8 Super-Fun—and FREE!—Things
to Do This Summer
By Amy Crelly
Summer’s not over yet
(yay!), but neither is this recession (boo!). Luckily, the best things in
life really are free, and there
are plenty of fun
things for local families to do at home or around town.
Pick any of these cool ways to play alongside the kids, for guaranteed smiles
and memories that will last for years to come.
1. Wage A Wacky Water War
Sac’s own Fairytale Town hosts Wacky Water Days most summers, with kids
trying to storm King Arthur’s castle while volunteers armed with water
cannons dutifully guard it. You can recreate the fun and beat the heat any
day of the summer, in your backyard, at the park, or at your next family reunion,
and it won’t cost you a penny. Just designate your castle (you can hoist
a flag for marauders to capture, use a toy crown, or agree on a goal line for
opponents to cross), then arm both sides with super-soakers, water pistols,
buckets, and water balloons. Just try to hold the other team back! Classic
groupings include grown-ups vs. kids and boys against girls. If your family
doesn’t
do toy guns or war games, try a round of Dodge Splat (it's a sopping-wet version
of Dodge Ball with wet sponges or soaked rags replacing the balls).
2. Go Frisbee Golfing
Local courses include the one at Regional
Park (off Richardson Drive in Auburn).
It offers 18 holes with mostly flat terrain and shady areas. To find disc
golf courses close to home, visit dgcoursereview.com.
You can also create your own course right in your own backyard. Choose 18
(or fewer) targets (sturdy options include tree trunks, fence posts, lawn
chairs, a tetherball poll or volleyball net, etc.). Label each target with
a number drawn boldly on construction paper. Pick a starting point, and take
turns throwing the Frisbee at each target. Count how many throws each player
takes to hit a target, tallying as you go. Use the last target as your starting
point for the next target (in other words, after all players have hit target
#1, from there you’ll aim for target #2, then from target #2, take
aim at #3, etc.). The goal is to complete the course with the fewest number
of throws.
3. Make Your Own Audio Books
Maybe the only thing more fun than having someone tell you a story is getting
to play storyteller! Record a special reading of a favorite children’s
book or story. Older kids can play key parts (or do the whole project on
their own) for little brothers or sisters, or younger cousins. Try using
a bell or ringtone as a prompt, so little kids following along know when
to turn the page, and encourage kids to go nuts with sound-effects and voice
acting. (By the way, this makes a nice personalized accompaniment to a children’s
book given as a birthday gift.)
4. Chalk It Up!
Each Labor Day weekend, hundreds of artists gather in Sacramento’s Fremont
Park as the Chalk It Up! festival
transforms over 200 concrete squares into art canvases for chalk pastel masterpieces.
But who says you have to leave
home or wait until September to get inspired? Sidewalk chalk (or sidewalk paint—also
washable) offers hours of relaxing, creative fun for all ages. Pick a mural
theme you can all work on together (“Under the Sea,” Harry Potter, “Favorite
Fairytales”…), or have kids lie down then outline them in chalk
and have them fill in the details—eyes, clothes, fairy princess crown,
superhero outfit… their imagination is the only limit.
5. Breathe, Stretch, Smile, Repeat
If you’ve never tried yoga with your kids, now is the perfect time to
learn a few poses together. Visit SacLib.org to reserve a book or the YogaKids
DVD, go to www.YogaJournal.com/family, or stop in at TruFitness in Roseville,
where Tru Kids Yoga is free every Saturday at 11am, and parents are welcome
to join in the fun. End your practice with guided relaxation: Lie stretched
out on the ground in savasana (final resting pose), and in a slow, soothing
voice, say, “relax your toes, relax your feet, relax your legs…” to
help you and your little yogis gradually let go of muscle tension, from toes
to nose (let your last “pose” be a smile). This is a great tool
for kids to use at bed time (especially the night before school starts). Deep
breathing also helps everyone feel more calm, relaxed and happy.
6. Host a Film Fest
Choose a weekend or once-a-week time to gather (Friday nights good for everyone?),
and pick a genre or theme: musicals, animated flicks, action, fantasy, etc.
Then let everyone choose a movie and introduce it to the rest of the family.
You can make a special movie-themed meal or snack to kick off the festival
(like hot dogs and cowboy beans if you’re watching Westerns), or keep
things simple with good old popcorn. Discuss the movie afterward, sharing
your thumbs-up or thumbs-down reviews. Consider playing a round of movie
trivia on the last night of your film fest, with each person posing a question
or two about the film he presented to the rest of the family. The winner
with the most right answers gets out of doing dishes or taking out the garbage
(or something equally prized but free and easy for Mom and Dad).
7. Get Girly
Pamper yourself and your little princess or tween girly-girl with an at-home,
DIY spa day. Shampoo each other’s hair (being generous with the scalp
and neck massages), and follow with a deep conditioning treatment, wrapping
hair in a towel for maximum moisturizing. Or skip straight to the mani-pedis:
soak hands and feet, moisturize and massage, push back cuticles, trim nails
and polish each other to perfection! Be sure to make time to relax with your
favorite face mask, or exfoliating treatment. For a truly indulgent experience,
prepare chocolate-dipped strawberries or finger sandwiches the night before,
and add orange rounds and cucumber slices (also great for de-puffing tired
eyes) to a pitcher of chilled water. Aaah!
8. Go Hunting
To orchestrate a scavenger hunt, start by creating a list of fun things to
find. Little kids can seek out easier-to-spot items right at home (something
green,
something square, something with wheels…) while bigger kids will enjoy
solving riddles or following clues that take them around the block or even
across town. Split the family into teams, and race to see who finishes first.
If your family has more than one digital camera (or camera phone), you can
play a photo safari variation, where you race to see which team can get pictures
of certain things first.
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