Pirate Camp...Yo Ho Ho

My mom, a teacher, watches the boys in the summer. Last week they enjoyed her creativity with a week long pirate camp. I think it just might have been the highlight of their summer. Pirate camp involved costumes, games, books, activities, and crafts. It was an imagination filled week where they were whisked back into the time of the pirates. Ahoy matey!

My oldest wore a pirate costume for the majority of the week. We had picked it up on sale last year after Halloween for next to nothing.

My mom created this huge pirate ship out of cardboard boxes. This DIY pirate ship had a simple design with some port holes and a skull and bones flag. She used a plastic paper plate holder as the steering wheel. Note the anchor below drawn on the side of the ship. The ship was a huge success. We had to tell them it floated away on an adventure because they were so upset to see it gone at the end of the week.

My youngest was involved in the fun as well. An old box was transformed into a treasure chest with a little help from some gold paint and black electrical tape. My mom found this website to be the most useful for activities and crafts: http://makinglearningfun.com/themepages/PiratePrintabels.htm They have exceptional printables, math games, reading activities, and crafts for all ages of children to enjoy.

Here he is mopping the deck with his parrot. This great craft can be found at http://familyfun.go.com/how-to-videos/familyfun-parrot-for-pirate-762365-v.

A crumbled up piece of brown paper with paths and markings inside and outside the house served as a treasure map. He completed about three treasure hunts throughout the week and found some pirate gold and golden necklaces. He was very excited about his pirate "booty" and giggled at the double meaning of the word. Aarrgh!

Parties I linked to:

http://todayscreativeblog.net/

http://www.nothingbutcountry.com/

http://jandmseyecandy.blogspot.com/

http://www.crystalandcomp.com/

Make Your Own Ice Cream Cookie Sandwich Maker

Hot Weather + Summer = Ice Cream Time

I am sure you have seen all the fancy ice cream cookie sandwich makers available on the market. We love ice cream sandwiches made with cookies but I did not feel like paying $8-$15 for a contraption. I came up with my own version for under $1.50. We made these out of Reese's Peanut Butter Cup cookies today and they were delicious as always.

Ingredients:

Cookies

Ice Cream

2 " PVC Coupling (54 cents at Lowe's)

2" Test Cap (68 cents at Lowe's)

Ice Cream Cookie Sandwich Maker out of PVC

Directions:

1. Lay one cookie top side down and add a scoop of ice cream

2. Place second cookie on top

3. Place test cap on PVC coupling

4. Fit over cookie combination

5. Gently press down with your finger

6. Enjoy Delicious Ice Cream Sandwiches!

Tip: I like to make up a bunch of ice cream cookie sandwiches at once. I place them in a Ziploc bag in the freezer for easy summer treats.

Parties I linked to:

    

http://todayscreativeblog.net/

GPS Adventure Game and Summer Fun

This week we headed out to pick strawberries again on one of my days off. However, when we arrived the sign at the gate said "All Picked Out." Oh no! Cade, my three year old, quickly informed me after I read him the sign that we were "Not going to have any fun today." After laughing at his dramatic exclamation, I decided we would find something else to do. That was when the GPS adventure idea was born.

I pulled out my GPS and selected a city about thirty minutes away. Then I picked POI (points of interest) around that area. There were several points of interests I had never heard of or had never been to. I have to admit the first place we tried to go, a dinosaur trail, was closed and out of business. We tried again and I found Big Rock Park in Glenrose, Texas. Here are some pictures of our adventure. They boys loved it!

My son loved climbing up, under and through the passages of the huge rocks.

We climbed in the nearby creek and went for a walk. We ended up soaked after a water fight!

I think we are going to have to make our GPS Adventure a family tradition. What a great way to get rid of summer boredom and discover a new place! Please let me know how your GPS Adventure goes and what you find!

Parties I linked to:
http://todayscreativeblog.net/