Fun Things for Your Kids to Do This Summer …

… or anytime.

Create some cool memories. 

Let’s have some fun and do some reaLLy cool stuff this summer.

Or anytime. Why wait til summer to do fun stuFF ?

1.) – Build with MarshmaLLows …

… and t00thpicks.

Yes, I know we’ve already talked about this last week. But Lucas wanted to show you pictures of his creations.

Just marshmaLLows and t00thpicks …

… and skewers and stirrers and Gummy Bears and some Legos for effect.

And the Finished MarshmaLLow and GuMMy Bear Tent Circus …

If you use your imagination, you can see the Lion Cages and the Trapeze Artists. And when you listen closely, you can even hear the Carnival Barker. 

Yes, you do need to buy some extra marshmallows to feed the animals – the home crowd – brothers and sisters – watching and “helping.” We were loosing some marshmallows – to a younger brother, an older brother and mom.

Here’s a secret grandpa tip about working with marshmallows. Open the bag and let the marshmallows dry a little.

When the marshmallows are fresh, they’re a little sticky and messy hard to work with.

Another grandpa tip: Remember to eat ALL of your mistakes.

2.) – Create a Super Hero Lego Village.

And take some pictures.

It’s as simple as it sounds. Use some Lego characters and random toys from the house. Get creative and take some pics with your phone to create Lego scenes.

This is a great time to teach your kids how to use an image editing app. Use Snapseed. It’s FREE and easy to use. FREE for iPhone and android.

3.) – Take a Trip to the Dollar Store …

… and spend $10.00 or less.

Make this trip your IMAGINeering time.

And become a Disney Imagineer.

Use your imagination and ask yourself how you are going to use what you buy. Don’t be so structured and dependent on some website or pre-packaged kit to give you directions on how to build and what to do.

Just buy some cheap stuff and get creative with …

• sidewalk chalk, and
• (draw outlines of bodies like a crime scene and let your neighbors wonder what happened last night)
• play dough, and
• paint, and
• n00dles, and
• … ???

Check out these 29 Dollar Store Ideas at 29 Dollar Store Ideas – thanks to my PINTEREST-ing daughter, Lindsay (at Pinterest).

Here’s a Grandpa Challenge.

Go to the Dollar Store and become “Disney IMAGINeers” and create the “never before imagined” in …

• in your minds,
• in your bathtub,
• in your kitchen, and
• in your backyard.

4.) – Fly Paper Airplanes

Easy peasy. Buy a Paper Airplane Book kit from Amazon right here.

Or just find a quality website – like Fun Paper Airplanes – and use your printer.

Tell grandpa which method you liked the best (in the comments below.)

Lucas and I found this website – Fun Paper Airplanes. We downloaded the FREE paper airplane designs and became instant experts.

Lucas liked this website because the folding directions were very clear and visual.

I liked it because it was divided by different skill levels.

From easy to medium to hard. To novelty paper airplanes.

We haven’t tried the novelty airplanes yet. We are very happy building the easy and medium skill designs.

5.) – Go on a Kayak Adventure

… and discover a new island.

For the kayak cruise, you will need some time AND some money, but it still costs less than your last trip to Disney World.

Watch the video of Drew’s and Levi’s kayak adventure.

What a fun day in the sun and on the water !!!

And it helps if you’re athletic or have a cool athletic uncle. Or aunt.

And take some pictures of these great memories.

Remember no one gives you a grade on these adventures.

Just do it.

And Create a Memory.

Because NO ONE  – EVER – EVER reminisces about the Friday that they worked late.

But every kid remembers kayaking with their cool uncle.

And every kid remembers the TIME you spent with them.

Just do it. Create a memory. 

In the comments below, tell us about one cool thing you did / or are planning to do this summer.

9 Fun Things for Your Kids

• to do this summer and
• all of them are under $10,000 or
• less than the price of your last trip to Disney.

Did ya hear about the fun things for kids ?

Grandpa Made a List of Fun Things to Do.

For summer. Or anytime.

And he’s gonna share some of them.

Here they are:

• 9 fun things for your kids to do this summer.
• They are all super easy to do.
• And they all cost less than a trip to Disney.

