Fresh ideas for you, Mama

Hey mama! Are you looking at the summer ahead and thinking, "ummmmm, what am I going to do with these sweet children of mine?"No? Just me?Seriously, like the rest of you, I've had these little ones home now for very many days.And this mama's well of kid-friendly-entertainment-ideas is dry as a bone. It's time to exchange some ideas.I'll give you five things that are helping us beat the doldrums right now and then would you so kindly leave me some of your best ideas in the comments below? Because, let's be honest, these ideas will be AWESOME this week, and then my kids are going to get tired of them faster than you can say, "can we just have screen time now?"But for now, here's what's working;Snacks with a View - We've enjoyed packing up snacks and lunches and then heading out to enjoy a beautiful view while we eat. Sometimes we sit in the back of the car and other times we find a lovely, socially-distanced rock to sit on. To make the event extra special, we buy a treat at a local coffee shop or bakery. I mean, who can get bored while you're staring at the mountains and eating a donut?Old toys, new location - Some kind of magic happens when you take an old, forgotten about set of toys and move them to a new location. It's almost like they are completely brand new again! Building blocks on the back porch and hot wheels cars in the water table have been especially fascinating to my 2 and 5 year olds. If you're feeling really brave, put some plastic animals in the kitchen sink and have your little one pull up a chair. (Pro tip; put a towel or two under that chair to soak up the flood.)Comic books - My 10 year old - who generally loves to read - ended the school year a bit burnt out on that activity. Enter Calvin & Hobbes! My husband pulled out two old Calvin & Hobbes comic books that we had tucked away and suddenly I was finding my boy curled up in all corners of the house just reading away.Make-your-own Chalk Paint - Let's face it, sidewalk chalk died for us during the very first week of quarantine. But, last week I mixed up a batch of sidewalk paint for my 5 year old and it provided a great deal of entertainment! To make your own, combine 1 cup of water with 1 cup of corn starch using a hand mixer. Divide the mixture into 6 small containers (we used a muffin tin) and add 1-2 drops of food coloring to each container. Send your kiddo outside with the chalk paint and a handful of paintbrushes, and you'll have yourself an inspired artist!Kitchen utensils outside - My little ones are fascinated by MY kitchen utensils. The utensils that come in toy sets? No thank you. However, the full-size spoons and spatulas that come out of the kitchen drawers are golden. My 2 year old loves to be set up with a big tub of water and a variety of spoons, ladles, strainers, and spatulas! And all three of my kids think that kitchen utensils and the sandbox are a match made in heaven. If you don't like the idea of your own utensils getting dirty outside (I'm with ya!), the dollar store is a great place to shop for an "outside only" set!So, there ya have it. That's what's worked for us this week.And now, if you don't mind, please share your best activities in the comments. Next week when my kids are SO BORED again, I'm gonna need some fresh ideas!