Sign Up for your Library's Summer Reading Program | Summer Fun Guide

I have had more than one teacher tell me how important it is for kids to continue to read over the summer, especially the early readers like my two girls. They work so hard during the school year and without practicing their skills over the summer, they will regress.

Last summer's schedule was very hectic for my family so we didn't participate in a Summer Reading program. I just didn't make it a priority to head to the library.  While my kids had a fun and active summer spent outside with their friends--which is also important--our oldest started first grade last September forgetting some of the skills she had learned in Kindergarten.

This summer will be different. We will continue to spend as much time outside as possible, but we WILL participate in our library's FREE Summer Reading Program. It's just foolish not to.

We are fortunate to live very close to two top notch libraries who make reading & learning fun with a variety of weekly activities. There are movie nights, summer plays, visits from the local zoo, and other fun & educational activities for all ages. And both libraries offer prizes when the students reach their weekly reading goals, like free cones at Dairy Queen or free slices at a local pizza joint.

They're basically bribing our kids to read, but it works!

This past weekend, our local library held its Summer Reading Kick Off party and many of our favorite story characters showed up to par-tay.

Don't walk---RUN---to your local library to sign up for their summer reading program. The more our kids read over the summer, the easier the next school year will be for everyone.

Do your kids participate in a Summer Reading program? Have you participated in the past? Did it help your kids' reading skills? Let us know about it in the comments.



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Visit a Different Playground Every Week {Summer Fun Guide}

One of my kids' favorite things to do is go to a playground to play. They will play, climb, swing, jump, and slide for hours. And if there is a sand pit, my youngest will become a filfthy mess and wonder out loud, "mommy, why don't we have a sand box." When it is time to leave, I usually need to strip her down to her undies before she gets into her car seat. At which point I say back to her, "this is why we don't have a sand box."

My girls have their favorite playground, but I like to mix things up and take them to a different one each week. Why? It prevents boredom...plain and simple. Each playground visit is a new experience with different kids to play with and different equipment to explore and I don't mind driving a few extra miles to try a new park. We pack snacks, water, and sunscreen and head out in the morning to beat the high afternoon heat.

Do you have a favorite park? Try a new this week...mix it up a little.

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Live Butterfly Garden

Have you seen the Live Butterfly Garden Hatching Kit advertised on TV? My kids have and my oldest daughter was super excited when she received one for her birthday last fall.

The box contains the mesh 'garden' as seen on the box and a coupon to receive 5 caterpillars and food via mail. She waited anxiously all winter to be able to order the caterpillars for the garden. Every other week, she would rightfully whine, 'is it spring yet?"

Finally, it was time to order the caterpillars. The kit comes with a 'live creature coupon' that you redeem on Insect Lore's website for 5 caterpillars and food. After reading online, I needed to time the delivery around our vacation so we would be home for their delivery and care. It takes about 2 weeks from the time that the caterpillars are delivered to your home to when they are ready to be set free.

The cup needs to sit undisturbed (which can be tricky with kids) and away from direct sun-light. I placed the cup on our breakfast bar ledge and gave the kids strict orders to 'look, but don't touch'. The caterpillars were quite active, crawling all over their cup. That brown layer on the bottom of the cup is their food...and also quickly became their bathroom too.

Slowly, the caterpillars work their way to the top of the cup to hang.

And before your very eyes they form into chrysalids.

Once all of the caterpillars have formed into chrysalids, it is time to move them to their mesh home. I was a little concerned that I would hurt the chrysalids, especially after removing the lid and seeing that the caterpillars had eaten much of the paper that needed to be moved to the mesh.

That paper disk at the top of the cup is where the caterpillars attach themselves. It needs to be carefully removed and pinned to the mesh wall.

After several days as chrysalids, we woke up to butterflies emerging.

They fluttered around and around.

To feed the butterflies, we placed some bee balm flowers from my garden on the floor of the mesh garden and sprinkled sugar water on the petals for the butterflies to drink.

When all five of the butteflies had emerged we took them outside to set them free in our garden. I would have kept them for a few more days, but we were going out of town and I didn't want to come home to dead butterflies.

