Page 30 - North State Parent June 2020

Seven Budget-Friendly Backyard Activities Your Kids Can Enjoy This Summer
Call out each direction and watch players stretch, reach and balance as they strive to be the last kid standing on your lawn Twister board!
Make a slip and slide splash pad.
Have your kids change into their bathing suits for this giggle-inducing activity. All you'll need is a large tarp and a hose. Lay the tarp down in an area with plen- ty of space around all sides of the tarp. Run the water from the hose on the tarp until it's soaked and slippery. Keep the hose running as your kids splash on the tarp and slide on it barefoot or Superman-style.
Throw a fiesta with water balloon piñatas.
Your kids can keep their bathing suits on for this wet and wild game of water balloon piñatas. For this activity, you'll need water balloons, string, a strong piece of rope and a plastic bat.
Tie the rope between two trees or two other stur- dy structures
Fill the water balloons with water, tie into a knot, and then tie a string around each knot
Tie several water balloons to the rope using the at- tached strings so that the balloons hang overhead like a row of piñatas
Have each child take a turn swinging the plastic
bat to see how many balloons she can burst in 30 sec- onds. Use a blindfold with older children to further test their skill.
Blast the sprinklers.
Your kids can stay cool in this at-home spray park, courtesy of your lawn sprinklers. If you have an oscil- lating sprinkler system, scatter water-friendly toys around the sprinkler unit for each child to scoop up be- fore getting soaked by the swinging water stream.
Get creative with colorful water art.
Bring out your child's inner artist with this game of water squirter art. Fill water squirters with water mixed with food dye, using a different color for each water squirter. Set down sheets of paper on the grass or tape sheets of paper onto trees and enjoy watching your kids paint colorful masterpieces.
Beat the summer slide backward with an outdoor reading haven.
If a more mellow activity suits the bill, create an outdoor reading haven for your child to enjoy and beat the decrease in a child's reading and other academic proficiency that can occur during the summer months. Prevent this learning loss by turning a shady spot of
your yard into a reading oasis with items you already own, such as:
• Beachorpatiochairstokickbackinforarelaxingread • A milk crate or bench to use as a makeshift table to hold books, word game or math problem paper-
backs, and educational magazines
• A divided serving tray filled with healthy snacks
such as pita triangles and hummus, turkey and let- tuce pinwheels, carrots, grapes, and cheese
If your child needs a nudge to get reading this
summer, look online for summer reading incentive pro- grams offered by various businesses. To further keep expenses down, visit your local library so your child can sign out summer reading books of her choosing.
Get your kids to release their judo grip on their tablets or phones this summer by turning your back- yard into an activity-filled playland, all without break- ing the bank! Ó
Dolores Smyth is a mother of three who finds inspiration for her writing from everyday life.
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