WEEK 4

MONDAY - Budding Artist day - remember that fence we "painted" a few weeks ago? Time to fill that blank canvas! Sidewalk chalk is cheap - $1 for a bucket of chalk at our Wal Mart (eek! Not that I go there or anything!), and a dollar is a GREAT investment for a morning's worth of artistic fun! We love to run along the fence with our chalk, making a huge line from one end to the other.

TUESDAY - I love IHOP, but do I really want to GO there with two kids by myself? Um, no. So, we're bringing IHOP here! Prepare to whip it up in the kitchen with homemade pancakes, a can of whipped topping, chocolate chips, sliced and diced fruit and tons of syrup and butter. What could be better?

WEDNESDAY - Scavenger Hunt! Tis time to whip out the creative juices and go foraging for random objects! You can make your own to fit the availability of items in your area - list about 20 random things. I have done indoor (from a particular canned food to a dust bunny) and outdoor (roly polys to hydrangea petals). This is great to do on a playdate. Give each child a sack and a list and send them on their merry way. We set boundaries of our yard and the neighbors' yard (since that's usually who is over here). Keep their bags of goodies for tomorrow's idea (which is why a nature scavenger hunt is usually best)...and don't forget the library!

THURSDAY - Make a collage! Take the items you found yesterday and arrange them on a piece of poster board or heavy cardboard to make a design or a picture. Even if you didn't do the scavenger hunt yesterday, you can still gather some interesting items and do this!

FRIDAY - SPRINKLER DAY! Pull out the sprinkler, turn on the slip-n-slide, or blast off the hose - whatever you have, make it a water day in the backyard today! The kids will cool off and have fun, and the yard will get a nice drink as well.