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2.    Fireworks in the Sky
Place a little of each color of paint on a piece of black paper.  With a craft stick, scribble each color of paint in a circular pattern & drag the stick in the paint outward to make it look like it is exploding.  Sprinkle some glitter on the paper to make the fireworks sparkle. Let dry!

5.   Flyswatter Painting
Stick big pieces of paper up outside on a fence or something like that.  Get new flyswatters and a paint tray.  Dip swatter in paint and smack the paper!  Kids love it!

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6.   Flubber
Mix: 1 Cup White Glue, 1 Cup Water in a clean container; mix 1 Cup Water and 2 - 3 teaspoons of Borax in another container. Stir the Borax and water mixture into the glue and water mixture. If you want color, add it to the glue and water mixture. The mixture will congeal instantly, work with your hands until water is absorbed and Flubber is the consistency you want. This is great for a Science Experiment exploring Solids and Liquids.

7.   BIG Activity- Bug Motel
Get a small box (empty oatmeal box is ideal).  Use a rubber band to hold a piece of screen over the top, which serves as both a window and door.  You can also cut window holds and tape screens across them to contain the guests.  Make sure you provide leaves for the guests, then take your child on a bug hunt with a bug  net and jar.  (Bug nets can be made from dowel rods, a coat hanger and netting.  Bend the coat hanger in a circle, leaving small handle on one side, and sew a  net on it.  Then tape handle to end of  dowel rod with electrical tape. My kids loved this activity year after year!)

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11.    Water Balloons
This is my fav--we play it at our house!  Spread out two sheets and place balloons on each sheet for each team.  They toss balloons from one sheet to other.  Team who is wettest/dryest wins! Kids have fun picking up pieces too!
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12.   Carrot Top
Buy a fresh bunch of carrots and save some stubs.  Place them in saucers near a window.  Keep water consistent and soon you will be growing carrot tops!

13.     Sun Prints
 You need objects from home (combs, silverware, scissors, etc.) and colored construction paper. Have the kids take paper outside to the sun.  Place the objects on that paper and remove in a few hours to see what happened to the paper!

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16.   Can Your Ears/Nose Tell?
Empty film canisters make great sensory "matchups" for the discovery table! Poke small holes in the top, add "smelly stuff" the kids will recognize (e.g. peanut butter, cinnamon, coffee, etc.) to two of the containers, and have them match smells! This also works well for sound discrimination... fill two canisters with items the kids will be able to match by shaking them (e.g. popcorn, cotton balls, bells, etc.). Color coding the bottoms helps here too, as sometimes things begin to smell or sound the same!

17.    Magic Sand Box
Fill spray bottles with food color water and let kids spray the sandbox sand.  Show them how to magically return the sand to normal by turning over the sand.

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19.       Pet Rock
Each child finds a rock at least 4 inches or more. Get a bucket of water and a scrub brush and let children scrub their rock until they feel it is clean. Let dry. The next day let the children apply craft eyeballs and yarn for tails etc. They now have a pet rock! Some had lots of eyes and more than one tail.  Make sure while rocks are drying that you place them on a paper towel with child's name on it.

20.    Blindfold Guide
You wear a blindfold and your child serves as the "eyes" for both of you.  (Make sure all steps are off limits and that you are in a safe area!)  Your child leads you around the house, helps you sit, etc.  This activity can be very amusing as your child tries to describe actions that are normally taken for granted.

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21.     Car Wash
Do a car wash in your swim suits--dads love this activity and it's fun to get wet once in a while!

24.    Chain Story
Each person contributes a link to a tale in process (can be done with just two).  You simply start off  "Once upon a time...".  If you are feeling dramatic, you could start:  "It was a dark, stormy night...".  Your child then fills in the next part and then it passes back to you.  Younger children might need you to adapt a plot from a story they know.  Older kids might enjoy finishing incomplete sentences such as "One dark and stormy night a green car with. . .".

25.   Bounce That Egg!
Soak an egg in vinegar overnight. The hard shell will dissolve. The children can even bounce this egg like a ball. When the egg is broken, they will be able to look at the membrane that held the egg together. Soaking the egg also makes it transparent. If you use a flashlight near the egg, you can see the yolk inside.
 

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