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Written by: Pam Molnar; Photo: Fotolia.com
'What I did over summer vacation’ is a classic back-to-school assignment. Faced with a blank page, kids often only remember the big moments of their summer like a vacation or a visit from family. As adults, we know that life is made up of thousands of small moments. This summer let those small moments fill your child’s back-to-school essay and the memories of summertime will fill their hearts.
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Cool off:
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\n- Have a water balloon relay race.
\n- Head to an indoor ice rink and play a pick-up hockey game.
\n- Set up a bicycle washing station for your friends.
\n- Wade in a creek and skip stones.
\n- Start a battle of the water guns - kids vs. parents.
\n- Beat the heat at the library and join the summer reading club.
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Get some exercise:
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\n- Run in a Fun Run (try out the Color Vibe 5K for a great family experience).
\n- Learn how to perfect your cartwheel.
\n- Rent a tandem bike and enjoy the benefits of teamwork.
\n- Run with the dogs at the park - even if you don’t have a dog.
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Go shopping:
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\n- Bargain hunt at garage sales. You never know what you might find.
\n- Head to a bargain store and play: ‘How much can you buy with $5?’
\n- Peruse the aisles of your favorite bookstore for great summer reads to lounge in a hammock together afterward and enjoy the summer breeze.
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Take in the sights:
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\n- Go for a C-Train ride from the suburbs to the inner city and watch how the buildings change.
\n- Watch a parade from the sidewalk or watch the spectators while walking in the parade.
\n- See an outdoor summer concert or play.
\n- Hit the trails on horseback and let someone else do the walking.
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Foods of summer:
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\n- Sample fresh produce at a Farmer’s Market.
\n- Host a Potluck BBQ. Everyone brings their own meat to cook and a scrumptious side dish.
\n- Enjoy curly fries, a corndog and freshly squeezed lemonade at the annual fair.
\n- Invite the neighborhood kids to participate in a watermelon-eating contest.
\n- Make your own snow cones with Kool-Aid and shaved ice.
\n- Go to a U-pick farm for fresh off of the vine delights.
\n- Roast hotdogs over the fire for dinner and make s’mores for dessert.
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Craft time:
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\n- Fold paper airplanes and test out the best designs.
\n- Make colorful candles with leftover crayons.
\n- Enhance your wardrobe with custom-made tie-dye shirts.
\n- Design your own fireworks T-shirts with glue lines and glitter.
\n- Show off your artistic skills by wearing DIY face painting designs.
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Nighttime fun:
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\n- Sit on the porch and watch the sun set while cooling down with popsicles.
\n- Play glow in the dark bowling in the back yard by placing glow sticks in empty two-litre bottles to knock over.
\n- Grab those flashlights and play hide-and-seek.
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Enjoy the outdoors:
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\n- Rent a canoe and have a picnic on the shore.
\n- Hunt for nearby treasures by geocaching in your hometown.
\n- Play classic back yard games like Sharks and Minnows or Kick the Can.
\n- Go camping in a yurt.
\n- Race rubber ducks down a flowing stream or small river.
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Rainy-day fun:
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\n- Set up a photo scavenger hunt at the mall.
\n- Go roller-skating or head to a family entertainment centre.
\n- Make a maze or fort using cardboard boxes.
\n- Start a summer fun journal or scrapbook.
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Give back to others:
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\n- Make a meal for an elderly neighbor.
\n- Spend the day performing random acts of kindness.
\n- Help find a forever home for animals by fostering kittens or puppies.
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Get silly:
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\n- Take forced perspective photos to make objects appear larger or smaller than normal.
\n- Have a paint war with goggles and non-toxic paints.
\n- Check out what really happens when you mix Coke and Mentos (with supervision).
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Beyond the back yard:
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\n- Cheer on the home team at a football game.
\n- Ride the Ferris wheel at the carnival.
\n- Feed the goats at a petting zoo.
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Pam is a freelance writer, and a mother of three. She and her family hope to cherish these small moments together this summer.
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