Summer and Homesteading with Kids

It is that time of year.  School is almost out, and the kids will be home.  All.   Summer.  Long.  What do you do that won't break the bank and won't make you want to shuffle them off to boarding camp?  Below are some fun and homestead friendly ideas.  

Do you have some ideas you want to share?  Please.  Share.  It's a long 2.5 months.

Outdoor Homemade Games

So, the idea is to reuse what you have or to use what you find to make these games.

Backyard Tic Tac Toe

Materials:

• Smooth rocks -10
• Either:  cross cut log, round flat paver, left over plywood, the end of a large spool (you get the point) for the game board
• Paint or homemade paint:   (1 cup powdered milk, 1/2 cup linseed oil, 2 cups water, color (berries, clay, or ash)

Use the log, paver, etc. and paint to make a tic tac toe board

Paint the rocks 5 one color and 5 another (or make them with designs.  I personally prefer lady bugs and daisies)

Place it in the backyard and play.  This project is easy and kid friendly.

Here is an example I found on the internet:

You can do this type of project with twister, checkers, chess, scrabble, dominoes, toss across and sorry.

Homemade RingToss:

Materials:

• 2 1-inch thick sticks about 3 feet long, or 6 smaller ones
• Hoops:  Cross stitch rings, round clamps, swimming rings, frisbees, old pool noodles, hula hoops for a big set, etc.

Hammer the sticks in the ground about 30 feet apart.  Toss the rings like you would in horseshoes.  If the rings are flimsy and need weight, add small stones on each side and duct tape.  You can also use smaller stick hammered in the ground in a pattern to do the traditional ring toss.  

Here are some examples:

• Grow and harvest a garden.  Start to finish, let them help.
• Build a Fire Pit and Roast hot dogs and marshmallows.
• Build a tee pee and have an outdoor picnic.
• Camp out in the back yard with your new fire pit.
• Forage for edible weeds.
• Make firestarters together and then use them.  (See previous post on how to make firestarters).
• Build a greenhouse together and then camp in it before the plants get there.
• Build a solar oven together and bake cookies.
• Use a pool noodle with holes in it to make a fun day sprinkler.  Add heavy plastic between two rows of noodles to make a slip and slide.
• Make rain barrels to harvest water.  Kids love to conserve the earth.
• Make oil based soaps with herbs harvested from that garden you planted.

There are TONS of things you can do with the kids over the summer that will also move forward your homesteading skills and preparedness.

Thanks for reading.  Happy Homesteading!