10 ULTIMATE CAMP GUIDE 2018 Make Slime Maybe your house is already filled with containers of iridescent slimes of all colors and consistencies. But if your kids haven’t yet hopped on the slime craze, it actually is a pretty fun and creative activity to try. The basic ingredients are glue, borax, shaving cream, and contact lens solution. Expert slimers might add in paint, baking glitter, scented lotion, and foam balls. Google, Pinterest and Instagram will teach you all you ever wanted to know about making and enjoying this gooey substance. Coloring Projects Do a Google image search for just about anything with the addition of the term “free coloring pages” and you will be amazed at the options out there. Print out the kids’ favorite things – whether it’s baseball, butterflies, dragons, or dinosaurs. Go ahead and print some for yourself too. After all, coloring is supposed to be Zen therapy for adults. If the printer is broken, cut up cereal boxes and use a Sharpie to make your own coloring pages. CAMP AT HOME BY ELAINA VERHOFF Experience the fun without leaving the house Not everyone is sending their children to camp this summer. But there’s still a way to have them experience camp from the comfort of your own home! Entertaining the kids for a solid week does not need to be a chore and it doesn’t have to break the bank either. Here are a few fun ideas for putting on a summer camp at home… let the memory-making begin! Host a Bingo Party Invite a few friends, hang some balloons and streamers, and set out the games and snacks. The dollar store is a great place to find prizes and individual snack containers for popcorn and candy. Try different bingo games like blackout, X marks the spot, and straight bingo. Have a whole afternoon to fill? Bring out all the favorite board games – after all, it’s summer, so go ahead and leave out that unfinished Monopoly game or jigsaw puzzle to continue tomorrow. Yarn Bombing You may have heard of (or seen) yarn bombing installations around the neighborhood. The idea is to beautify objects with knitted or crocheted material as a form of art. We’re not suggesting you turn your kids into guerrilla graffiti artists. Instead, take a different spin on yarn bombing by having them loop together a chain of craft loops and decorate objects in your own backyard – trees, patio furniture, the house. You will be amazed at the hours of entertainment these craft loops will provide. Food Crafts What is it about combining crafts and food that can instantly turn a grumpy kid into a happy camper? Cookie decorating, marshmallow and toothpick building, making Oreo dirt cups filled with chocolate pudding and gummy worms, cookie cutter sandwiches, grape skewer caterpillars… the opportunities for edible crafts are endless.

11 ULTIMATE CAMP GUIDE 2018 CAMP AT HOME BY ELAINA VERHOFF Muffin Tin Lunch Enjoy a picnic lunch on a blanket in the yard, and serve up a muffin tin lunch, filling the muffin holes with their favorite “snacky” lunch items. Fruit, crackers, waffle PBJ sandwiches, hot dogs, snap peas, yogurt sticks and string cheese are always popular. Lemonade Stand Have the kids whip up a big batch of fresh lemonade, get out the markers for adorable homemade signage, and set up a lemonade stand. They’ll have a blast, and get a little taste of entrepreneurship too. Just make sure they don’t drink all the profits! IMAGINE THAT! SUMMER CAMP Summer 2018 | Celebrating 39 years of fun! Over 30+ camps for 3-11 year olds in the Arts, American Girl, Sciences, Sports, and Action/ Adventure