LIFE

Hose Wars

Throw on your swimsuits, and head out to the backyard. There’s a waterpark just waitin’ for ya, and it won’t cost you a cent. Put your thumb over the end of the hose so that most of the hole is covered, and then you can create different sprinkler effects. Just make sure that everyone gets a fair turn being the sprinkler to keep your summer fun from turning into a summer fight.

Gamers, Minus the Videos

Pull out a variety of boardgames, so that there’s something for everyone – the lucky sib, the smart one, and the goofy one. Then you can take turns picking your fave games and totally crushing each other (in the nicest way possible, of course). Also, see what games you’ve got lying around that ya haven’t tried yet. Sometimes you’ll find that the “grownup games,” like Scrabble or Taboo, that your ‘rents thought would bore you when you were younger are pretty fun now.

Tasty Treats

Everybody loves sugary cereal, right? Make it even better by putting it into Rice Krispie Treats. They’re really simple to make, and you can do a couple batches, using a different kind of puffed cereal each time. All you have to do is prepare a baking pan with cooking spray, and then melt ¼ cup of butter and 5 cups of marshmallows over low heat on the stove. Pour the melted mixture into a bowl, and stir in 5 ½ cups of your and your sibs’ fave cereal. Then just pour it all into the prepared pan, press it down, and let it cool for a while. Voila! A yummy homemade snack for you and your sibs to share.

Olympics FTW

While you’re waiting for the real Summer Olympics to start, have your own! Grab your sibs, and hold a series of competitions in your backyard. You can play traditional sports, like basketball and soccer, and you can also do your own crazy ones. Make up an obstacle course, have a hula-hooping contest, throw some water balloons, and do the limbo. If you wanna go all out, you and your sibs can even make medals for the winners at the end of the day.

Not-So-Embarrassing Home Videos

Usually when Mom and Dad bring out the home videos, you and your sibs groan. It’s gonna be you doing silly stuff when you were a baby – super boring, and super embarrassing. But now, you can make your own home videos! Grab the camera (carefully), and see what you and your sibs can come up with. Try doing a parody of a movie genre, like an extra sappy romance or a dorky horror film. You can write up a script, or just see how good you all are at improv. Then when Mom and Dad get home in the evening, you can have a screening. And be sure you and your sibs get the best seats in the house, since you’re the stars!

by Carrie Ruppert | 2/1/2016