Beat the Heat: Summer Fun for the Whole Family

Summer is here again and it is going to be hot, hot, hot! Instead of languishing with your family in front of the fan, why not spice things up this summer with some great family activities designed to cool you all down? Here are just a few ways to beat the heat this summer.

Have a crazy hose day! Even if you don't have a sprinkler, you can get wet with just a hose, a rope and a stake. Stick the stake into the ground in the middle of the backyard and tie the end of the hose to it, leaving about two feet or so loose at the top. Tie it in three or four places and turn on the water! The pressure from the water will whip the hose around, sending cool liquid flying in unpredictable directions! Now have everyone jump in there and get soaked.

Water games are always fun, but little kids can easily get hurt or upset by flying water balloons, so why not try this gentler version of a water balloon fight? You need four people for this one. Take two beach towels and have one person at either end, holding both corners. It is best to pair an adult with a child for this game. Now have a good supply of water balloons handy. You put one in one towel and flip it over to the second towel who has to flip it back. With each successful toss, the pair who tossed the balloon has to take a step sideways, gradually making more and more space between the two towels. Eventually, the balloon with fall and break, getting everyone wet without any stinging.

Clean the freezer. This is particularly good if you have a deep freeze. Instead of letting the freezer thaw out, take everything out and scrape out the built up ice. It will look like snow. Store this in a cooler and then take it all outside and have a snowball fight! Kids adore this. Just make sure you keep the cooler covered or your "snow" will melt before you can play with it.

Make your own waterslide. You can create a waterslide easily on any incline in your yard. Just stretch a piece of heavy construction plastic out, leaving extra space at the bottom. Hose it down and leave the hose running slightly at the top. You can add a little shampoo to make things super slippery if you like. However, for safety, children shouldn't be allowed to walk or slide standing up, only sitting and laying down.

These are just a few cool-down ideas. You and your family are sure to come up with even more once you get brainstorming. Listen to your kids, since they tend to come up with great ideas!