We’re finally getting some pretty hot weather –almost wherever you are in the US. It’s a pleasant change from the deluge of rain Northern California has been having! Still, I don’t know about your kids, but mine are not big fans of the high heat or humidity. In fact, it kind of makes us all a little cranky (ok, not my husband he loves it). To top it all off, we don’t have air conditioning so I needed to figure out some alternative ways of keeping the family cool and happy as well.
If there’s anything in the world that will brighten up a preschooler’s day…. it’s crafts, painting, and water play. Water is seriously magical. All you need is a bucket of water, a pool, a water gun, a hose or a sprinkler to make your child and her friends happy and engaged. And if the kids are happy, we’re happy!
Rainbow Ice Cubes
This one is messy but super fun and easy. Fill ice cube trays with liquid watercolors and freeze them overnight. In the morning grab lots of paper or a huge sheet of fabric and put it on a table (no table? Lay it on grass or driveway), fill a bowl with the ice cubes and let the kids go. As the cubes melt the fabric gets covered in colors. This sensory play is great for kids and what’s more, they don’t just paint with the ice. They will stack it, make rainbows with it and hoard and stockpile the different colors. In the end you can hang up the sheet to dry and have a lovely place to hide behind.
Painting Ice Cubes
Sounds the same, I know but it’s another take and a great way to entertain small kids. Empty your ice cube maker into a large storage container and you have a cold sensory/art bin for the kids to use. Grab some washable liquid tempera paint and paint brushes and let your kids paint the ice. They will be entertained for a long time just sitting and painting and decorating. If the paint is thin enough, it will freeze as it hit the ice. If the paint is thick, it will drip and move in the water. Bottom line: it’s so fun I bet you’ll have to get in on the action!
Spritz Bottle and Water Gun Paintings
These are magic. Fill it with water and your kids can spray themselves, their siblings, and maybe even you if you’re lucky. But don’t stop there. Another fun way to use those water spritzers or water guns is to fill them with half water and half tempera paint. Take some large white paper and put it on the ground or tape it to your garage or a wall and have at it. Spray the paper with the paint–make an underwater painting or a forest or a beach. Or just an abstract, messy concoction and call it art.
Transformative COURSES & WORKSHOPS that make integrating peaceful living, health and wellness easy, fun and affordable.
Water Table
A great way to experience sensory play and still stay cool. There are endless ways to play with this. My son loved to build boats out of Legos and see which ones floated. You can make it partially water and another part sand. Your kids own beach to experience. Or grab some cooking utensils like a ladle and spoons, bowls, cups, and for sure the egg beater. Throw some pennies, beads, or pebbles in and let them scoop them up. There are so many variations on bead soup or a wishing well that can appear on a whim.
Alphabet Soup
Take a giant bucket or water table or kiddy pool and toss those plastic letters into the water. Let the kids scoop them up with spoons or smaller bowls. See if they can name the letters as they pull them out. You could even have them grab a certain amount and see if they can spell a word or spell the sound of a word!
Water Balloons
There are endless ways to use water balloons and nearly all of them are fun–other than perhaps a few tears when a sibling throws to hard and another. In addition to just tossing water balloons at each other though, I would fill a kiddie pool with them and place it between some targets. For instance, if you have a short basketball hoop; that’s perfect. Let the kids stand wherever they want based on age and size and let them rip. Ready, aim, and fire right into the basketball hoop. No basketball hoop? No problem. Get a big bucket or plastic rings you can put on the ground. Let’s face it, our toddlers are likely to just toss the balloons up and let ‘em splash at their feet. Anything goes.
Car Wash
If you are brave you can have your kids wash your car. If you’re smart you might just give them the buckets, water, sponges, and a hose but put them to work on their own plastic car. I recommend bathing suits for this one–for all of you, not just the kids!
Ice Cold Treats
After all their playing, the kids will surely need to cool off with a chilly treat. Make snack time hands-on with easy food-based activities and ideas! Foods like watermelon, cucumber, and popsicles are great choices. Not only are they refreshing, but they also contain a lot of water, which helps to keep your kids hydrated.
Create your own popsicles with fruit juice or even jello; use Kool Aid to make syrup to put over crushed ice for a do-it-yourself snow cone or stick with the art theme and decorate your own ice cream using natural food coloring, sprinkles, syrup, and colored sugar. Yum. encourage your kids to eat foods that will help them stay cool. Foods like watermelon, cucumber, and popsicles are great choices. Not only are they refreshing, but they also contain a lot of water, which helps to keep your kids hydrated.
Get Out and Have Some FUN!
So, don’t let the summer heat get you down. With a little creativity and some fun activities, you can keep your kids cool, happy, and entertained. Whether you’ve got a water bug in your family or a budding artist on your hands, there are a lot of exciting ways to keep cool in this scorching hot heat! Try a few out with your kids and let me know how they liked them.
DANA BAKER-WILLIAMS
If you’re going to thrive in today’s crazy world, I believe you need to bring your whole self to the table: your personality, your sense of humor, and most importantly, your heart. All of these elements brought me to start Parenting In Real Life, my parent and teen coaching.
I’m a mom of two amazing kids, one of whom has struggled with ADHD, anxiety and depression. Watching this as a parent can be heartbreaking and feels singular. I had nowhere to turn and i was totally overwhelmed. When we finally put the pieces together and got our daughter some help, everything changed for her. But I still didn’t have someone who could teach me how to parent more effectively. It was trial and error on the emotional dysregulation, the panic attacks, and the lack of executive functioning. There was no handbook.
I vowed then that other parents should NOT have to be that scared, overwhelmed, and alone. And kids and teens shouldn’t feel alone, stupid, disconnected or “less than”. Now I am in the position to help parents and teens alike. I help other 2e families find calm in the chaos, connect with their kids, and bring peace and joy back into the family dynamic. I give parents the tools and support they need to communicate and parent more effectively. Simple shifts and techniques will allow you to parent with confidence and handle the challenges with grace and set your kids up for success with life skills, resilience, and self-advocacy.
Bring the joy back in your family, book a call now. https://www.parentinginreallife.org/bookings-checkout/book-a-free-consult/book
