Backyard Water Fun

Tomorrow is my last day of school for the 2020-2021 school year, and we are going through a heat wave.  Since it is the start of summer break, I  am also thinking of making a printable summer fun checklist for my Etsy shop.  I started going through my old summer challenge posts, and began reminiscing about the all the fun things my kids did when they were younger.  After going through the rabbit hole for awhile, I realized that a lot of our summer projects  we so much fun they should be shared again. 

** This post also contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.

In this post I am going share the inexpensive ways you can have fun with water.  All of the items used in these projects can be found at the Dollar Tree.

I buy all of my sponges at the Dollar Tree. They have many different types and colors to choose from.  We made these water bombs cutting several sponges into strips and then fastenings a few of the strips together. I am trying to see in the picture what we used it was either a rubber band or a small piece of pipe cleaner that was tucked in.  They kids enjoyed throwing them at each other, and they were much easier  than water balloons.  

We made our own sprinkler from a pool noodle. It is very easy to make.  To make one you need to duct tape one end of the noodle as securely as possible.  Then use a skewer to make the holes in the noodle for the water to come out.  The last thing you do is insert your garden hose in the open end of the noodle. 

The water project my daughter and her friends enjoyed the most was the water blob. To make a water blob you need plastic sheeting, strong duct tape, and the garden house.  We made two of them that summer.  You can see the first version at this post here.. The water blob experiment  

and the second version here.. the water blob.. Redo!

What ways do you like to have fun with water in the summer? 

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The Ice Ball Experiment

Sometimes posts just happen, and are not planned.  

That is the case with the Ice Ball Experiment that happened because of my daughter.  A few weeks ago I saw online that someone had made an ice ball, and given it to their pets.  I shared it with her because we have cats that always seem to be thirsty.  

On Saturday night she went to Homecoming, and when she came home she had some balloons with her. The next day, I did not notice that the balloons were missing.  That is, until my son asked me why was there a giant ball of ice in the freezer.  I had no idea.  After I went to bed, she had used some of the balloons to make the ice ball.  A couple of them were knotted too tightly and popped.  One though, she was able to untie, and fill with water.  While it was being frozen the ice ball expanded popping the balloon. I can see why my son was confused, there was literally a ball of ice on top of the frozen veggies.   If you want to make an ice ball of your own, you can find balloons at the dollar store.  

We sat the ice ball out to see what would happen.  Within a few minutes, we had our first curious kitty.  

Success!  She loved it.  

This one was not quite as sure what to make of it.  She looked rather confused.  

We will call this an almost success.  While she never did lick the actual ice ball, she did drink the water on the side of it.  

You will need a large bowl or container to put the ice ball in when you set it out for your pets.  It did not melt for several hours. but when it did, there was good amount of water left in the bowl.  Now that we know how easy it is to make, and that the cats will use it, we will make an ice ball again. It would be good for when you know you are going to go away for a couple of days, or if your pets always seem to need their water bowls filled up. 

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A Special Deal for the Holland Community Aquatic Center

Now that school is back in session and fall is settling in, are your kids missing the opportunity to go swimming again?  If you live in western Michigan, I found out that there is a great deal at the Holland Community Aquatic Center.  I love the Holland area, we lived there when my kids were little. There are so many fun things you can do with your family.

The Holland Community Aquatic Center is a state of the art, community supported aquatic facility.  It is committed to the excellence in  programming that improves the health, safety, enjoyment,  and athletic development of the people in the West Michigan Lakeshore Area. When the kids see what is at the Holland Community Aquatic Center, they just see FUN! 

There are several features such as the yellow streak water slide, a water playground, water basketball, an obstacle course, and a zip line. There is something for every member of the family to enjoy.   It is also a great place to have a party. You can find more information about parties, hours and directions on their website here.

If you would like to try out the Holland Community Aquatic Center, my readers can save money on their visit by printing a coupon for a Buy One Get One Admission Pass. You can find the coupon at this link HERE

We are hoping to visit the Holland Aquatic Center ourselves very soon. If we are able to make the trip, you will see more about the fun you can have in a future post.  

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Summer Water Fun and Inspiration

I am still very busy during this crazy month. While I wish I could be out relaxing by some water, I currently packing for our move.  I thought it might be fun though to share some of my water fun for kids  posts that I have shared over the last few years.  

A few years ago my daughter and her friend made a water blob.  While it takes a little bit of time to put together, they had hours of fun, 

While our homemade surfboards are not to be used in the water, we did play a lot of water themed games at Kara's Beach Bash Birthday. 

If you would like to see how to make these play surfboards, you can see how on my post Surf's Up

One of our favorite party dishes were these Crabby Sandwiches.

Another fun water treat is when we made these swimming and surfing bear marshmallow pops. 

Stay cool, and have fun! 

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