Summer 2011

Summer is my favorite season.  Summer has an energy unlike other seasons.  We ask 'What are you doing this summer?' and 'How is your summer going?' We tell each other to 'Have a great summer.' and upon the return of school students will write about their summer vacation.

We kick off and end summer with a three day holiday. The Fourth of July holiday is  fast approaching and that means summer is about half way over!!!

Have you done anything besides run your kids to camps and ball games :-) Try to plan some fun outings with your children.  Don't let the summer days slip by without some good family fun.  Get a mom or two and try to plan an outing as a group.  Go to the zoo, Wildlife Prairie Park, a Chiefs game, spend the day at the park or go to Splashdown.

Have a great summer!

Kids Bowl Free!

Although I am not a great bowler, I enjoy it immensely.  I bowled in a league when I was in junior high and high school.  My Grandpa bowled well into his seventies and my Mom bowled every Wednesday for as long as I can remember (she wasn't great either but loved the time with her friends.) When the aunts, uncles and cousins gathered, we often went bowling.  Bumper pads made it fun when the kids were little and it was an activity everyone from the preschoolers to the grandparents could do together.

Bowling alleys across America are offering free bowling this summer. There are two bowling alleys in our area that are participating-Chilli Bowl in Chillicothe and Mount Hawley Bowl in Peoria.  Children up to fifteen years old can bowl free so it's a great outing for a wide variety of ages.  Shoe rental is not included. For more information or to register go to http://www.kidsbowlfree.com/ and click on Illinois or your state.

Parks and Playgrounds

Summer is the perfect time to explore local playgrounds and parks.  Pack up some water bottles, snacks, some sand toys, sunscreen and go play! Here are the websites for local playgrounds in our area---

http://mortonparkdistrict.com/

http://washingtonparkdistrict.com/

http://fondulacpark.com/

http://www.peoriaparks.org/

Road Trip!

Are you planning a summer vacation?  Are you brave enough to have the children turn off electronics and not watch movies in the car for a couple hours :-)  Car and travel games are a great way to engage your children on a trip. It is conversation, vocabulary and looking at the world around them from a car window!  I found a great website that has lots and lots of fun activities for a wide variety of age groups.
http://www.momsminivan.com/bigkids.html 

When my boys were little I created these 'I SPY' sheets for the car (prior to when we owned a home computer so excuse the art work!)

Have a safe trip and have fun with your children this summer!

What to Do?

I have had a busy week at summer camp.  This is my sixth year teaching Little X-plorers at the Sun Foundation's  Art and Science in the Woods.  We (another instructor and five or six teaching assistants) have thirty children who range in age from five to seven.  We hike, look for fossils, paint, play games, visit a marsh, weave, make jewelery, create drums with recycled objects, dig for artifacts in an archeology dig, work with clay, listen to storytellers and much more. It is an exhausting fun filled week! To learn more about the Sun Foundation and it's mission click- http://www.sunfoundation.org/sun/

What to do this weekend?

You can go to the Steamboat Festival on the riverfront.
http://www.peoriaevents.com/events/steamboat-festival.html

Or check out the Olde English Faire on Saturday and Sunday at Wildlife Prairie Park.  Admission is $8 for adults and $4 for children 12 and under.  http://www.wildlifeprairiestatepark.org/visit-todo-events.cfm?id=230&getdetails=yes

Have a great weekend! 

Everybody's Workin' for the Weekend

Lots and lots to do in central Illinois this weekend! Check it out-

Tremont Turkey Festival
http://www.turkeyfestival.com/

Peorian Chiefs are in town tonight through Saturday
http://peoria.chiefs.milb.com/index.jsp?sid=t443

Sommerfest with the German-American Society at Hickory Grove Park
http://www.peoria.com/events/event_details.php?event_id=1879&event_date_id=5566


20th Annual Return to Pimiteoui Pow Wow at Sommer Park
http://www.peoriapowwow.org/

Get out there and enjoy the summer!

I SPY-A Summer Project

I SPY bottles are a fun and easy project for these hot summer days! This is a fun activity for a wide variety of age groups.  Click on the link for directions.   http://metamoracommunityprek.blogspot.com/2010/11/i-spy.html

Check out the 2010 blog entries for June, July and August for more summer ideas! Stay cool!  Enjoy the summer!

Dad's Day

Father's Day is two weeks away.  I saw this birdhouse in a magazine and thought it was so cute! It would be a fun gift for Dad or Grandpa from the kids.

The company is 'Tweet Tweet Home'.  The DIY birdhouses are made of recycled plastic and come in two shapes-classic and cone. They are available in a wide variety of fun colors and designs. A great summer project! Tweet Tweet Homes are supposed to be easy enough that young children can assemble with adult help.

A quick search of   "Tweet Tweet Homes birdhouses" show lots of online stores that sell this product (the company does not sell directly to consumers).  Prices ranged from $9-$14.

Felines and Flutes

 If you and your family are looking for something to do this weekend, head to the Metamora Square on Friday, June 3rd for a free concert from 7:30-9 p.m. You might want to bring lawn chairs or a blanket to sit on and plenty of water to drink.

Does your child love cats???  Are you looking for something different to do? On Saturday, June 4th there is a cat show at the Peoria Civic Center.  The Midwest Regional Cat show will be held from 9 a.m-3 p.m. in the Exhibit Hall.  Ticket costs-$5/adults, $4/seniors and children 14 and under. 

PLUS-the Washington Cherry Festival  and the Elmwood Strawberry Festival  are being held through the weekend.

Let's enjoy the summer!