better
FAMILY
" 7 ^
X
FAMILY FUN FOR THE WHOLE SUMMER
Look for
entertaining ideas in July and road-trip tips come August.
SLEEPAWAY, SHMEEPAWAY OUR
SUMMER VACATION GUIDE HAS
MORE FUN IDEAS THAN THE MOST
DEDICATED CAMP COUNSELOR.
BACKYARD CAM POUT
Kids love pitching a tent no matter
where it lands. Set up your own (ours is ABO Gear’s InsTent,
$60,
campmor.com)
or jury-rig a pup using a sheet stretched
over a rope tied between two trees, with rocks to hold the
corners. If local laws allow, add some fire. (Walmart has fire
pits for less than $50.) Now you’re ready to sing campfire
songs and play flashlight tag. Don’t forget the ghost stories!
DRIVE-IN MOVIE
No matter how old you are, outdoor films are a treat. The
easiest arrangement is with a laptop, projector, and either PC-powered speak-
ers or an adapter that plays music through your car radio. (Many libraries rent
projectors, or retail outlets like
atsrentals.com
will rent for $64 plus shipping).
Set up the proj ector on a table or on the roof of your car, stretch a white sheet
over your garage doors, then show the movie while the kids are sitting in the
car and chowing down on popcorn. Ifyou have a station wagon, turn the car
around so that kids can stretch out in the back, or borrow a friend’s pickup
and spread blankets on the bed.
BACKW ARDS DAY
Who says we have to eat cereal in the morning and put on
our PJs at night? Introduce your kids to Backwards Day. Wake them with “Good
night,” then give them a breakfast of ice cream and mac and cheese—in that
order. As the day progresses, see how many things
you can do backwards, from watching a Christmas
movie in the morning to taking a hike at bedtime
and going to bed in your clothes. For the best
effect, make the day a surprise.
m
RAINY DAY RESCUE
W EATHER
OR NO T
Don’t get bored—get board.
Game, that is. Michigan
father Tim Paczesny’s
outdoor-themed “Camp”
($25 at
rei.com )
allows different
age groups to
compete and
learn together.
Fun wildlife fact:
“A full-grown bear
can run as fast as
a horse.”
FUN FOR FUNDS
MAKE YOUR OWN MINI GO LF
For kids,
building their own course is almost as much fun
as the game. Use whatever materials you have handy. Make a
ramp from loose bricks and aluminum siding; lay an old pipe or
a roll of wire on its side for a tunnel. Create water hazards by
burying plastic buckets and filling them with water. Stick
flowerpots in holes marked by sticks with paper flags to catch
the balls. (Don’t want to dig? Stakes or tipped and weighted
plastic cups are fine targets.) Young kids might do better with
croquet mallets and balls, but older kids can use regular golf
/> Ii i Ia p a n n n a l lo
A scholarship competition is
perfect for the teen set. Get
started now for the November
deadline of the Veterans of
Foreign Wars' audio essay
contest; the grand prize is a
$
30,000
scholarship (go to
vfw .org
for more info). For
budding moviemakers,
Bridgestone Tire’s Safety
Scholars Video contest
(safetyscholars.com )
accepts
applications through July
1
for
three $
5,000
scholarships. Or
volunteer: Students who hold
blood drives now through
August
31
that meet guidelines
are eligible for the American
Red Cross Bloodstock
scholarship drawings of up to
$
2,000
(redcrossblood.org/
scholarships
). If none of these
suit, find more opportunities at
nonprofit sites like
collegescholarships.org.
—
JENNIFER SHAW