The Butterfly Garden was a lot of fun for my whole family. The kids enjoyed waking up every morning to see what had changed over-night. The Live Butterfly Garden Hatching Kit is around $14 on Amazon and is eligible for the Super Saver Shipping. You can also buy it on the Insect Lore website for $19.99. The caterpillars are free with the coupon code that comes in the box, but there is $5 shipping fee. But for $20 - $25 you have a fun spring/summer gift or activity for the kids.

Have you ever raised butterflies? Did your family enjoy the process? Let us know in the comment.

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Homemade Ice Cream in a Bag {Summer Fun Guide}

We are a family of ice cream connoisseurs...that's a nice way of saying that we are addicts. It is one of our favorite ways to beat this incredible heat wave that is passing over the US.

While we enjoy an occasional trip to the ice cream shop, that can get expensive. I have no problem buying a carton of good ice cream at the grocery store, but Homemade Ice Cream in a Bag is a fun (and frugal) treat for the kids. You probably have most of the ingredients in your kitchen. I only needed to buy some whole milk, since we don't normally drink it and the pint cost me $1.

Homemade Ice Cream in a Bag

makes 2-3 servings

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 cup whole milk or half & half
• 1 teaspoon vanilla - This is where you can experiment with what you have on hand. Try replacing the 1 tsp vanilla with 1 tsp coconut extract. My daughter wanted orange, so I used 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange.
• ice
• 1/2 cup kosher salt or any coarse grain salt.
• quart sized Ziploc bag
• gallon sized Ziploc bag
• your favorite ice cream toppings

Instructions

1. Pour the milk, sugar, and flavoring into the quart sized Ziploc bag. I would only use the Ziploc type bag to prevent leaking (see picture).

2. Place the ice, salt, and the quart bag inside the gallon Ziploc bag. Zip tight.

3. Grab some gloves and SHAKE!

4. SHAKE for 5 - 10 minutes and the ice cream will start to harden.

My oldest daughter thought she would try to shake without gloves...it didn't last long.

5. Add your favorite toppings and Enjoy!

The day was so hot that the ice cream started melting pretty quickly and the kids were in no mood to wait to eat it, so no time to set up a good picture.

Do you make your own ice cream? What are your favorite toppings?

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Celebrate Summer Solstice {Summer Fun Guide}

According to the Old Farmer's Almanac, summer officially begins Wednesday, June 20, 2012 at 7:09 pm (EST). It also marks the longest day of the year. To me that sounds like a great reason to celebrate.

I've already told my kids that they can stay up extra late on Wednesday night and we have started to plan our evening.

It's supposed to hit 90+ on Wed, so we'll head to the pool in the late afternoon and stay until closing time at 8pm. I'll pack sandwiches, fruit, and snacks, although I suspect my stinker-belle's will be angling for concession stand french fries as well.

Then we'll head home and make smore's at our fire pit. My husband and I might enjoy an adult beverage while the kids play on their swing set well after bedtime.

How are you going to celebrate Summer Solstice? Let us know in the comments.

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Cheap Movies at the Movie Theater {Summer Fun Guide}

My kids love to go the the movie theater. It's fun to watch a movie on the big screen, but at $7 a ticket the whole experience can really blow the budget.

Some theaters are offering great kids' movie deals over the summer months, but do a Google search for your neighborhood to find any deals at theaters near you.

• Hop aboard the Summer Movie Express at Regal theater this summer. They are offering selected G or PG rated movies for only $1 on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings at 10:00 at participating locations. Check the Regal website for showtimes and dates of movies in your area.

• Cinemark theaters is offering 10 shows for $5 (if purchased in advance) or $1 a show (if purchased at the box office) for selected G and PG movies. Check the Cinemark website for showtimes and dates of movies in your area.

• Cinena Center in PA is offering FREE movies on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings  at 10 AM from June 26 through August 29. Check the Cinema Center website for showtimes and dates of the movies.

Snacks are another story. Some theaters might offer a special sized popcorn at a discounted price, but that will depend on the theater.

Will you be taking advantage of the super cheap movies at the theater this summer? Let us know in the comments.

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Our Day at the Washington, D.C. Zoo

We took a day trip a few week's ago to the Smithsonian National Zoo.

We are fortunate to live about 2 hours from Washington, D.C., but this is the first time we have taken our kids to our nation's capital. 

The day was gorgeous and we had a great time meandering the walking paths to see all of the animals.

