Welcome to a
Fun Summer

*Sun Catchers
Cut out 2 of any shapes of contact paper, (square, circle, triangle), let the children put on ANYTHING that goes, scraps of small paper, glitter, bits of curling ribbon, colored hole punches, you name it... Then using the other sheet of contact paper, lay it on top the first one, smooth it out, trim the edges, hole punch it and hang in a window and you have a sun catcher.

*Dandelion Jewelry
If your yard is "blessed" with dandelion weeds, this is the perfect activity for you!! Get the kids to pick the dandelions...go for the best ones, with long stems. Collect a couple dozen or so. The easiest way to connect them is to wrap one stem carefully around another and tie a knot. Make some bracelets...necklaces...anklets... headbands etc.!!

*Sun Cards
Materials needed: Construction paper or fax paper, -small objects
Take a piece of construction paper and fold it in half (to make the card). Next, put some objects on it (ex. keys, small toys, something with a distinctive shape). You can also cut out shapes or letters from another sheet of paper and arrange them on top of the construction paper. Place the paper directly in the sun...by the end of the day, the paper will be faded--except the areas covered by the objects or pieces of paper. FAX paper also works well for this. It quickly turns yellow or brown when exposed to strong sunlight. (great way to recycle it too!)

*Sand Pictures
Materials needed: A sheet of 9"x12" white construction paper, various colored construction paper, diluted glue and sand
The child spreads the thinned glue over the paper below the horizontal line. (A brush or fingers may be used.) Sand is sprinkled on the glue and the excess is shaken off. An umbrella and a beach ball are then glued on the paper.

*Watermelon slices
Materials needed: Red and green construction paper, and dried watermelon seeds.
Preparation: Cut out circles from the green construction paper (10" diameter) and smaller circles from the red construction paper (8" diameter). Then cut all of the circles into semicircles.
Process: With assistance, the child glues the red semi-circle over the green semi-circle. Then fingertip dots of glue are applied to the red semi-circle and seeds placed on each dot.

*Summer Collage
Materials needed: Magazines, travel brochures, and posters Glue Construction Paper
Process: Have the children cut pictures of things that remind them of summer. Foods, camping, sailing, summer sports, swimming, etc. Glue them onto the paper to make a summer collage.

*Summer Fun Watercolors
Materials Needed: Tempera Paint, Sand, Paper, Brushes
Teacher Preparation: Mix a small amount of sand into the paint to give it a textured look and feel.
Process: Give the children a piece of paper and let them free paint with the textured paint.

*Barefoot Painting
Materials needed: Butcher Paper, Paint, An outside area, near dirt of sand., Aluminum Pie pans, A chair, Soapy water,
Teacher Prep: Place a long strip of butcher paper on the ground near your sand or dirt source. Place chairs next to pans of paint along the edges. Place a bucket of soapy water nearby.
Process: Have the children sit in the chairs and dip their feet in the paint. Then have them dip their painted feet into the sand or dirt. Let them walk along the paper, leaving "dirty" footprints. Have them wash their feet in the soapy water when finished.

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Summer Snacks

Lemonade
Materials needed: 1 cup water, Lemons, 3/4 Tablespoon sugar, ice, Measuring utensils
Teacher Preparation: Cut a lemon in half for each of the children.
Process: Have the children squeeze their lemon halves until they have about 1 1/2 tbsp of lemon juice. Mix the lemon juice with water and sugar. Add ice. Concepts learned:

*Picnic Basket Fruit Salad
Materials needed; Assorted fruits, like apples, bananas, melons of different kinds, grapes, strawberries, blueberries, etc. Plastic Knives, Melon Baller, Apple Corers
Teacher Prep: Cut the watermelon in the shape of a basket with a handle.
Process: Have the kids cut the fruit into bite size pieces, being careful to remove any seeds. Have them take turns using the melon baller and the apple corer with supervision.

*Make the best bubble brew
You will need: 1cup Joy liquid dish washing detergent, 2 cups warm water, 3-4 TBS glycerin, 1 tsp. sugar, large plastic container bubble blowers,

Other Stuff to do

*Do some finger painting out side (add sand to tempera)

*Read books about the summer time
Teeny Witch Goes on Vacation, by Matthews, Liz
At The Beach, by Booth, Eugene
Under The Ocean, by Booth,Eugene
Mr. Bear's Boat by Graham, Thomas

*Pretend you are going to the beach,( wadding pool and sand box)

*Kite flying

*Make tent forts outside!
Lay blankets and sheets over the picnic table, or using clothes pins hang and drape them across several clotheslines ... pin and tie more blankets and sheets to nearby tree trunks, poles, etc. for more room. That's all. Stand back and let the kids decide what to do next. Or...
Schedule snack time or lunch time (or both!) in the fort
Take story time out to the fort
Take some housekeeping or camping props out to the fort
If old sheets used only for fort-building, turn the kids loose with spray bottles of colored water to decorate their fort!

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