30 Things To Do Before Summer Ends

From About.com's Guide for Single Parents -

Making the Most of Your Summer
Are you growing tired of hearing, "I'm bored?" I bet there are a lot of things you and the kids had hoped to do this summer. Well, there's still plenty of time!

Print out a copy of this list, talk it over with the kids, and add anything else you want to accomplish before school begins. Then get to it! Make the most of the summer while you can.

And remember, the idea is to have fun! Whatever you don't get to, you can aim for next year.

More Great Ideas for Having Fun Together:

Top 10 Ways to Have Fun with Your Kids this Summer

Renewing Your Passion for Board Games

Frugal Ideas for Keeping the Kids Busy

New From Highlights For Children - 10 Fun Indoor Crafts To Beat The Heat

We're moving into those Dog Days of summer - too hot for the kids to be playing actively out of doors in the heat of the afternoon, but you don't want them sitting around in front of the television either!
Highlights For Children has come out with a great issue this month with ideas for crafts and activities to enjoy while staying cool.

These Magnetic Messages have a lot of creative possibilities.
They offer a fun way to enhance literacy skills along with the opportunity to encourage family communication.
You can't beat that!

I'm liking this Rocking Duck too!
An easy decoration made from paper plates and colored with markers (an older child might enjoy using paints ) a flock of ducks would be a great addition to anyone's summer decor!

But my favorite is the handmade dulcimer.


The Appalachian, or Mountain, dulcimer is a musical instrument
developed in the United States in the 1800s from dulcimers brought to America by European immigrants. Like a guitar, it is made of wood and has a
sound hole for the strings to pass over. The dulcimer can have three or four strings and is played by placing it on your lap and strumming the strings. This version, designed by Jessica Gates is made from a shoebox and rubber bands.
If your child finds that he really enjoys playing the dulcimer (like I do!), you can easily move up to a more advanced, but still inexpensive corrugated cardboard instrument from the company that I purchased my first dulcimer from more than 20 years ago.
Backyard Music.com has premade dulcimers and dulcimer kits and when you're ready you can upgrade once more to a beautiful wooden instrument like I have now!
This is a summer activity that can lead to a lifetime of beautiful musical expression.

Fireworks! 4th of July

Maybe you can't make it to the fireworks this year, or maybe you've already been and you want more?
Here's a list of virtual fireworks - some you have fun creating yourself, others put on the show for you and provide music too!
Enjoy.

Phantom Fireworks
It's easy to create your very own Phantom virtual fireworks show!
Shoot fireworks over beautiful skylines including NYC, Miami, Louisville,
Denver, Cleveland, Paris, France and more.

At this site you can click your mouse repeatedly in random areas for an awesome display of fireworks

Virtual Fireworks on Nova OnlineWatch video clips of fireworks bursting in air

Click on the sky - The faster you click the better the fireworks!
Fireworks images and sounds-Create a fireworks display over Rochester Castle, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, more

Let them put on the show for you – just sit back and enjoy!

a video of the fireworks display in Osaka, Japan -
taken from the roof of a four floor building nearby

Stars and Stripes and the 4th of July - a history of the American Flag in pictures

American ships in New England waters flew a "Liberty Tree" flag in 1775. It shows a green pine tree on a white background, with the words, "An Appeal to Heaven."

The Continental Navy used this flag, with the warning, "Don't Tread on Me," upon its inception.

The "Betsy Ross" flag. The Flag Resolution did not specify the arrangement of the stars nor the specific proportions of the flag. So many 13-star flags were used, as seen from the next several pictures.

The Guilford Flag.

The Serapis Flag.

At the Battle of Bennington in August 1777 were two famous flags. One, shown here, is called the Bennington Flag or the Fillmore Flag. Nathaniel Fillmore took this flag home from the battlefield. The flag was passed down through generations of Fillmores, including Millard, and today it can be seen at Vermont's Bennington Museum. The other (not pictured) has a green field and a blue canton with 13 gold-painted stars arranged in rows. General John Stark gave his New Hampshire troops a rallying speech that would be the envy of any football coach today. He said, "My men, yonder are the Hessians. They were brought for seven pounds and ten pence a man. Are you worth more? Prove it. Tonight, the American flag floats from yonder hill or Molly Stark sleeps a widow!"

Cowpens Flag. According to some sources, this flag was first used in 1777. It was used by the Third Maryland Regiment. There was no official pattern for how the stars were to be arranged. The flag was carried at the Battle of Cowpens, which took place on January 17, 1781, in South Carolina. The actual flag from that battle hangs in the Maryland State House.

Vermont and Kentucky joined the union in 1791 and 1792. This flag with 15 stars and 15 stripes, was adopted by a Congressional act of 1794. The flag became effective May 1, 1795.

By 1818, the union consisted of 20 states. A Congressional act mandated that the number of stripes be fixed at 13 and that one new star was to be added for each new state, the July 4 following its admission. However, nothing was written about what arrangement the stars should be in. This and the following two flags were all used simultaneously.

Another 1818 flag (see above).

And another 1818 flag (see above). This was called the "Grand Star" flag.

To see examples of later flags, see our Flag Timeline
Starting in 1819, the updated flag becomes legal on the Fourth of July following the date of admission

September 11, 2001 — The Flag from the World Trade towers survives and becomes a symbol of sacrifice in service, loss, and determination

The United States flag today. The 50th star was added on July 4, 1960 for Hawaii, which entered the Union on August 21, 1959

This material is copyright by, and used with permission of, the Independence Hall Association, on the web at ushistory.org.

Celebrate!

Only a couple of days left before the 4th of July Holiday –
Not really time for anything too elaborate (save those ideas for next year), but here are some good links that you may still find fun and useful.

A Kid’s Heart
has some neat online games – I really like the Patriotic jigsaw puzzles.
Use your mouse to drag the puzzle pieces into the correct places to put the puzzle together.
There are quite a few other games, some word searches and virtual fireworks too!


Family Fun has the directions for these Uncle Sam Ice Cream Cones


and for Fireworks Art (my kids loved this one! Take a hint from a teacher – poke a hole near the top of the straw.
The kids will still be able to blow the paint out to make the project, but they won’t get a mouthful of paint if they forget and suck in instead. And they will forget. Trust me)

A very easy Fireworks “painting” that the littler kids enjoy is done by painting a piece of black construction paper with white glue that has been thinned with a bit of water.
Let the kids shake multi colored glitter onto the wet glue, shake off the excess glitter when the paper is dry.
Sparkly and pretty!


Betty Crocker has this great Stars and Stripes Cake

Please come back tomorrow –
I’ve been given permission to display the Flag Picture Gallery from Ushistory.org.
Beautiful and Fascinating…

Try to Imagine...

On a day of suffocating heat across Connecticut, perhaps it help just a little bit to imagine ourselves into February?

Keeping Your Cool

Air conditioning can be a godsend in the humid summer heat, but not all of us are fortunate to have air conditioning in our homes and many of us who do have it have the smaller units that only cool one room.
Running an air conditioner is also a big drain on our resources,both energy and financial!
Depending on what part of the country you live in, many summer days may be hot but managable, without running the AC to cool things off, with just a few tips.
Maybe these tips that I've gathered might help....

1. Stay hydrated. Drink lots of water. Avoid soft drinks and caffeine, these will dehydrate you, as does alcohol

2. Dress for the season when inside your house. Wear shorts and a light shirt. Loose fitting clothes are cooler and more comfortable than tight fitting garments. Go barefoot or wear sandals. Natural fabrics are cooler than synthetics. At night, use light cotton sheets on your bed. Minimize indoor fabrics, as fabric increases interior humidity. This is good in the winter, but bad in the summer. People living without air conditioning should probably opt for no carpet on the floors; during the winter they can lay down area rugs, but roll them up and put them away during the summer.

3. In the summer, shade is your friend. Keep the sun's heat from hitting windows, doors, walls. Install window shades on the outside of your house; indoor curtains are not enough (although they will help). Once the sun hits the glass and window frame, the heat is conducted inside the house, even if you have indoor curtains, so shade them in addition to your curtains.
It is easy and inexpensive to make your own outdoor window shades One idea is to use mylar covered auto sun shades that are about 5' X 2'. They only cost a few dollars at local stores. Duct tape two or three of them together (depending on the size of the window) and hang them on the outside of the windows. Cover that with a white roll up shade, which is mostly for appearance. An inexpensive bamboo roll-up window shade works fine. One or more curtains inside will help, and choose white or another light color (sheets are do-able and cheap, more is better). Don't forget to shade the doors if you don't have a porch. Shade cloth is available and can be used over windows, although it costs more.

The best choice for your wall shade is vegetation. Although it takes many years to grow a tall tree, vines grow in just a few weeks. Morning glories provide plenty of shade plus flowers that are beautiful to look at. Try grape vines on your trellis -not only will you get shade, you?ll also get tasty grapes to eat.

If you have indoor thermal mass, such as concrete or brick floors, a masonry fireplace, etc., make sure it is shaded so it doesn't soak up heat during the day. (The opposite of what you want to do in the winter, of course.)

3. When keeping cool without any air conditioning, the basic rule is: keep the house closed up during the day when it is hot outside, and ventilate it in the evening and at night when it is cooler.
Natural ventilation maintains indoor temperatures close to outdoor temperatures and helps remove heat from your home. But only ventilate during the coolest parts of the day or night, and seal off your house from the hot sun and air during the hottest parts of the day.
The climate you live in determines the best ventilation strategy. In areas with cool nights and very hot days, let the night air in to cool your house. A well-insulated house will gain only 1°F (0.6°C) per hour if the outside temperature is 85° to 90°F (29° to 32°C). By the time the interior heats up, the outside air should be cooler and can be allowed indoors.
In climates with daytime breezes, open windows on the side from where the breeze is coming and on the opposite side of the house. Keep interior doors open to encourage whole-house ventilation. If your location lacks consistent breezes, create them by opening windows at the lowest and highest points in your house.
In hot, humid climates where temperature swings between day and night are small, ventilate when humidity is not excessive.

Ventilating your attic greatly reduces the amount of accumulated heat, which eventually works its way into the main part of your house. Ventilated attics are about 30°F (16°C) cooler than unventilated attics. Properly sized and placed louvers and roof vents help prevent moisture buildup and overheating in your attic.

4. Keep the air moving around inside. Use ceiling fans and rotating fans to create breezes in the house during the day and the night. Moving air can knock ten degrees off of the apparent temperature, so fans can add considerably to indoor comfort. They can also be used in conjunction with conventional air conditioning. With breezes inside, you can set the thermostat temperature higher than would be the case without the fans. Box fans are good for use in windows, but for other indoor uses, they are inefficient and usually noisy, rotary fans are better. Variable speed fans will help you get the right amount of air.

5. Insulation and weatherization help moderate indoor temperatures in the summer too. Minimizing leaks will help you keep your cool inside.

6. Minimize heat buildup inside the house.
Often-overlooked sources of interior heat gain are lights and household appliances, such as ovens, dishwashers, and dryers.
Because most of the energy that incandescent lamps use is given off as heat, use them only when necessary. Take advantage of daylight to illuminate your house. And consider switching to compact fluorescent lamps. These use about 75% less energy than incandescent lamps, and emit 90% less heat for the same amount of light.
Many household appliances generate a lot of heat. When possible, use them in the morning or late evening when you can better tolerate the extra heat. Consider cooking on an outside barbecue grill or use a microwave oven, which does not generate as much heat and uses less energy than a gas or electric range.
Washers, dryers, dishwashers, and water heaters also generate large amounts of heat and humidity. To gain the most benefit, seal off your laundry room and water heater from the rest of the house.
New, energy-efficient appliances generate less heat and use less energy. When it is time to purchase new appliances, make sure they are energy efficient. All refrigerators, dishwashers, and dryers display an EnergyGuide label indicating the annual estimated cost for operating the appliance or a standardized energy efficiency ratio. Also, many manufacturers participate in the voluntary EnergyStar labeling program. Use this label as a sign of energy-efficiency.Compare appliances and buy the most efficient models for your needs.

7. If the heat becomes oppressive, dowse your head, arms, and feet with cool water, or take a cool shower, or (my favorite) go outside and dowse yourself with a water hose. Keep a spray bottle of cool water handy, and give yourself a spritz of cool water every once in a while.

June Craft Activities from Highlights Kids

Kids will love working on these fun, free craft projects from HighlightsKids.com. Each craft includes full step-by-step instructions.

Patriotic Treat Holder
This decoration is "tops" as a centerpiece for your July Fourth picnic table.

Color-Wheel Whirligig
Save up your plastic
"to-go" lids and make
a fun and colorful toy

Click Here to see more of this month's Craft Activities from Highlights Kids

Jean Warren's June Calendar

In the world of early childhood education, Jean Warren is my hero.
I have many of her books and I visit her website - Preschool Express - often.
Jean creates wonderful calendars for preschool classrooms or for "home schooling" your little one.
Get a copy of her calendar page for June Here and then wander through the rest of her site for more great ideas.

The Beginning

We began our summer together today - Miss Maya and her Grammy.
It seemed fitting that we begin by making a calendar, both to record and anticipate the wonder filled summer ahead.
Our calendar is made from a large sheet of poster board. Half of it is the traditional calendar part, with little boxes for each of the days of June, July and August.
The other half has big boxes left for pictures to illustrate each month - pictures from magazines or the newspaper, pictures we take with the digital camera and then print, pictures we draw.
The calendar boxes have room for small pictures too. We may want to leave a drawing of a special day.

Beginning tomorrow, and for each day of the summer, we will start our morning together by going out on the deck to see what the weather will be.
We'll come back inside and Maya will color in that day's box with an appropriate color marker - yellow or orange for a bright, sunny day; gray for clouds; blue for rain.
We might add more detail by drawing a melting ice cube if it's very hot, or a kite if the day is windy.

We have already illustrated some special days - Great Grammy's birthday in June and Maya's birthday in August...
A Splendid Summer lies ahead.