I loved the flamingos. Aren't they gorgeous yet funny looking at the same time?

While zoos are an awesome opportunity to see exotic and beautiful animals, I struggle with the fact that they truly are out of their natural habitat.

If you are planning a trip to the Smithsonian National Zoo:

• The price for admission is FREE
• Parking at the zoo is $16 for the first 3 hours and $22 for over 3 hours. We arrived to the zoo at noon and the parking lots were full. We were directed to a residential area where the parking was free, but the limit is 2 hours. We forgot about the parking limit and stayed at the park for about 3 1/2 hours. Fortunatly for us, we were not ticketed, but a car across the street was not so lucky; it had a boot on the tire.
• You are allowed to take your own food and drinks into the park. The park offers typical park food: burgers, chicken sandwiches, fries, etc. There aren't any restaurants surrounding the park that we could see to walk to, so be prepared to either buy at the park or pack your own.
• For more information, check out the park website, National Zoo.

Have you been the to National Zoo in Washington, D.C.? Tell us about it in the comments.

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Plan a Staycation | Summer Fun Guide

I am joining over forty bloggers from all over the country in The Year of the Staycation, hosted by Toni, The Happy Housewife and Andrea, of Savings Lifestyle. We are all writing about fun and low cost summer ideas in our respective areas of the country.

Here are the links to the other bloggers' sites for you to plan out your summer staycation or vacation:

Mid-Atlantic

Buffalo/Niagara Falls, New York :: Coupons, Deals and More

Central New Jersey :: Philzendia (formerly Oh diane)

Erie, Pennsylvania :: Growing Kids Ministry

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania :: Family Balance Sheet

Midwest

Black Hills, South Dakota :: Little House Living

Central Indiana :: In Good Cents

Chicago, Illinois :: Chicagoland Homeschool Network

Cincinnati, Ohio :: Savings Lifestyle Cincinnati

Dayton, Ohio :: Savings Lifestyle Dayton

Kansas City Area :: Kansas City Mamas

Mansfield, Ohio :: The Traveling Praters

Metro Detroit, Michigan :: Saving Dollars and Sense

Mount Vernon, Ohio :: Living Better One Day at a Time

North Central Indiana :: Parenting Miracles

Oakland County, Michigan :: Bargain Shopper Mom

Omaha, Nebraska :: Mom Endeavors

Oshkosh, Wisconsin :: A Little Bit of This and That

SE Minnesota :: Everyday Notions

Springfield, Missouri :: Getting Freedom

springfield, Missouri :: I Think I can, I think I can

St. Louis, Missouri :: Our Four Letter Words

South Central

Arlington, Texas :: Grocery Shop For FREE

Dallas, Texas :: Surviving The Stores

Grapevine, Texas :: My Crazy Savings

Houston, Texas :: MomsTravelTales

South Atlantic

Baltimore, Maryland :: The Happy Housewife

Charlottesville, Virginia :: How to Have it All

Jacksonville, Florida :: Saving The Family Money

Orlando, Florida :: Orlandos Best Deals

Shenandoah Valley, Virginia :: Life Your Way

St. Augustine, Florida :: Jypsie Visions

Washington, DC :: Holy Spirit-led Homeschooling

Mountain

Arizona (all) :: Mom Endeavors

Colorado Springs, Colorado :: Springs Bargains

Denver, Colorado :: Denver Bargains

Phoenix, Arizona :: Saving For Someday

Tucson, Arizona :: Desert Chica Ramblings

Pacific

Portland, Oregon :: Frugal Living NW

San Diego, California :: Life as MOM

San Diego, California (The Eating Tour) :: Good Cheap Eats

Seattle, Washington :: Queen Bee Coupons

Join us next week for more Summer Funn ideas:

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Things To Do in Harrisburg PA This Summer

I grew up smack dab in the middle of Pennsylvania. Central PA, home to the state capitol, Harrisburg, and its surrounding communities offer a variety of activities during the summer that will make your 2012 Staycation exciting, fun, adventurous, but yet inexpensive. There are activities for the whole family.

Historical and Educational Activities

Take a tour of a National Historic Landmark, the Pennsylvania State Capitol. Built in 1906, the "Capitol's centerpiece is a spectacular 272-foot, 52 million-pound dome inspired by Michelangelo’s design for St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome".

