One of my earliest memories is of being over at a friend’s house on a hot summer day. He was really, really excited to show me an activity that he claimed would be the most fun thing I’d ever do in my three-year-old life. It turned out to be painting with water on the wood of his back deck. I think the way the water gradually evaporated and faded was magical to him. In case you or the kids in your life are not as easily impressed and amused as my friend and I were, here is a list of some top favorite summer activities, brought to life by the fine folks at Klutz:
Outdoor activities:
Face painting—This reminds me of a different story, when a high school friend and I “helped out” at a younger sibling’s birthday party by running the face-painting station. It was all going fine until an hour later when kids complained of itchy tightness on their faces and we realized we’d accidentally been using window paint instead of face paint. Avoid this with the Klutz Face Painting kit. http://store.scholastic.com/Toys-and-Games/Activity-and-Science-Kits/Klutz-Face-Painting
Balloon twisting—Think of how you could impress all the kids on the block with awesome balloon animal skills! Although this activity is great indoors as well as outside, I like the idea of doing this in the fresh air, because somehow a balloon popping in the backyard is a lot less dramatic than, say, when it pops right outside your little brother’s room during naptime. http://store.scholastic.com/Books/Interactive-and-Novelty-Books/Balloon-Twisting
Explosive science—And speaking of explosions, this kit is all about creating them! Safely. Under the guise of science. Keep the excitement of the 4th of July going for the rest of the summer, and be a little smarter in your science classes when you go back to school in the fall. http://store.scholastic.com/Books/Interactive-and-Novelty-Books/Boom-Splat-Kablooey#showMoreContent
Juggling—This is a cool skill that takes a lot of practice, ideal for perfecting over the summer months. And it is such a great portable activity—for the beach, the park, camp. (Maybe even indoors? But I’d keep it in the “outdoor” category because when I was attempting to master juggling indoors a few lamps may have gotten in the way.) Improve hand-eye coordination and be the center of playground entertainment on the first day of school! http://store.scholastic.com/Books/Interactive-and-Novelty-Books/Juggling-for-The-Complete-Klutz
Indoor activities
Be a star—Of course, there are always going to be rainy days, even in the summer. What to do when you’re stuck inside? How about grabbing a friend and making a music video? This kit includes a green screen and software that allows you to sing and star in as many rocking music videos as you can imagine. http://store.scholastic.com/Books/Interactive-and-Novelty-Books/Make-Your-Own-Music-Video
Get styling—This kit lets you make pom-pom monsters and then give them crazy hairdos. Other kids may bring their new teacher an apple on the first day of class, but with this kit you can bring your teacher a one-of-a-kind desk decoration. http://store.scholastic.com/Books/Interactive-and-Novelty-Books/Pom-Pom-Monster-Salon
Learn fancy lettering—Improve your handwriting and impress everyone with your posters and projects when you get back to school. Practice with a pen pal over the summer, send postcards from vacation, or make an invitation for your next playdate. http://store.scholastic.com/Books/Interactive-and-Novelty-Books/Lettering-in-Crazy-Cool-Quirky-Style
I hope that these kits spark some creative ideas for fun activities to do and share over the summer!
Bio about Author: Mia Cabana is a managing editor of online copy at Scholastic Book Clubs. She has also worked as a young adult librarian and dreams of someday joyriding around the country in her own bookmobile.
