We spent today chilling out and playing at home so we can kick the summer cold the entire family has been suffering with for a week.  It was a BEAUTIFUL summer day!  There was a nice breeze, bright sun, a crystal clear blue sky and those long late August shadows that make this my favorite time of year.

Much to my surprise, Bean and Budder spent TWO whole hours playing in our little plastic pool and the water table.  Wow, what a treat for Mom!  It all began with a simple activity that kids really enjoy.

Does It Sink or Float?
This activity is so easy to do.  First, send your children off on a scavenger hunt in the house and outside to collect items they can use for play in water.  Next, have them divide items into two separate piles, those.that they think will sink in water and those that will float.  If you really want to get fancy, you can ask them to write a list of the items they found with two columns set up next to the list with the headings "sink" and "float'.  Lastly, tell them to take turns dropping items, one at a time, into the pool and watch to see what happens.  If they wrote a list, make sure they mark what each item did.







With any luck, the game will turn into hours of fun using the items found in the scavenger hunt for creative play in the water and out.


Do you have never fail ideas for simple activities that keep your children busy for hours?  If so, please share.  Everyone could use some tips for keeping their kids busy while they enjoy some time to accomplish things around the house.  Thanks!