too).  Place some cooked pasta in a ziplock bag and add a few drops of food coloring and a bit of vinegar.  Squish the pasta until the desired richness of the color is achieved.  Want green?  Mix blue and yellow.  Need some purple?  Try red and blue food coloring.  What a great way to work on primary and secondary colors!  Once the pasta is all dyed, use it to create an amazing art piece.  Glue the pasta down on construction paper or cardboard.  Let it set overnight to dry, and you have a unique masterpiece sure to leave your tummy rumbling!

WEDNESDAY:  Ta da!  Every Wednesday at our house is library day, and the first one is a biggie.  Today is the day we sign up for the Summer Reading Program at our local library.  We participate every year, so it is a BIG EVENT for us to go over there each summer.  I let the kids check out their own books with their own cards, and we begin our summer reading together.  Another alternative would be to start a book swap with friends.  Trade books with friends for the week, which is essentially like going to the library but could be with the dude next door.  Regardless of how you decide to approach this, make one day a week a dedicated “book day”.  We’ll do activities all summer that involve this day.

THURSDAY:  It is hot here, so we’re making Thursdays our water play days!  Granted, if it is raining on Thursday (which would be monumental, since my home is in a drought area), we’ll move this activity to another day, but for the sake of the schedule, I’m putting it here.  Today, we’re painting fences.  Give kids a huge bucket of water and a large paintbrush or roller.  Then, let them have at it on the fence, the sidewalk, the side of the garage - wherever your child wants to paint!  Since it is only water, it will not harm anything, and kids love to see how much area they can cover before it all evaporates!  Are the kids getting hot?  Let them paint each other!  Why not?

FRIDAY:  Today we’re having GAME DAY.  And, I’m letting them choose.  There is a rule, though, that must be followed; they have to choose a game they have either never played or haven’t played in the past 4 - 6 months.  While my kids love games, they love the same games over and over and over.  And, quite frankly, there’s only so much “Star Wars Monopoly” and “Uno” a mom should be made to play in a year.  So, we’re dusting off the boxes and finding one we haven’t seen in a while.  Video games and “solo games” are not allowed…it is a group activity.  Games are a great way to bond with your child and spend quality time with him or her.  Lacking in the game area?  Make one of your own, from a simple handmade board game to a matching game with a preschooler!

That’s it for this week!  Check back next Monday for Week 2!

It happened this morning - those fateful, yet expected, words from my almost 9 year old’s mouth, “I’M BORED!”  The fact that we survived two days into summer vacation before we hit this point is quite amazing actually.  I halfway expected to hear the mantra when he stepped off the bus for the last time last week.  However, no amount of toys in the playroom, books on the bookshelf and television is enough to keep out the summer doldrums around here.

So, this whole scenario today is my inspiration for the summer.  Last year, I created a list of activities for my boys and I to do - one each weekday for ten weeks.  Fifty days of something different, something fun, something messy, something educational (without seeming educational!).  This year, I will do the same, and you get to be a part of it!

Check in here every Monday for a list of fun activities to try with your own children each day.  Some of the activities might be too “young” or “old” for your child, some might not be feasible for where you live, but all of them will inspire your own creativity to branch out a little each day with your child and find something fun to do together.  Even if you only have twenty minutes in the evenings, there’s going to be something you can try with your child.

Expand your child’s experiences this summer.  Try something new (or something old!).  Dare to beat those summer boredom blues.  Join us for FIFTY DAYS OF SUMMER FUN!