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Archive for the ‘Family Activities’ Category

by Jessica Inman

1 – Water fun

Lakesides and beachfronts just have a way of attracting cabins. If your cabin is near a lake or the ocean, take advantage. Your lake or beach probably has a Web site. A quick Internet search can help you find postings for activities, classes, equipment rental, boat cruises and of course the local rules and regulations.
New to boating? Never fear. Info pages abound on the web for beginning and aspiring boaters. Or check out the United States Power Squadrons, a national nonprofit committed to safe boating education.
Don’t worry: if yours is not a waterfront cabin, there is still water fun to be had. Wander on down to the local swimming hole, or gather friends and family for some good old-fashioned water games-water balloon fights, water gun duels, a spirited sprint through the sprinkler. Even if you don’t have kids in your family to validate this kind of water silliness, what’s to stop you from getting in touch with your own inner child?

2 – Cold Snacks and Drinks

When you come in out of the heat, nothing tastes better than a cold treat. You can make summer cooler by stocking the fridge with your favorite cold snacks and drinks. Frozen grapes and berries make a perfect summer snack-cold and tasty and ready in an instant. And, perhaps more obviously, ice cream and frozen yogurt make a delicious cold treat. Or try out this simple recipe from Southern Living for homemade orange soda:

• 1 12-oz. can frozen, pulp-free orange juice concentrate, thawed and undiluted
• 2 2-liter bottles of lemon-lime soda, chilled
• 1 to 2 oranges, thinly sliced

Combine the orange juice concentrate and soda just before serving. Serve over ice in individual glasses and garnish with an orange slice.

3 – Explore the Indoors

The whole point of a cabin is to enjoy the great outdoors. But sometimes the indoors can be pretty great too, and since the Center for Disease Control cites air conditioning as the greatest preventative to heat-related illness, it makes sense to spend a couple of the hottest afternoon hours inside. With the kids on vacation, pass some time with a few board games or a movie, or plan an indoor activity. This blogger has provided five summer science experiments for kids; with a little planning, you can nurture the little Einstein in your family.

It’s generally easier to alter the temperature inside than outside (unless, of course, you’re a comic book supervillain). Besides AC, you can use curtains and blinds to block the rays of the sun during the day, and open your windows at night to let the cool air in. Don’t leave the TV on needlessly – it puts out a little heat and can encourage your thermostat to crank out more air conditioning than necessary – and hold off on using the oven and dryer until after sunset. You can also keep yourself feeling cooler by running ceiling fans and by minimizing clothes and bedclothes.

Be Safe

There’s a serious side to all this, of course. Heat stroke is a life-threatening emergency, and while children and the elderly are particularly vulnerable to heat stroke and heat exhaustion, without using proper caution, anyone can fall prey to the heat. So be careful to avoid a heat emergency this summer by following a few guidelines:

• Drink plenty of cool water and other fluids-but go easy on the sugar and avoid caffeine and alcohol.
• Wear loose fitting, lightweight clothes in light colors and natural fibers.
• Stay in the coolest place available and keep activity to a minimum during the hottest part of the day. If you do insist on engaging in sports and other outdoor activities during the day, be sure to drink plenty of water or a sports drink to replace your fluids and minerals.
• Be vigilant with sunscreen. A sunburn will harm your body’s ability to keep your temperature stable. Besides, it’s hard to enjoy the outdoors if it hurts to move.

So exercise a little caution and do some planning ahead, and above all, have fun out there! Leave us a comment to let us know how you keep cool and have fun when it’s blazing hot outside.

View Jessica Inman’s original article with additional links and resources at http://site.blackforestdecor.com/blog/. Visit the site for all your cabin decor and rustic bedding needs.

by Rachel Paxton

Summer is a great time to play lawn games outside with your family. There are many affordable games available to choose from, and most games are portable so you can take them camping or to the local park for large gatherings of family and friends. The last time I went to Walmart I found all of these lawn games for $20 or less.

Ladder Ball

Ladder Ball has been very popular for the past couple of years. The game comes with two “ladders” and balls that are attached together with short nylon ropes. Each rope has a ball on each end. Each player gets three of these ropes to throw at a ladder. Points are based on which rung of the ladder the rope wraps around. This game is fun for all ages. For young children you will have to let them stand really close to the ladder so they can hit it, but even adults have a great time playing this game.

Bean Bag Toss

I just picked this bean bag toss game up the other day. It was only $19 at Walmart. It is the classic bean bag toss game. It comes with two collapsable platforms that each have a hole in them to throw bean bags through. This game is also suitable for children of all ages. Even toddlers will love this game. Our 1 year old loves running up to the platform and dropping the bean bag through the hole. This game comes with a portable carrying case. The platforms have removable legs and everything folds up and fits in the bag so you can take it with you. This game can also be played in the house. It is great for rainy days!

Horse Shoes

This is the classic game of horse shoes, also $19 at Walmart. It comes in a portable carrying case so is easy to take along with you to wherever you want to play it.

Magic Mitts / Rally Ball

This game is a little different but fun. It is only $5 and is two games in one. It comes with two mitts that have velcro on one side of them. Each player wears a mitt and you throw a ball back and forth to each other, using the velcro to catch the ball. The game also comes with two flat paddles and a rally ball to hit back and forth to each other.

Croquet

When I was a child, croquet was one of my favorite lawn games. It was one of the only lawn games that my family played together, and I always looked forward to when my parents got it out for us to play. Walmart also has an inexpensive portable version of this favorite game. This game is great for children that are old enough to be able to use a mallet to hit a ball on the ground. The object of the game is to be the first to hit a ball through a series of wickets that are set into the ground.

Hopefully these lawn game ideas will inspire you to go out and do something fun with your family this summer. Kids love to spend time with their parents, and lawn games are a great way to spend time together and have some fun at the same time.

Rachel Paxton is a freelance writer and mom of five. For resources for the Christian family, including parenting, toddler and preschool activities, homeschooling, family traditions, and more, visit http://www.Christian-Parent.com