Thursday, July 11, 2024
How are you all doing?
We both have had a lovely break from our blogging world
since we last posted in late June.
While we’ve missed our OGL community,
we’ve also cherished the time spent with those we love!
But, boy oh boy, are we pooped!
While we wouldn’t have it any other way,
those Littles of ours can truly take a lot out of us!
Can anyone relate???
Laurie’s family spent a very rainy 4th of July with extended family
at her sister’s house where a fun Olympic Party took place!
(Look for us to share details next week!)
Two days later we all celebrated Little D’s third birthday
with an Enchanting Princess party!
(Little D’s birthday cake was made by her special Auntie M!)
For those of you wondering, Laura was released
from jury duty responsibilities with a few days to spare before the 4th!
She and family spent a fun holiday at the lake!
Same hat, same Little….
Our Little L then (2022) and now (2024)!
We played in the sun, spent time on (and in) the water,
played games, barbecued and snuggled!
What could be better?
Today, we’re excited to return and to catch up with you all!
And we are especially eager to be back with a new installment
of SUMMER FUN!
Many of the activities we share each week are oldies but goodies!
What's different though is
these days we are exploring each activity through the lens of a GRAND!
As retired kindergarten teachers,
we’re always looking for simple, quick and cost effective ideas
that will keep our busy Littles engaged and intrigued!
Whether you are a GRAND like us or a young parent or caregiver
who spends some or all of your days with Littles,
keep on reading!
This week we’ve got 3 WET activities for you and your Littles!
So if you are feeling the summer heat, check out our fun ways to cool down!
Laura gathered spray bottles and added them to her GRAND bag
before heading to the lake for the holiday weekend!
These spray bottles came in handy numerous times and in numerous ways!
Spray Away!
It was super easy to have the spray bottles filled
so when our Littles were looking for something to do,
I’d ask them to spray away!
During the weekend, Little L along with our great niece and nephew had fun going on a variety of hunts as they sprayed away! I sent them in search of a variety of things… the biggest rock they could find, a little bug, something orange and, of course, the prettiest flowers they could find were some of our favorites!
We created a chalk target for our older Little and he had fun spraying away! We wrote letters and numbers with chalk on the driveway (and sight words for our kindergarten Little) and each Little was given a task to find and spray away!
A Grand Tip!
Provide a large tub of water and show your Littles how to fill their own spray bottles!
Our Littles were fascinated as I removed the nozzle,
and put the bottle under the water.
We watched the bubbles that emerged
and when they stopped we knew that the bottle was full of water
and ready to come out!
I simply helped, as needed, to screw the nozzle back on!
Spray Bottle Freeze Tag!
Of course, one of our favorite activities was when everyone grabbed a spray bottle
and a game of Spray Bottle Freeze Tag ensued!
The rules are simple… one player is “it” and he/she chases the other players trying to spray them with the water! Players must freeze if tagged with the water. Frozen players can only be unfrozen when someone else sprays them!
We also had fun playing with these water blaster toys
that my brother brought for the grandkids!
They were easy to fill and a fun option, too.
I’m not sure where he found them,
but here’s a similar product, for those who are interested!
A Grand Tip!
When playing with young Littles,
set the rule that all sprays must be aimed below the shoulders!
Also, practice spraying young Littles a few times before beginning the game.
Previewing in this way helps
young Littles anticipate what to expect!
Here’s a way to enjoy imaginative play AND water play at the same time
without needing a pool or swimsuit!
You don’t need a fancy water table for your Little to have loads of fun!
Create your own water table by emptying a plastic bin…
those that fit under your bed work so well!
“Swimming Lessons’ Play
Laurie’s Little D started swimming lessons this summer,
and she was excited to show off what she has been learning!
With a few easy materials, Laurie created this play center for her Little!
An added bonus for us GRANDS?
We get to listen as our Little creates and shares!
Little D loves to play pretend! To encourage this interest, I filled a bin with water, collected Little D’s plastic dollies and Little People figures and we were set for outside play time on a warm summer day! We were ready for Little D to play “Swimming Lessons”!
Little D was the teacher and she showed me through her dolls how they floated on their tummies and backs and blew bubbles in the water.
One thing Little D was anxious about at her own swimming lessons was going down the water slide there. When my own two children were little and they were feeling anxious about a new situation, I discovered that acting it out gave them confidence to deal with it!
With this in mind, I decided to try this approach with Little D. I pulled out her toddler slide and set it up in another bin.
Little D took her dolls and Little People and slid them down the slide.
As Little D played, I made “Little People comments” along the way - “this is fun! I can do it! I got water in my eyes, but I’m o.k” - while each went down the slide. Little D became quite animated with this game and even started coaching these figures as their teacher!
I think repeating many affirmations must have helped her.
At her lesson this week she went down the slide!
Yay, Little D!
Who doesn’t remember playing with water balloons as a kid?
Of course there are the classic ways of playing with them…
having a water balloon fight
OR
tossing a water balloon back and forth as you try to keep it from breaking
(think “egg toss game”).
Today Laura’s got a few more ideas to add to your water balloon repertoire!
A Water Balloon Yoyo!
