With so much uncertain, can we make home work this year? Of course we can, especially if we remember that it may take a little work, but no more than planning, packing, and getting to a regular vacation might be.
So what can we do to make this a summer to remember?
- Get a kiddy pool. They don't cost too much and nothing says summer fun quite like splashing in the water. Speaking of water, when is the last time you had a good water ballon fight?
- Pull out those yard games you don't play as much or grab a kit. You know the ones - yard darts, horse shoes, giant checkers, slip and slide, badminton. They're in the garage somewhere. Time to pull them out and make a playground!
- Pitch a tent in the yard and see how long you can go before you go back inside (Bathroom visits not included). Plan ahead and pack accordingly. How many days do you think your family could make it?
- Got a projector on your phone? Plan a drive-in movie night. One of our cell phones has a projector attachment that wasn't too expensive and does a good job projecting. Spend some time setting up. Watching camping movies? Get the camping chairs. Watching Westerns? Try to find some bales of hay. You can even watch Jaws in the kiddy pool. Having the kids run a concession stand can be fun too.
- Try geocaching at your house. We'll be honest: we haven't done all the research on this, but it seems like an easy and fun way to bring treasure hunting into the digital age.
- Use that metal detector. We've been finding nails around the yard after a construction project... or are they spikey dubloons from the Punk Rock Pirates of the good ship Black Flag? Wait for that telltale beep and be ready to tell tales of each new treasure.
- Re-arrange the house and make it into a hotel. You can switch rooms or all stay in the same room, like you would if you were actually in a hotel. The key is to switch things up a bit, so it doesn't feel so much like home. Are there local restaurants doing safe pick-up or delivery? Bingo - room service!
- Got a printer? You can do a lot of inexpensive decorating. Wishing for the ocean or maybe a dude ranch? Look for things around the house that you can use to make a theme, then add fun art by printing great pictures from your computer. Want to do more? Name your hotel, make stationary, or open a guest book. Afterwards, you can use all your art to help make a memory book of your adventure.
Special Father's Day ideas - While we're talking about ways to make the house fun for a special reason - here's a couple of ideas for your upcoming Father's day.
- Biker bar - Grab all of the Harley stuff you can find and decorate a room with it. When you're ready for him to belly up, play that rowdy song he likes. Add a TV playing his favorite thing for good measure.
- Fisherman fun - Remember that kiddy pool? Maybe there's a way you can set up a fishing spot for that special guy. Bonus points if you include something like a magnetic fishing kit so he can catch things too. Decorate with oars, life jackets, plants, and a cooler.
- Poker tourney - Is the guy in your house a rounder? Odds are good that there's a poker movie he likes. Play it in the background, set up a table, turn the lights down, get the chips ready, and call him down to the felt. Or set up an online tourney with his regular crew and make sure his Zoom background is on point.
- Sports spot - Is the man in your house suffering due to lack of athletic entertainment? Grab all of those jerseys and as many screens as you can. Some of the screens can be used in place of neon signs and the rest can play his favorite sports replays. Add in some Buffalo wings and this poppa is going to have a great day.
You could also nominate the pop in your house and maybe win him some Green Goo. We make quite a few salves that would make great gifts, whatever your dad, uncle, grandfather, or brother might do with his free time. New to salves? We have a blog with some of the basics.