Marshmellows and Art bucket for summer

If you have followed my blog for a time, you know that I'm not the biggest fan of TV / Wii / video games / computers....I know, I know.....I'm the one who buys them - BUT  for me, it seems easier to limit the boys' time during the school year.

During the summer, the days seem longer and my patience seems less.......tell me a mother who doesn't feel the same way!!

We have the slip and slide / fun sprinklers / playhouse and random outside toys all ready for them in the backyard, but for those "really" hot and muggy days or even rainy days, its nice to have some other fun stuff ready at hand.

Here is some I came up with this week:

Marshmellows (large and small) a bag of each for each boy

box of 500 toothpicks

Dollar store total: $5.00

The projects started out simple, but as the time went on, the more complex they became. 

Boredom = Great Imagination

Tower that eventually was seven stories high, until it came crashing down. 

I don't know......but my four year old had a long explanation of what HE thought is was!

Yes, I'm frugal, and had them take it apart and put everything away into Ziplocs

so they can be used again (and they have several time).  

A little sticky, but it did teach them patience and sorting as well. 

Next up: The Art Bucket which now lives on the kitchen table during "non-meal" time.

I found this silver bucket in the dollar section of Target and pulled out some

favorites from our craft closet.  

stickers

markers

crayons

tape

colored and regular pencils

scissors

ruler

gluesticks

I found several mason jars, cups and an old dog treat jar and filled it up. 

Next, I found this HUGE stack of colored paper at a school supply store for cheap,

cheap, cheap!  

I find the boys stopping by multiple times a day to "create" and display on the fridge. 

Love to see what they come up with.

What projects have you set up for your kids this summer??