Schools Out For Summer!!

This year will be the first summer holiday for my youngest daughter. I don't know if she is really looking forward to it or is excited about not having to go back to school or is true to form...just goes with it. My oldest is an old pro at summer and really enjoys the lazy days.. as long as she has a book (big glowing smile!). So for this summers activities I have planned weekly Library trips and some crafts. I decided my oldest was old enough to read the Twilight series much to her excitement so she is in the process of devouring number 1. My youngest is happy to read her books to her 'class' of stuffed toys because she plans on being a teacher like Mrs. Taylor. So this weeks library visit is out of the way. As for all the crafts planned for this summer most are cheap (my fave!) and relatively easy and because they love boardgames we are going to make some! Every year we paint rocks.. we have zillions of them and the painted rocks look pretty in the flower beds. SO this year I decided instead of slopping paint on them like they have been in the past the girls will have a couple of projects. I found 2 large mostly flat rocks that they are going to pain a Checker board on (with a little help from masking tape and me) and on the second large rock they are going to paint a Backgammon board (again masking tape). They have to figure out what colors they want to paint the two sides then how to mix the paints. Then they have to find 30 small rocks for the game pieces. I'm going to be a bit specific about this since they are going to be for both boards. I want the game pieces to be flat rocks so they can paint them the colors they want them to be but on one side paint a gold crown for when a checker has been Kinged. Now they will have an outdoor checker set and backgammon set to play. We also drive a lot in the summer to Oklahoma and back. So I thought it would be fun if they made their own roll up checker sets and backgammon sets and maybe become really creative and make a chutes and ladders sets (if you hadn't noticed they like checkers and backgammon). to make these I thought we would buy felt in the colors they choose for squares and the triangles of the checker and backgammon boards, and buy pretty material they choose to glue it to (this may actually have to be sewn.. I will see) And they can pick the color/style of buttons for their game pieces. Because we are going to use felt I can buy Velcro to help the pieces hold on to it, so I need to make sure I have some hot glue for my gun to glue that on. The Chutes and ladders one will take some extra thought but think a fun print with red felt chutes and gold felt ladders would work. I can make little pouches for all the pieces to go in with a drawstring top that they can leave in the game and just roll the whole thing up and tie closed. I haven't planned anything else until all these are done! I'm really hoping they work out it sounds like so much fun to do and the girls are really excited. Keeping them busy, active and creative is really important! If they finish we may try recreating or making up other boardgames. Pictures etc to come of these projects. Wish us luck! If you have any summer projects please share! Until next time...