In the middle of a cold, snowy winter, summer seems like the most perfect daydream. Ice cream cones dripping down your hands, the tropical smell of sunscreen, and the feeling of freshly cut grass on your feet sound like the best things in the world while you watch big, fat snowflakes fall from the sky.
The longest day of the year is June 21st. For as nearly as long as there have been humans, we’ve been celebrating the solstice. In the Northern Hemisphere, the solstice marks the end of spring and is the official kickoff to summer.
Although summer fun is just getting its start on the year’s longest day, it’s worth celebrating! How will you spend your extra daylight on this year’s solstice? If you don’t already have plans, we suggest you gather your family and friends for some budget-friendly outdoor activities, provided by your outdoor plumbing!
DIY Slip-n-Slide
After an afternoon spent playing in the sun and grilling up a feast, you’ll probably need a bit of a cool down.
While the adults sip a frosty beverage, set up a slip-n-slide for the kids. A roll of plastic and a sprinkler is all it takes to create this summertime classic.
Pro tip: tack the plastic down with tent stakes so that your kids are the only thing slipping and sliding across the grass.
Let the sprinkler run for a few minutes to get the slide nice and slippery and then let the kids go wild. Parents will have a ball watching the kids compete over who can slide the fastest or the silliest.
And parents, we promise not to judge if you decide to take a slip down the slide too! Everyone can cool down and create great memories while you water your thirsty grass. It’s a win-win!
Hose Fights Are a Win-Win
If your kids are restless indoors and you can’t stand them fighting over the video game controllers for one more second, send them outside to work out their energy with a hose fight.
There’s nothing better than chasing your siblings around the yard and drenching them with the hose. If you want to conserve water, you could use squirt guns instead. They’re just as much fun but can cut down on your water bill.
Alternate activity: turn on your automatic sprinkler system or put a manual sprinkler out in the yard for the kids to run through. Like the slip-n-slide, you’ll do double duty by watering your lawn and tiring out your kids.
Water Balloon Fights!
Parents against kids, girls against boys, the Johnsons versus the Millers, no matter how you split your teams, a family water balloon fight is a great way to spend some of your extra daylight on the summer solstice.
If you collect rainwater, you can cut your costs down to just a few dollars spent on the balloons. It doesn’t take much money to create a lifelong memory for your family.
No matter how old your kids get, they’ll always remember chasing mom and dad around the yard with a water balloon in hand. Warning: much laughter will ensue, causing potential stomach aches!
Summertime often goes hand-in-hand with hot, dry days. While you make efforts to use less water or have your sprinklers do double duty, don’t forget to enjoy yourself. Summer is just beginning, and so is the fun, so at One Stop Trade Services, we wish you the best!