Summer Games & Activities: I Spy Bottles

I spy with my little eye a fun, summer craft that becomes a game to enjoy for hours and hours! I Spy Bottles are both fun to make and fun to use!

Here’s what you need: Clear Plastic Bottle with Lid, Items small enough to fit through the hole in the bottle, rice, a funnel, glue

The bottle you use can be any size or shape. Changing those factors can make the items in the bottle more challenging to find. Make sure the bottle is clean and allow some time for the inside to dry. Remove the lid and place the funnel in the opening of the bottle. Pour a layer of rice into the bottom. Next add one of your items. Items can include a variety of things from buttons and beads to small action figures or marbles. It’s up to you which items you would like to search for in your bottle. After adding the item, pour another layer of rice. Continue this process until the bottle has been filled.

Now you will need to glue your lid into place so it doesn’t come off. Be sure to give the glue time to dry! Now your I Spy Bottle is complete and ready to use. By spinning, shaking and tilting the bottle around, you will be able to bring the items into view. You can even write the different items on the bottle in permanent marker to help little ones remember which items they are looking for.

This simple craft has now become an activity that will keep children busy on rainy days, long car rides and more!

Summer Games & Activities: Homemade Bubble Wands

Complete your homemade bubble kit by making your very own bubble wands! There are a few different choices when it comes to making bubble wands. Here are a few that we found to be quick and easy for little hands to create and enjoy.

Pipe Cleaner Bubble Wands are a breeze to create! For starters, have children pick out their favorite color pipe cleaner, also known as chenille stem, to create their wand with. You can even spin more than one color together for an extra pop of color fun! Now you will need to form the end of your wand. One side of the pipe cleaner will remain straight while the other will be formed into a shape. Have your students get creative and bend the pipe cleaner into whatever shape they choose. You will want to make sure that you secure the end to the base of the wand by twisting it into place. Now each student has their very own bubble wand unique to them. Try adding beads to the stick of the wand to give added stability and color!

       

Water Bottle Bubble Wands are perfect for those little ones that haven’t quite got the hang of blowing bubbles just yet. All you need are some old plastic bottles of water or juice. Take scissors and cut off the bottom section leaving you with what looks like a funnel. You may need to poke a hole to give you a starting place to cut in. You can cut off a large portion of the bottom or just a small portion. Dip the side that you cut into the bubble mixture and blow through the top. Kids can easily blow bubbles with this recycled wand! Try using different sized bottles to get a variety of bubble sizes. Looking for an option that can better withstand several hours of use? Here’s a wand that could be prepared by the parent or teacher ahead of time.

Clothes Hanger Bubble Wands are a bit more challenging to make, but they enlarge the bubble fun. The steps for this bubble wand follow the same directions as the pipe cleaner bubble wand, although, you may need pliers to easily bend the metal. This would probably not be one for the kids to create on their own, but would be great for outside play if prepared ahead of time by a teacher or parent.If you missed our blog on Homemade Bubbles, be sure to check it out at http://purefunsupply.blogspot.com/2014/06/summer-games-activities-homemade-bubbles.html. You can follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and  Pinterest for all updates, specials, and more Summer Games and Activities!

Healthy Habits Puppets

Looking for a fun way to teach your little ones about Healthy Habits and Safety? The Healthy Habits Puppets are perfect for assisting in the teaching of these topics! This friendly-faced puppet team is sure to grab the attention of even your youngest students. Children will fall in love with the characters and not only learn about Health and Safety, but retain the information they have learned as they continue to grow.

The stars of the team include Sam Soap, Tyler Tooth, Abby Apple, Shawna Shoe and Safety Sue. Each character demonstrates five areas of healthy habits including hygiene, tooth care, nutrition, exercise and general safety.

Meet the Healthy Habits Team! Sam Soap will teach your students all about hygiene! They will learn what it means to have good hygiene as well as how to maintain it. Tyler Tooth knows all the facts on tooth care. He will have kids asking to brush and floss rather than viewing it as a chore. Abby Apple is the nutrition buff. She will share with your students what foods they need in order to grow big, strong and healthy. Shawna Shoe is all about exercise! She will help little ones maintain a healthy lifestyle by teaching them all about the importance of exercise. Last but not least is the topic of general safety which is Safety Sue’s area of expertise! Students will learn from Sue how to stay safe in different situations and how to react should those situations occur.

