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Teachers are known for spending the majority of the school year with other people’s children and they do it gladly. I am no different, and just like all teachers who are also parents, we do our best to make sure that we make the most of our summers. Check out how to make the most out of your summer with this fun outdoor fort tutorial and ice cream!
This summer is a bit different for us. My husband has been home a lot more that usual. He is dealing with some things and getting through them, but that has greatly impacted our finances. We are just being more creative with our family time and coming up with fun things to do at home and be better together. Our big idea this week? An outdoor fort with games and ice cream!
Prepping the Outdoor Fort
Our kids love the outdoors and we have a beautiful backyard. Although there is not a lot of shade there is plenty of room. So we thought we would create some shade and take our readers with us as we put together this fantastic fort!
You will need:
- An old king-size flat sheet (this is the one we use to cover our garden)
- 2-4 wooden stakes
- A staple gun with staples
- A Fence
Directions:
1. Staple the sheet to the top of the fence. I stapled ours pretty tight
2. Staple the loose ends of the sheet to the wooden poles. You could also probably tie these or use zip ties.
3. Push the poles firmly into the ground to create the lean to fort.
4. Fill with fun and enjoy!
I Didn’t Forget the Ice Cream & Games!
Oh, FUN! It has been hot in Colorado. We are talking anywhere from 101º to 107º and climbing. Being outside in this dry heat can be miserable, but since our kids are big outdoors fans, we thought why not keep them cool with some ice cream and games!
I stopped by Walmart to grab our favorite creamy and delicious Blue Bunny® Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream and some yummy Smucker’s toppings using my Ibotta app. I went with the Smucker’s Microwaveable Hot Fudge Topping, Magic Shell® chocolate topping and the caramel flavored spoonable topping. After all, ice cream and toppings are better together, just like a family is better when they are together!
Once in the fort, I used a breakfast serving tray to set up our mini ice cream sundae bar. I then set up a basket of outdoor fun and games. In addition, the husband and I purchased a little plastic swimming pool for the kids to play in!
The games we chose were ones we could either set up in the shade of our little trees or that would help to keep us cool. Paddle ball, horseshoes, bubbles, sidewalk chalk and water balloons were going to help us make the most of our summer.
Once everything was set up I told the kids to run and get on their swimsuits. While they got dressed, I started scooping our Blue Bunny® Homemade Vanilla ice cream into bowls. The kids ran outside and immediately jumped into the pool.
They hardly noticed I was under this awesome fort, until I yelled “ICE CREAM”. The boys came running, gave me their topping order and sat down to enjoy some scrumptious Blue Bunny® ice cream with Smucker’s toppings. The ice cream sure hit the spot and kept everyone cooler in this heatwave.
I stayed in the fort to enjoy the shade and eat all the ice cream. There is no shame to my mom game. I had shade, ice cream and a perfect view of my family enjoying the day. Once I cleaned up the ice cream, I joined in for some horseshoes and sidewalk chalk fun.
Overall, the day was a huge hit and we definitely made the most of this summer day.
Get the Free Shopping List Printable
I am so glad we chose to enjoy a sweet treat while cherishing our family time. The sweet teeth in our home are strong, and this was just the fun we needed to keep everyone going in a positive direction. If you are looking to create something like this, please
download my free printable below for easy shopping!
What is your favorite Ice Cream Topping?
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