4 crafts to keep kids busy when it's too hot outside

Summer's here and the kids are bored! But it's just too hot to venture outdoors.

What can you do to make the days at home more fun?
 
"Have your kids help you plan some fun activities and get organized before the day begins and you’ll be sure to have a fun and rewarding day with your family," says Kathy Seifert by the Primrose School of East Mesa.
 
Here are 4 fun activities and crafts:

1. Cooking show:
Is cooking becoming too much of a chore? Let your kids help you plan some meals and turn them into a cooking show.

Get out the camcorder and take turns slicing, dicing, and stirring in front of the camera.

Who has the best accent, who makes the best dessert?

You could do a competition to see who makes the best Solar S’mores and Seashore Snack.

For the s’mores, place graham crackers in a foil pan and top with chocolate chips and miniature marshmallows.

Cover the foil pan with aluminum foil and place in the sun for about 10 minutes.

For the Seashore Snack, have your kids place 2 T instant vanilla pudding mix in a bowl, then mix with ¼ c milk.

Then have them put some vanilla wafers in a baggie, close and crush with their hands or a rolling pin.

Sprinkle the “dry sand” on top of the pudding mixture and mix to make wet “sand”. Then dip in the apples and enjoy!

2. Indoor Fireworks
Bring the fireworks inside and teach some science! Demonstrate the chemical reaction between the fat in whole milk and the detergent in the dishwashing liquid.

Have your child pour some milk into a baking pan and then splash a variety of food coloring in several places in the milk.

Then squirt in some dishwashing liquid and watch the movement that takes place as the colors spread and move.

As the reaction begins to slow down, add some more dish detergent.

While you are at it, sing a patriotic song:
Our Flag (Sung to: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star)
Stripes and stripes and little stars,
Oh, how beautiful you are.
Red and white and blue, that's true,
Waving proud for me and you.
Stripes and stripes and little stars
Oh, how beautiful you are!

3. Homemade puffy paint
For some painting fun, make some homemade puffy paint. Mix equal parts of plain flour, salt, and water to make the puffy paint.

Divide the mixture into separate bowls to add different food coloring.

Fill some squeeze bottles with the mixtures or use paint brushes and paint on cardboard.

When their artwork is dry, the design will be raised and will sparkle.

4. Snap & scrap
Do you have a lot of pictures lying around or on your camera that you have been meaning to organize?

Gather them up along with some scrapbooking supplies and let kids help make a family scrapbook.
 
If you have an extra table, you can leave it set up with all the supplies on it so you can work on it whenever you are in the mood.

Let your kids set up a store with items around the house and go shopping.

Find some old hats, scarves, and purses to wear and pieces of paper for price tags.

Older children can practice some math skills by adding up the items and making change.