Desert Week (A Simple Summer Theme)

So when Big Brother requested a "Desert Week" in our Simple Summer Theme series, I was a little stumped on what we might do for projects and activities.

But, in the end I was excited about some of the different projects and materials we were able to explore. (Although this was a slightly shorter theme week.)

Kids Cook: Jam Thumbprint Cookies

It's been a while since we shared one of our Kids Cook posts, although the boys still enjoy helping me cook and bake on a regular basis. That's why we're excited to participate in the Summer 2016 A-Z Cooking with Kids Blog Hop hosted by 3 Princess and 1 Dude.

Almost 20 bloggers have come together to share different recipes that kids can either create on their own or create with a bit of grown up help. In fact - there 26 recipes kids can create- one for each letter of the alphabet! 

We had the letter J - which instantly made me think of JAM. And as we love cookies we decided to try our hand at Jam Thumbprint Cookies. 

Desert Animals Sensory Bin

A few weeks ago as we explored our Simple Summer Theme - Desert Week- we knew it would be a great week for some sensory play!

This was especially true when a new sensory material arrived from Sands Alive! for us to explore. 

Paint on Sandpaper

This was a fun and easy activity we did a few weeks ago for "Desert Week." I will admit that Big Brother chose Desert Week and I was a little stumped on what to do for the week. We came up with several fun ideas. When this idea came to me and proved to be both easy and fun - painting on sandpaper.

We used this idea for "Desert Week" but I could see you this also as a great activity as a "beach" project. 

Keep Summer Simple (July 2016)

We're almost a week into July, and just posting our monthly goals  . . . but that fits perfectly with our focus for the next month: Keep Summer Simple.

For whatever reason, this summer I'm feeling the need for us to keep it simple - slow it down and just enjoy the best parts of this season in our part of the world. The temperatures are warm, the world is green, the swimming is perfect, and the gardens are begin to burst with fresh veggies and fruit. It's one of the best times of year to live in New England. 

Science Week (A Simple Summer Theme)

This summer we were excited to kick off our Simple Summer Themes with Science Week! Each week of summer vacation we explore a different "theme." We use materials on hand, simple/easy projects that don't take long to complete, hands on activities, recipes, and field trips.

This summer, even more than previous summers, we're truly keeping our themes simple. We're doing something fun with them when we want to, but also making sure we have lots of time for free play and spontaneous summer fun too.

Our first week proved to be a great kick off to the summer as it was exactly what the boys needed - something a little fun that fit into our other summer activities. They loved Science Week so much, they are requesting a lot more Science over the summer!