Summer Activity Quick Takes
So it’s been crazy hot here in MI, and since we don’t have AC, we have been sweating it out. Here’s how we are making it work in our family.
1.Kiddie Pools
We have 2. That may seem like overkill, and maybe it is a little, but they were both gifts, and we fill them both each day. Honestly it helps to have separate pools because Charlotte can wade peacefully and the big two can splash. Sometimes they use one pool for cooling off, and one pool for water play. They’ll add boats and trucks and try to float leaves and sticks in it.
2. New Toys
No, we don’t buy our kids new toys during heat waves, but my mother taught me to stash away Christmas and birthday gifts to bring out throughout the year when a new game/activity/toy is needed. I’ve done it since G was a baby, and it has saved my butt through the long Michigan winters. William’s godmother visited us recently, and she is also a big proponent of spreading out the joy of gifts, so I put aside quite a bit of what she brought the kids (all used because she’s a thrifting boss!) and have brought a couple of the pieces out this week to beat the heat.
Yesterday we took out the very special Playmobil aquarium, only to be played with with supervision (because of the little tiny pieces). They are now absolutely hooked on Playmobil, which is great because it was my favorite as a kid! It was amazing to have something new and exciting to pull out on a day when it was too hot to be outside.
3. Cold Dinners
This is something else I learned from my mom. Growing up, she would fire up the grill on summer mornings and cook up a bunch of chicken before the day got hot. Now, because she is such a rockstar Nana, she comes over to our house to man the grill. Having some cold and already cooked chicken at 5pm really helps me out when it’s so hot I’m barely hungry and don’t even want to think about turning on the oven, stove, or grill.
In addition to cold grilled chicken we eat a lot of fresh, uncooked veggies, and my kids adore this Greek pasta salad. It pairs nicely with chicken and sits well in the fridge.
4. Homemade Popsicles
Popsicles are amazing. Homemade ones are even more so, and contain so much less (zero) refined sugar! There are a ton of recipes online, but I just take what we have, usually some combo of fruit, maybe some yogurt, and juice if we have it, and blend it up in the Magic Bullet. Then we pour it into our popsicle molds. We have a couple of different types of molds, but these are my favorites. I love the straw feature, and the lids go on nice and snug.
5. Outings
I’m a big homebody. But sometimes, you just gotta get out of the house. Especially when everyone is hot and cranky. Currently my mom is fostering 2 tiny kittens, and walking down to play with them was a great morning activity this week. We’ve also gone to the local park, my in-laws, and next week I’m hoping to hit up the science center.
6. Movies
We don’t do a ton of screen time around here, but we’ve all really enjoyed watching a movie in the cool of the living room (with plenty of fans blowing) while the sun beats down outside. We’ve done a post-nap movie twice this week, to watch the entirety of Anne of Green Gables (the Megan Follows one). G loves the books, and both she and Will loved the movie. I’m hoping to find a copy of the sequel to borrow for next week.
7. Frozen Drinks
Okay, this one is just for me, but it certainly does help after a long day with hot, cranky kids. That Magic Bullet is good for more than just blending popsicles 😉 I’m a fan of a strawberry margarita, but anything frozen and blended is lovely this time of year!
I’m linking up with Kelly so click on over to read the other 7 Quick Takes this week!