By Rachel Jeffers
Running low on pre-planned activities, vacations or funds this summer? My family and I decided to challenge ourselves by getting creative at home with a few DIY activities that cost a little but provide a ton of fun. We went to Pinterest, the original social media source for ideas and headed off to see what we could find at our local Dollar Tree store for under $20.
Idea #1 Pool Noodle Bubble Blowers
Materials: $6 = Pool noodles, scissors, plastic straws, duct tape, liquid bubbles and a bowl
To keep our toddler entertained, we made six bubble blowers out of pool noodles and straws which are MUCH easier for little kids to operate. We cut the noodles into six equal parts, cut the straws into four lengths and taped 12 pieces next to each other on a piece of tape. To finish the craft, we rolled up the straws and placed them into the holes of the noodles.
Idea #2 Mystery Sour Challenge
Materials: $10 = 8 types of sour candy, string, scissors, box and horizontal pole or yard stick.
Our tween took a stroll down the candy aisle and found a myriad of potent sour candies that piqued our interest. We bought eight of them to try with a group of friends to see who handled the jaw-clenching taste of citric acid best! To level up the competition, we tied each sour candy to a string and threaded it through a hole in a box that was suspended by a pole. Each participant had to cut a string to drop the mystery sour candy of choice to try.
Idea #3 Archery Painting
Materials: $20 = Plastic bow and arrow with suction cups, 3-5 waterproof paints, muffin tin, canvases and plastic tablecloth
The toy bow and arrow was the most expensive thing we bought but definitely worth the entertainment and artistic end product. We bought four paints and poured each color into a muffin tin. Then, we placed a plastic tablecloth on an A-frame easel to protect the wood from paint splatters and poked two holes through the cloth for suction cup hooks to hang two canvases on as our targets. We then dipped our plastic suction cup arrows in paint and let them fly at the easel and canvas. The result: a perfection of paint splatters when we missed. As we honed our shooting skills, the arrows started to land on the canvas, creating a beautiful masterpiece of random art.