Back to Basics (with Cat's Cradle from Klutz)

Something about summer always makes me go back to the simple fun of my childhood, whether it’s skipping rope down the sidewalk, drawing on driveways or blowing bubbles in the backyard. Maybe it’s because, when it comes to outdoor play, simplicity rules. Or maybe I get nostalgic because, I think we can all agree, summer vacation is one of the best things about being a kid.

With a long weekend at the cottage ahead, I was reminded of the fun my little sis and I had playing car games on the drive up a couple of years back. So, I decided to break out Cat’s Cradle, the most classic kids game of all, for another spin this past weekend.

I know it seems simple--just a piece of string and some instructions--but with this little book you can have a whole lot of fun! Whether you are teaching little hands how to play (when all they want to do it gallop like a pony), racing against the clock for Cat’s Cradle mastery or using leftover Pom Pom Puppies yarn to stage a giant-sized game, this summer game will always be among the best!

Bubbles and BBQs (with How to Make Monstrous, Huge, Unbelievably Big Bubbles)

The best things about summer is the world of outdoor space that it opens up. Picnics at the park, playing at the beach, lunch on a patio and a stroll around the neighborhood are a few of my favourites. But the ultimate outdoor fun of summer is definitely the backyard barbecue.

Now, I don’t have a backyard, but this sunny Saturday we were headed to a friend's BBQ party, so I took a peek into my cabinet of Klutz curiosities for a way to make our day extra fun.

How to Make Monstrous, Huge, Unbelievably Big Bubbles is the brainchild of bubble master David Stein and the editors of Klutz. Stein’s invention, the "Bubble Thing," is the magic wand that makes your bubbles big, and inside the book you’ll find the recipe for the perfect bubble mix.

As the ribs and carrots sizzled on the grill, we set up with a bucket of suds and our Bubble Thing and took turns blowing super-sized bubbles out in the sun.

The First Annual Candy Cup, featuring Klutz Air Power

It started out innocently enough.

Just two sisters, sitting on the couch, eating junk food and watching a movie. As one polishes off a bag of candy, she remarks to the other, “Betcha two gummies I can shoot this wrapper into the garbage!” 

“I’ll bet you three chips you can’t!” the other fires back.

The first one shoots and falls just short of the can, and the second jumps up triumphant and then scarfs down her prize. But the first sister can’t let it stop there because a good ol’ fashioned bout of sibling rivalry has begun!

“I’ll bet you three gummies that I can chug this whole glass of milk in five seconds.”

“I’ll bet you this chocolate that you can't fit ten marshmallows in your mouth.”

As the bets get crazier and crazier, the Klutz-ier of the two sisters has an idea to get things back under control. She heads to her cabinet of curiosities and pulls out Klutz’s latest book of science-fueled fun, Air Power: Rocket Science Made Simple.

If they’re going to be betting, they might as well have fun and maybe learn a thing or two. So with a quick lesson in Newton's Laws of Motion, five balloons to power their play and two piles of gummies to set the stakes, the first annual Air Powered Candy Cup began.

Whose hot rod will drive the farthest? Whose hovercraft will hover the longest? Whose rocket will flyer higher? Whose helicopter will fly wilder? Who knew? But those two sisters were sure going to find out!

And as the gummy piles grew and shrank, laughs were had and fists were shaken, 'til finally, one candy pile towered over the other, and so a winner was declared.

And although this sibling didn't emerge victorious, she was happy to turn that pesky little impulse to compete with her little sis' into an awesome, air-powered adventure. And you can bet that next year, she’ll be ready to claim the title — and that yummy cup of candy — all for herself!

Paper Flying Dragons Photo Diary

I must admit, when Paper Flying Dragons first landed (no pun intended) on my Klutz radar, I couldn’t really get into it. I mean, I love fantasy as much as the next nerd girl; I just wasn’t sure that would translate to paper-dragon play.

On a weekend trip to the cottage with all of my family around, it seemed like the best time to break out the book and rope some cousins into playing with me. My aunt and her two boys seemed totally on board, so we set up at the coffee table and got started. As we flipped through the pages of paper pop-out dragons, I started to feel some excitement. I picked out a purple hatchling, folded her up, then headed outside to put her in flight.

We hopped up on the deck to give us some height, then launched our dragons clear across the beach. These little beauties flew like a dream! As we watched our jewel-toned dragons soar through the sky, I started to feel a chill, so I popped inside to grab a sweater. And what did I find but a few more players at the coffee table, whipping up some paper dragons of their own.

Turns out our whirling, swirling spectacle had sparked some serious interest, and it wasn’t long before the whole family was outside, playing paper dragon battles, target practice, and racing up and down the beach. I wondered to myself how I ever doubted the power of flying paper dragons!

Summer Sisters (with Me and My Friends: The Book of Us)

Oh summer... parting is such sweet sorrow!

It’s almost time to say goodbye to still-light nights, eating popsicles and riding bikes. Pool parties, BBQs, and the odd too-hot-to-bear crafternoon indoors, I will miss you dearly during the glum winter days ahead. But most of all, I will miss my summer friends, those special people who come around when the sun is shining and make each school-free day extra fun!

My cousin Carolyne is my favourite summer friend. There is almost no one that I’ve known longer; we’ve been friends since birth (hers, of course, since by that time I was already a mature six months). We’ve done it all; playing in laundry baskets, staging stairwell productions of The Sound of Music, and indulging our embarrassing love of a certain dance movie franchise. But then she had to go and move away for school. So now our friend-fest is summer only… Sigh!

Before we said goodbye for yet another school year, she and I had a little fun with Me and My Friends! We gabbed and giggled about food, friends, and being carefree for one more week, as we filled out pop quizzes, compatibility tests, and more to commemorate our awesome friendship. So now, on those days when her absence is particularly stinging, I can look up all the reasons that she’s totally worth the wait!

 

Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of Summer (with The Encyclopedia of My Immaturity)

Has is happened to you yet?

You're sitting around watching TV (which, shame on you, get outside and enjoy the weather!) when out of nowhere it hits you… the dreaded back-to-school commercial!

I mean, come on, it’s the beginning of August! Can’t we just enjoy the last month of summer freedom without having to be reminded that in a short few weeks we’ll be packing our backpacks and returning to the harrowing halls of our educational institutions?

Until that dreadful day, make sure you are spending your final month of freedom being as delightfully juvenile and un-school-like as possible. Frolic through a field in a woven dandelion crown, build a big sandcastle and then kick it down, or have some fun with The Encyclopedia of My Immaturity.

Forget everything you thought you knew about diaries and get ready to ratchet up the silliness with this wise-cracking, fill-in-the-blank activity book where you can record your summer of immaturity. Quizzes, games, silly story starters, and so much more motivate you to unleash your inner kid! 

Want to take your immaturity outside the book? Check out the other installments in this silly series, that feature instructions, illustrations, and diagrams for tons of hilarious shenanigans--like How to Do a Wheelie, How to Hang a Spoon from Your Nose, and How to Really Annoy Your Older Sibling--and spend your last lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer right!

Want even more proof? Just check out these hilarious videos below: