Dog days of summer!?!? How to beat the heat!

With the temperature breaking 100 all over the country, what is a parent to do!?!? When there are heat warnings, you can only send them outside for brief and I mean BREIF flops in the pool. So what are you to do? Here are some simple ideas for indoor fun….

1.) Movie day! Pop some popcorn and start a movie/cartoon marathon. Keeping the curtains closed will help with them temp and give a theater feel

2.) Swim in the tub. It’s wet and a few toys can keep them busy for a bit

3.) Play-doh! Set them up at the kitchen table and let them be creative

4.) Board games. Try something new. We here at MAD are learning to play checkers

5.) Have an art gallery day! Look at the “Masters” online then have your children draw pictures. Hang them around the house and ask them to take you on a tour. Ask question like “how were you feeling when you made that” or “Does this picture have a special meaning to you”

If you must be outside for any period of time, keep an eye out for warning signs like profuse sweating, weakness, muscle cramps, headache, and nausea and vomiting. These can come on quickly in children and are signs of heat exhaustion and stroke!

If you have pets, keep an eye on them as well! Do not let your dogs play outside (poo and back in) and please keep them off hot cement which can burn their paw pads. If you have outdoor pets like chickens or bunnies, provide 2 litter bottles of frozen water for them to lay against for relief.

Be it animal or human, make sure everyone has cold water and lots of it on these crazy hot days!

Have fun but be safe!

Summertime coloring printables

Do you have a Dora fan? Or maybe a child that just loves to color? Check out this 5 page printable, Dora Summertime Coloring Pack. Give them something to do so you can take a mini break!

Summer is coming, be a super mom!

Are you a super mom? Me either! LOL But I try to be. With summer on the horizen it is never to early to prepare. Those children will be out of school and in out hair all too soon. So what do we do with them? Anything and everything we can find! But where do we find things to do with them???

Here are you "getting started", summer planning tips......

1.) Check your local library. Many libraries have summer reading programs. Some libraries have special events. Ours has a library in the park program once a week that is free. So call your library and ask.

2.) Summer sports. Your local rec department usually handles this type of thing and it isn't always expensive. We got our son into a summer t-ball program for just $15.

3.) Zoos. Many zoos have special events all summer long, like arbor day and animal enrichment days. Don't forget to check out if zoo camps are available. These can be very expensive depending on the zoo. We are lucky and our zoo offers 3 hrs a day for a week for $50. Getting a membership at a zoo makes visiting often easier and usually discounts on things like camps. Also check to see if they have scholarship programs.

4.) Museums and Nature Centers. Check websites for free days, special events and camps.

Now I know this is not the end all be all of things to do this summer, but it is a good jumping off point. I know when I sat down and started putting together my son's summer activities, these were some of the main things that are already on the calendar.

So start looking now. Things fill up fast. Remember you don't have to spend a ton of money to have fun. Free things are just as good. So start planning your low coast, no coast summer of fun!