hold. Day trips do not have to involve long
10 Have a Picnic:
road trips or time in the car. Exploring parts
Find a shady spot at a park, and invite your
of your city that you do not visit often are a
family and friends to a “bring your own” or
good place to start – or look for national or
potluck meal. Recently, my kids and some
state parks that have ranger programs where
friends hosted an animal-toy picnic at a park.
children engage in scavenger hunt activities
We spread an inexpensive comforter on the
that keep their mind off the temperatures.
ground and ate snacks brought from home.
— Elena Sonnino, Live.Do.Grow.
Then we showed one another our favorite stuffed animals and tried to figure out which habitat each animal came from. (Our
12 Cool Down with Ice:
friend’s unicorn stumped us!)
What’s even colder than water? Frozen water, of course. Let kids shoot or pour water
— Holly Ambrose, Tropic Home and Family
over blocks of ice where you have frozen
11 Take a Day Trip:
small toys inside. Create art with paint frozen in ice cube trays. Set up a “snow” scene with
The power of taking a day trip to a new or
a bin of shaved ice. Kids will love to play
favorite area is that regardless of what the
with ice on especially hot days.
thermometer says, the new scenery and areas to explore will feel cooler than had
— Holly Ambrose, Tropic Home and Family
you stayed at home. Somehow, the humidity that you feel when you step outside your door onto your driveway dissipates when a sense of adventure and new-ness takes
Photo provided by: Holly Ambrose
Photo provided by: Elena Sonnino
25
Learn more at BeOutThere.org