Monday, July 23, 2012

Splish-splash water fun

It's always fun at Nana's and Paw-Paw's house. Nicole and Nicholas were bored, so I took half a dozen water bottles from the recycle tub and opened one side, then zip-tied them to the fence to make a waterfall. Then I gave each of the kids a cup and the food coloring. They could add one drop or two different ones to their water. They had so much fun with this simple, nearly cost-free activity. Half a pan of water = half hour of spontaneous fun.


Nicholas wants to tell his teacher about this fun experiment. All it requires is an empty styrofoam egg carton, each section filled 3/4 full with clear water. Then start with three basic colors red, blue and yellow tinted water. Use eye dropper to place some of the red/blue/yellow water into each section to make color blends. Another half hour of fun!

And when my little miss bored of the color blends, I gave her a basket of seashells, and she counted them, laid them out in patterns and washed them.

It's always fun at Nana's. You will be a star in your own show if you do some of these things with your family; even older kids love the color blend and waterfall activities.

I hear the pitter-patter of little feet, which means Nick and Nicole are awake and will be wanting pancakes in the shape of ...something surprising. Have a fun day. 

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great ideas for Grandkids that age as yours. So young they get bored . I never knew what bordem was. I found things to do myself and brough my own things in a carry on to where I went and my kids did at Grandmas.

Well atleast you had the smarts to create all you did.

Sioux Roslawski said...

Linda--

Shame, shame, shame. You brought all those sandy sea shells back from your vacation, and didn't bother to wash them, because you knew you had some free labor. That little innocent girl, her tiny back hunched over that tub--how terrible!

Poor Nicole--her little fingers worked to the bone, scrubbing those shells, inside and out. ;)

Seriously, what a fun time those two grandkids are having with you. You're lucky to live close to them, and they're lucky to have such wonderful grandparents. (Bill, I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt when it comes to the fun-o-meter.)

Cathy C. Hall said...

Just caught up in Linda's world...the branding, Chatty Cathy, the jewelry debacle, the blue hose roots and your critique group (what a fun bunch you've got!)...and now here, at what a totally fun and wonderful grandma you are.

I particularly like your "wash the shells" activity. Wonder if that would work as well with dishes? ;-)

Janet Smart said...

Fun ideas! I used to love doing creative things with my kids when they were young.

Susan said...

Oh Linda, I'll bet those grandkids LOVE to come to your house! Such fun. Susan

Southhamsdarling said...

What a good grandma you are Linda! These are real fun things to keep them amused, and costs hardly anything. WOnderful! It really is so good to seem them enjoying doing things like this, rather than being on their DS or the like all the time!

Bookie said...

How clever! I am so hot today I would like to play in waterfall too!

Lynn said...

Hope those kiddos know how good they have it with you as their Grandma!

Susan Sundwall said...

Very, very cool ideas, Linda! Wish I had a chain link fence. My grands would love the waterfall. I'll have to follow your example for the others and watch them think I'm a genius. LOL

Anonymous said...

I've convinced my grandarlings that shelling purple hull peas and Florida butter beans is fun! Hee, hee, hee!

Kathy's Klothesline said...

As fun as that looks ..... I can see the bottles blowing across the grounds, pieces of zip tie cut up with mower blades ....... But the food color has definite potential. No, not algae, it is food coloring! I will have to pass this on to my daughter-in-law. They don't have a fence, but a tomato cage by the wading pool would work.

Karen Lange said...

You are a wonderful grandma! I'll have to try these ideas with my grandson. I'll be watching him on Friday, so I appreciate the ideas!

Donna Volkenannt said...

You are so creative. What a fun activity.
donna

Kim Lehnhoff said...

Even I'd have fun with the waterfall activity.

My kids used to love using a bucket of water and a big paintbrush and "paint" the sidewalk and picnic tables and everything else. We had the cleanest trees in town.

Val said...

Once again, you make me ask, "Where's that book of fun educational activities using recycled materials?"

Susan J. Reinhardt said...

What great ideas, Linda! I think I'd enjoy those activities.

Tammy said...

Wow-your creativity never ceases to amaze me!

Pearl said...

I wish YOU were my Nana! What fun!

Pearl

Pat Wahler said...

Never a better time for water games! Hope everyone is keeping cool.

Pat
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