The set includes instructions and ideas for using the puppets, along with 15 reproducible coloring pages and worksheets. These bonus items will help to teach, reinforce, and extend the learning activities of these important healthy habit concepts.

The Healthy Habits Puppets, made of soft, polar fleece fabric, are perfect for use in childhood and elementary classrooms, as well as daycare and childcare centers! Get yours today and use them to teach children the importance of developing and using good, healthy habits!

Summer Games & Activities: Homemade Bubbles

During Summer time, it is practically impossible to keep the kids inside. Here is a quick and easy recipe to create your very own bubbles and give them hours of outside playtime. All you need is water and Liquid Dish Soap.

Add 1 cup of water and 1 tablespoon of liquid dish soap to your container. (You can altar your measurements to fit your bubble container if needed.) Gently stir the two together to combine them and you’ve got bubbles! How simple is that? The kids can even help you make it.

Want to make the bubbles last longer? It might sound silly, but sugar is the answer! Just dissolve a 1/2 cup of sugar into 4 cups of warm water. Next, stir in a 1/2 cup of liquid dish soap and you're ready to go.

Bonus Idea* Create a Bubble Refill Station so the Summer Fun never ends! Make your bubble mixture in a drink dispenser that has a pour nozzle on the bottom. Kids can refill their own bubbles as they run out. Give each child a small cup to fill up as needed. Now you can sit back, relax, and enjoy the bubble show!

Visit us again at http://purefunsupply.blogspot.com to learn how to make Bubble Wands to go along with your homemade bubbles!

Summer Games & Activities: Sidewalk Chalk

Summer time is here and we want to help you keep your little one’s busy with some fun, summer games and activities!

For starters, we have created a short list of some classic sidewalk chalk games! Sidewalk chalk is a must have for children during summer time! Best of all, it is both inexpensive to purchase and easy to find.

The list for Sidewalk Chalk fun is endless, but here are a few of our favorites!

Hopscotch has been passed down from generation to generation and continues to be a game that children love! All you need to do is create your board by drawing squares in a line. You can make it more challenging by adding two squares side by side. Little ones can simply jump from square to square. For the older kids, have them jump on one foot in single squares and place a foot in each square when there are double squares. Need to make it more challenging? Have your students throw a bean bag or even a rock into one of the squares. This square is now exempt and should be jumped over completely!

Four Square is another kid favorite! Simply draw four large squares in a box shape. The squares should be large enough for each player to move around freely in. Now you need a ball that can bounce! The goal is to bump the ball from square to square without it bouncing twice in a square or bouncing out of the box. This one will keep students busy for hours and is perfect for ensuring that students get in a little exercise.

Drawing a Body Outline is a great way to have your students focus on detail and get creative with their drawings. Split students into groups of two or more. One student will need to lay down while the others trace their body outline with the chalk. Now they can decorate the outline to look like their friend. They can add fun details too, such as a sport that person plays or what they want to be when they grow up.

      

Tic Tac Toe is a perfect game to play with chalk! All you need is to draw a number sign (#) to create the playing board. One student is “X” and the other is “O”. The first one to get three of their letters in a row wins! You can even have a tournament to see who the ultimate tic tac toe champion of your class will be. 

Connect the Dots is a simple one that all students can play. To make this game board, you will need to draw a series of dots in rows. You can make the board as big or as small as you would like. The larger the board, the longer the game will be. The goal of the game is to form a box making one line at a time. Each player will go back and forth connecting two dots, either horizontally or vertically, by a line. When a player completes a box they can claim it by putting their initials inside. That player also gets an extra turn. The player with the most boxes completed at the end wins!

Have a chalk game you want to share with us or a favorite summer game? Comment below and tell us all about it! We will be posting more summer game ideas and activities so be sure to check back in at http://purefunsupply.blogspot.com.