1.) – Build with Marshmallows and …

… toothpicks and gummy bears. And add some coffee stirrers and skewer sticks from your kitchen pantry. Build and …

Create something – big or small – with toothpicks and marshmallows.

For this project, you may need to dedicate your kitchen table for one or two evenings.

And when you’re finished, let your kids eat it ALL.

Then send your “sugar high” kids to grandma’s house.

2.) – Bubbles, of course. 

What list would be complete without bubbles.

Anything with bubbles is fun. Where to buy – Dollar Store, Walmart or save all the hassle by buying from Amazon Prime.

Commercial Break and Life Hack for Moms

I believe Amazon Prime is a great time saver and life hack for moms and dads living in this crazy busy world.

Amazon Prime has (almost) unlimited selections and delivered to your doorstep. So you spend NO WASTED TIME in a crowded parking lot only to accumulate one more “door ding” on your car. And you don’t have to deal with rude employees.

3.) – Spend Some ELECT-ronic Time at Panera Bread

Just some designated electronic time away from home. Take your lap top, tablets and phones with head sets and chargers.

And just let your children watch their favorite Minecraft videos.

And play their favorite apps and games. (Headsets required: it’s a courtesy factor.)

We like to go to Panera Bread. And even McDonald’s has some quality wi-fi speeds.

4.) – Go to a Butterfly Garden.

Yes, go to a butterfly garden.

And find the MOST UNUSUAL butterfly.

Take pictures and post a Butterfly Photo Album to Facebook.

And let your children write about their butterfly adventure in the album description. In their own words. No editing.

Challenge your children to a contest to see who can get the most “likes” on their best picture.

5.) – Climb Trees.

We have a great tree climbing park near our home. And Lucas loves to climb the trees.

Remember to take your first aid kit.

Take pictures. Of course, you can always wear your best super hero costume to the tree climbing adventure.

And don’t just watch your children climb trees. You climb too. That’s a good “selfie” opportunity. 

6.) – Talk to a Police Officer. Intentionally.

Not while you’re getting a traffic ticket. Instead stop and talk to a police officer. Intentionally. And make a new friend.

On a hot and humid Florida summer day, Daniel took an ice cold sports beverage to Paul (from Canada), a former police officer and the security guard at the entrance to our community.

Paul made a new friend.

And Daniel made a new friend and learned about all of the cool stuff on Paul’s belt. Daniel now has a healthy opinion of who a security officer is.

7.) – Do a Make Over.

I mean a complete Make Over with your daughter.

Dads, if you do this, you will learn a lot. And you will get connected at a different level with your daughter.

Do this today. While your little princess will still let you touch her hair. You WILL be “walking her down the aisle soon” enough. And that “walk down the aisle” WILL cost more than a trip to Disney. 

8.) – Pet Some Puppies.

Go to a pet store. And pet some puppies.

The puppies are so cute.

And your children are so persuasive. So be careful. “Leave your wallet at home.”

9.) – Study Eyes. And Ears. And … ?

Learn about eyes. And ears. They’re kinda weird when you just look at them by themselves. Especially your ears.

Learn how they work. Search the interWEB and see what you can learn.

Then take some unusual pictures of eyes and ears.

Now A Challenge for You. 

Here’s America’s GRUMPiest Grandpa’s challenge for you.

Hey, pick ONE idea.

Just one idea.

Do it. Today.

Or set a specific time – SOON – to do it.

Then Tell Me What Happened. 

Or your plan to make it happen.

In the comments below, tell us.

What will you do to make it special for your children ? 

Different ? Memorable ?

And make memories this summer. 

Why? Because NO ONE EVER reminisces about the Friday that they worked late.

But your kids will remember that day when you

• went to a BUTTERfly park, or
• talked to the POLICE OFFICER, or
• climbed a BIG HAIRY SCARY tree, or
• built a sky scraper with MARSHMALLOWS and t00thpicks. 

But NO ONE NEVER EVER reminisces about working late !!!

Tell grandpa what you did. Better yet…

… let your child write the comment below.

And don’t correct their spelling.