These water balloon yoyos are so easy to make and Littles will be fascinated that you’ve actually made a yoyo out of a balloon! Watch your Little spin and bounce their yoyos all around! If you’re like us, you’ll want to make one for yourself, too!
Here’s how we made ours:
1. Fill up a water balloon and tie it off, as usual.
2. Loop a rubber band around the tied end of the balloon as shown. This will provide a finger hold so that your Little can bounce the water balloon up and down or spin it all around!
But beware… these yoyos can also surprise your Littles with an unexpected pop! We suggest having extras on hand so you (and they) are prepared for all the wet fun that's bound to take place!
A Water Balloon Pinata!
A pinata made from a water balloon provides the perfect way to cool off on a hot summer day! Here’s a photo of one we set up… so easy and so fun!
Here’s what we did:
1. Fill a few water balloons with water and tie each off. Have a few extras on hand, if needed!
2. Tie each balloon to a long piece of string and hang each from a tree branch, if possible. Hang one balloon at a time OR hang balloons ahead of time from different trees!
NOTE: We suggest playing around with the weight when filling your water balloons! You want to be sure that each will hang successfully and securely from the string!
3. Take turns blindfolding older Littles. Have a stick, plastic bat or pool noodle ready and invite the Little to swing at the balloon! The goal is to pop the balloon… SPLASH! Younger Littles can bat at the hanging balloon without the added challenge of being blindfolded!
😳
So sorry! I fell short as a blogger but made up for it as a GRAND!
We were so caught up in the moment
and I forgot to take any photos!
Hopefully you can imagine the squeals of delight as our pinatas burst!
In case you are still looking for more water balloon fun, here are three more ideas to try! These were always Summer School favorites and while I haven’t played these yet with our Littles, there’s always next year!
✱ Water Balloon Baseball!
The set up is just as it is in a traditional baseball game. However, the pitcher tosses water balloons instead of a ball. The player up to “bat” can use a plastic pat or a pool noodle to hit the ballon. Using hula hoops as bases is another fun addition to this game... You get the idea!
✱ Colander Catch!
I really wanted to play this game during our 4th of July holiday but there was just too much going on! I can’t wait to see Little L play it with her daddy soon!
The only supplies you’ll need are a colander and water balloons that have been filled! To play, your Little will be the thrower and an older Little or an adult will be the catcher! The catcher holds the colander on top of his/her head and faces the thrower. Determine the distance between the two, based on the age and ability of the thrower! The thrower tosses water balloons at the catcher who tries to catch the balloon in the colander! Be prepared to get soaked!
Want to make the game more challenging and entertaining… Teams of two players can play against each other! Teams get a point when a water balloon is caught but doesn’t pop!
✱ Water Balloon Parachute!
This game involved teamwork and it’s super fun… especially for older Littles and adults to play together! Players work as partners and need a beach or bath towel to play and you’ll want to have extra water balloons ready before the fun begins!.. Each partner holds the two corners at the short end of a towel to form a “bed” for the balloon. Working together, partners will use the towel to launch the balloon into the air and will then try to catch the water balloon in the same towel without breaking it. See how many times you and your partner can launch and catch your water balloon without it breaking!
Want to make the game more challenging and entertaining… Turn it into a volleyball game where you launch and catch with another set of partners!
We hope our Wild About Water ideas have left you feeling inspired
to get out the garden hose and set up a few water games and activities
to keep your Littles cool and entertained all summer long!
As always, we’d love to hear from you, too!
Do you have one or more Wild About Water activities to share?
If so, please comment at the end of this post!
We love learning from each other!
As another option, you can always reach out to us
at ourgrandlives@gmail.com if you prefer!
Don’t forget to check us out on our social media sites…
(You'll find our social media links at the top of each post!)
New content can always be found there!
Look for us to return next week with two new posts…
A SUMMER FAVE... At the Car Wash!
and
Celebrating the Olympics! 3, 2, 1… GRAND SUMMER FUN!
SPECIAL THANKS TO
Home Matters from Modern on Monticello
Weekend Traffic Jam Reboot from Scratch Made Food for Hungry People
Thank you for featuring this post on your sites!
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The only water play we have in the UK summer is welly boots on and umbrellas and splashing in rain puddles, we do get the odd sunny day, but it's rarely warm enough or dry long enough. Thanks for joining in with #pocolo
Water play is always so much fun! It looks like everyone had a blast, and it's a great way to cool down in the summer. I loved all these fun ideas. Thank you for sharing them at party #46 and being part of The Crazy Little Lovebirds link party. We appreciate it!
♡
Steph@CrazyLittleLovebirds
OMG kids of all ages love water! This post is one of my features for next week's WTJR, thank you for sharing with us, we appreciate it! Melynda @scratchmadefood!
What wonderful ideas! I love the water pinata idea. And her princess cake is darling! Thank you for sharing this post with us at the Will Blog for Comments #42 linkup. We hope to see you sharing more posts at #43, which opens next Monday morning. Have a great week. :) -Jennifer
Thank you for sharing these ideas. My grands will be here in about two weeks and these are some great activities to beat the summer heat. This post will be a feature this week. #HomeMattersParty