So finally, the much anticipated, much needed summertime is on its way. After such a hard winter… how are we to enjoy our summer? If your family is anything like mine, ideas have been flying around for weeks – picking strawberries, swimming at the lake, going on a picnic and yes we have a family reunion on the horizon too.
For some, school is letting out soon. For others – well weeks are left on the calendar after make-up days are calculated but that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy the warmer weather and the lingering daylight. To that I say…
Welcome to the Online Block Party, hosted by Open Hands.
We have teamed up with several other great bloggers to bring you ideas that will help make your summer BBQ or Block Party a huge success! We also have a great giveaway with a retail value of over $400 that one lucky winner will receive!
Enjoy our post for this event & then enter the giveaway below. You also will want to be sure to check out the other great blogs participating in the event.
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Block Parties and BBQs are popping up everywhere. In fact, just this past weekend my daughter and I stumbled upon an Italian Festival. Talk about a perfect opportunity to fold in some cultural learning. We enjoyed music, cannoli, pasta and the Italian Market feel. It was wonderful and we highly recommend world cultural festivals for learning fun.
Here are four more ways to turn barbeques and backyard parties into educational worthy moments:
1. Take advantage of the outdoors and especially if you are in someone else’s backyard. Prepare a simple scavenger hunt, or using magnifying glasses have children scope out different habitats (like this hole in our tree). One afternoon in our front yard we saw plenty of unexpected insect, plant and small creature habitats.
2. If having a bonfire – take a moment to talk about the cool properties of
fire. Here’s a cute diagram of the science behind the ever-famous
s’mores. Does chocolate melt faster than marshmallow?
3. Have your son or daughter take food or drink orders for a small group or table. This will help in sequencing skills (who ordered pickles, no pickles, tea with lemon, water w/ no ice, etc?).
4. Make a new variation to Hop Scotch… whereby using a die and multiplication. Toss the stone, roll the die and only move if you correctly know their multiplied product. Or for harder multiplication problems – use 2 dice and 36 squares.
There are lots and lots of ways to have a great time learning outdoors – the important part is to have fun and learn as you go. Enjoy this beautiful weather and much luck on the giveaway!!
Be sure to check out the other participating bloggers for great Block Party ideas:
Open Hands – Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie
Momma Lews Blog – Root Beer Ribs and more
Raising Family on A Budget – Smoked Brisket
Princess Among Superheros – Make your own Bubbles
We’re Parents – Strawberry Lemonade
One winner will receive: Hickory Smoked Grapeseed Oil, Herb Grilling Marinade & Cactus Pete’s Agave BBQ Sauce from Wildtree ; a Chef Daddy Apron from Daddy N Company and a Grilling Gazebo from Brylane Home.
Here are four more ways to turn barbeques and backyard parties into educational worthy moments:
This is my first time visit at here and i am really impressed to read everthing at single place.
Wonderful. Glad you stopped by and found value.
Great ideas for the children, and I like the group giveaway, too.
thank you. good luck with the giveaway.
I really love these ideas! I’m going to incorporate them. Teachers want to make sure my kids don’t lose all their amazing gains this summer.
That’s why it is so important to find those hidden ways to incorporate learning. Enjoy your parties.
Such great Idea.. I love the idea of the kids getting drinks for the guests.
It’s the little things.
I’d love to do s’mores in our backyard. I need to get dh onto this!
Oh yes, takes me back to Girl Scouts. Love them.