Not far from the Capitol is the State Museum of Pennsylvania. The State Museum offers "four floors of exhibits that represent Pennsylvania's story, from Earth's beginning to the present", a Planetarium and a 'hands on' play area, Curiosity Connection, for children 5 and under. Admission is $4-$5.

Also located downtown is the Whitaker Center , that offers an IMAX theater, Science Center, and a performance theater. The science center is 3 floors of exhibits, experiments and programs. It also offers a play/imagination area just for kids under 5. The performance theater is an intimate venue that hosts everything from national acts to local performers. Prices for the IMAX theater range from $8 - $9.50, depending on your age. Prices for the science center range from $12.50 - $15, depending on age as well.

The National Civil War Museum, as stated on the website, is "the only museum in The United States that portrays the entire story of the American Civil War. Equally balanced presentations are humanistic in nature without bias to Union or Confederate Causes." Admission prices range from $8-$10, depending on age. There is a $35 family pass available for 2 adults and up to 3 students(immediate family members).

If you are interested in military history, visit the Army Heritage and Educational Center located west of Harrisburg, in Carlisle.

Outdoor Festivals

The Kipona Celebration runs over Labor Day weekend and is right along the Susquehanna River. Admission: FREE. Activities include Artfest featuring 150 different artists and craftspersons, live music and entertainment, Chili Cookoff, Classic Canoe race, a traditional Indian Pow Wow, and SO much more.

84th Annual Jubilee Day - the largest one day street fair on the East coast. Date: June 21, 2012 from 10 am to 9 pm. Location: downtown Mechanicsburg. Admission: FREE. The event features wares from local artists and craftsmen, as well as great food, fun games, and exciting amusement rides.

Amusement Parks and Zoos

Hershey Park -Located about 14 miles east of Harrisburg. From roller coasters and water rides to kiddie rides and music shows, there really is something for every one at Hershey Park. Other attractions at the Park are ZooAmerica and Chocolate World. Discount tickets can usually be found at Giant Food Stores. Picnic lunches and food are not permitted inside the park.

Dutch Wonderland is located about 40 miles east of Harrisburg, the heart of Amish Country/ Lancaster County. It is a great park geared more towards children ages 12 and under. Food is not permitted inside the park, but there is a Family Picnic Pavilion right outside the park. Old Mill Stream campground is also right outside the park, within walking distance. My family camped there two years ago and we had so much fun.

Lake Tobias Wildlife Park is located about 25 miles north of Harrisburg. From a Safari tour to a petting zoo and reptile exhibit, this park is an exciting destination.

Knoebels is the largest free-admission park in America. It is also north of the city. Personally, we have never been there, but that is our loss as I have heard nothing but good things about the park, the campground and the whole experience.

The Great Outdoors

The Hershey Gardens is spread over 23 acres and includes the Butterfly House, Children's Garden, and many other themed gardens. Tickets range from $7 to $10, depending on age, but children under 3 are free.

Harrisburg's City Island, right in the middle of the Susquehanna River, offers activities for just about everyone. Choose from an arcade and batting cages, miniature golf, a beach, a Carousel, a train, horse-drawn carriage tours of the island and the city, Riverboat cruises and so much more. It is also home to the Harrisburg Senators, the city's AA pro baseball team.

Gifford Pinchot State Park is located south of Harrisburg. It offers hiking trails, swimming, boating, picnicking, camping and so much more.

Have you visited Central Pennsylvania? What are your plans this summer? Will you be traveling or staying close to home? Let us know in the comments.

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Photo Credits: Harrisburg Skyline is from Allie's Dad

Kids Bowl Free | Summer Fun Guide 2012

My kids were invited to a birthday party over the winter that was held at a bowling center. It was their first time bowling and they had a blast. The mom of the birthday girl told me about KidsBowlFree.com and I'm going to sign up my kids.

Basically, you sign your kids up at a local, participating bowling center and they receive certificates to bowl 2 FREE games a day all summer! Shoe rental is not included.

Per KidsBowlFree.com, the centers want to give back to the community and provide a safe environment for kids to spend their summer.

I like the idea of having an indoor summer activity for the kids when it is either raining or too hot to be outside.

Have you participated with KidsBowlFree.com? What was your experience? Let us know in the comments.

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