Ways to spend a too-hot-day

These recent days have been long, and hot here in Brooklyn, way too hot to spend too much time outside. We've been running out on errands, to the store, the farmer's market, then retreating back indoors to the relief of our air conditioning. There we have been spending most of our time. Yesterday, I started thinking that in a way it might as well be wintertime with the amount of time that we have been spending holed up inside. It is harder for me to think of how to spend our time when we are stuck indoors but we do have some creative tricks here, so I thought I'd share a list of some of our recent favorite ways to pass the time, all of which I think could work equally well in this heat wave or in a snow bound winter....

1. Sunprints
Making Sunprints is something that even very young children can do. It works very well in the summertime as the sun is so strong and you get your results very quickly.

We grab a bunch of things that we think will make a fun impression....

Then we start experimenting, placing things in the sun on the photo-sensitive paper, and the results are so beautiful. It is hard to go wrong with Sunprints, the kid's excitement really makes me feel like the coolest mom ever.

2. Window Stickers

This turns any window into a fun surface for imaginative play. We use The Original Colorforms Set along with a combination of sets like this Mudpuppy Room to Play Play Scene Sticker Set. Basically any reusable vinyl sticker will do.

I keep them all in an old shoe box so that I can pull them out when we are searching for something to do, today the kids created a circus.

3. Video time
We do enjoy good videos and lately we have been really into the series of videos that were released last year by BBC called Life.
Each one hour episode is about a different part of the animal kingdom, mammals, insects, birds, reptiles, etc....and my little animal obsessed boy pretty much thinks they are the best thing ever, in fact so do the rest of us, the cinematography is beyond amazing.
We've also been going back to our very favorite video series The Little Travelers, about a real life world traveling family, the kids love it!

4. Beauty Shop
It is hard for me to get a good shot of this because I am usually the center part of the action when we do this...

Usually I'll suggest this when I am tired, since the main part of "beauty shop" is usually me sitting on the floor while the kids brush and put hair clips in my hair (and I close my eyes), we also dress up and do each other's nails during beauty shop time. This is another winner in our home, and here is how my hair looked after our last beauty shop time...

Well, there are some of our ways to stay sane indoors! Tomorrow we are making an escape to the beach where at least we'll be able to beat the heat in the water, before returning home.
xo