The Summer Olympics begin this week in London and run through August 12th. We’re excited to watch our favorite events–especially swimming! There are so many fun ways to get your family excited about the Olympics and involved (besides watching TV). Here are my favorite 5 Summer Olympics Activities:

Opening Ceremonies Bingo
Print out this Olympic Ceremonies Bingo sheet from 30 Handmade Days and gear up for Friday night’s festivities. Or, do like we’re doing, and DVR them for Saturday morning. Then you can skip the commercials and condense the time a lot.

Host an Olympic Party
Thanks to Kim at The Celebration Shoppe for these awesome Olympic Party printables. Whether you’re watching Friday’s Opening Ceremonies with the kids or adults, add a little excitement with these cute cupcake picks and signs. I also love her Watermelon Olympic Rings and Oreo Olympic Medal Treats.

Olympic Rings T-shirt
Your kids can make their own Olympic Rings T-shirt with a little fabric paint and a circle cookie cutter (or end of a can) with this tutorial from Me and my shadow. While you’re waiting for the shirts to dry, paint or color paper plate rings for an Olympic Ring decoration.

Olympic Torch
My kids have been following the travels of the Olympic Torch from Greece to England, and they love that it’s like a relay race. Make your own Olympic Torch via this tutorial from AlphaMom, and your kids can pass the torch through the neighborhood while running off some energy.

Track and Field
I love this Olympic-themed birthday party from a small snippet. LeAna shares her fantastic ideas on how to replicate hurdles (with hula hoops), discus (with a frisbee), and more. They’re all easily replicated in your yard, an open field, or on the beach. Check out the cute popcorn torches, too!

How are you celebrating the Olympics at your house?

You’re not the only one trying to keep the kids entertained on these long, hot days. Encourage community and friendship in your neighborhood by including others.  Here are some of my favorite ideas to have summer fun with your neighbors:

Bike/Trike Wash
Build a Fun PVC Sprinkler for less than $15 of supplies, and use it as a Kid Bike/Trike Wash. Kids from all over the neighborhood and ride through the “car wash” to cool off and have fun. Come Together Kids has a great tutorial. If you want to spend more and get really fancy, check out this deluxe version from FamilyFun.

Scavenger Hunts
It’s easy to find great printable ideas out there in the blogosphere! I love this simple Stroller Scavenger Hunt from Fowl Single File for toddlers and preschoolers who ride while you’re walking. Use this printable Shape Scavenger Hunt either indoors or out, courtesy of The Mother Huddle. Put older kids into teams to roam the neighborhood looking for this Nature Scavenger Hunt from The Taylor House.

Outdoor Twister
This Outdoor Twister Game from The DIY Club looks like fun to make with the kids, and then you’ll have a huge playspace for everyone to spread out and twist. The paint shouldn’t ruin your grass as long as it’s just on the surface (not the roots); the grass will grow out in 1-2 weeks and you can mow the color right off. If you want to save time and trouble, don’t make your own spinner. Use one from an existing game or if you don’t have one–just use two cans with slips of paper (one with the colors and one with the hands/feet).

Neighborhood Chalk Party
Get kids of all ages outside for a Neighborhood Chalk Party like Kate from my kids eat off the floor. She kept it simple with a big bucket of chalk and popsicles, but check out Kids on the Grand for a set of stations like Trace Your Body and Hit the Target. This can be as relaxed or structured as you like. The kids will have a blast either way!

Bubbles and More Bubbles
Seems like every time we go out with our bubble wands, we collect kids from the neighborhood! It’s fun to have neighbors bring their bubble toys over so everyone can try something new. If you’re up for a little project, build a special bubble wand and use homemade bubble solution to make Giant Bubbles like Tatertots and Jello. It looks like it takes a few tries to get the hang of it, but kids should be able to do it with practice.

What are some ways you’ve shared summer fun with your neighbors?

My son (age 8 1/2) is finally done with all the Harry Potter books and has moved on to shorter ones; I’m glad, since they were taking months and he wasn’t reading anything else. Now he’s trying a bunch of different authors: sports books by Matt Christopher, the Gregor the Overlander series by Suzanne Collins (author of Hunger Games), and Andrew Clements’ novels like Frindle and The Landry News.

If you haven’t yet, check out the Summer Reading programs at Barnes & Noble, Half-Price Books, and more.

Many thanks to Renee from School Sparks for her help with this post.

Free Summer Learning eBook

Read, Read, Read

How are you keeping your kids learning this summer?

Whether the days are stormy or you’re just trying to beat the heat, you’ll be spending some time indoors with your kids this summer. Here are 5 Indoor Activities for Summer Days:

I love this Simple S’mores Recipe with an Indoor Campout idea from Six Sisters’ Stuff. Keep these ingredients in the back of the pantry for a bad weather day, and surprise your kids. It’s also a great way to include little ones in S’mores without the danger of real fire. How fun!

Thank goodness there are brilliant mommas out there sharing their ideas. This Masking Tape Racetrack from The Mother Huddle would keep my kids busy for HOURS, either now on a rainy day or during a string of sick days in the winter. You can use blue painters’ tape instead of masking tape for less stickiness.

This No Mess Marbled Painting from Inner Child Fun is a great way for kids to get tactile and artistic without making a mess! You’ll need a large ziploc bag, baby oil, water-soluble paint, and packing tape.

Kids will love this noisy Bubble Wrap Hopscotch from Giver’sLog. Start saving up your packages’ bubble wrap so you’re ready for the next rainy day! Be sure to write on the smooth side of the wrap.

We’re huge Board Games fans at our house! I’ve reviewed a number of kids’ board games here at MoneywiseMoms, so you may find some that are new to you. Since my girls are now 6, we’re teaching them some of our favorite non-kid games, like Ticket to Ride, and they’re eager to learn more this summer.

If you want to get out of the house on those stormy days, check out the 2012 Summer Movie Programs, Kids Bowl Free, and Kids Skate Free.

There’s so much to do this summer! It’s your choice between free movies, reading programs, arts & crafts and now bowling! When you’re looking for air-conditioned fun, head to your local bowling alley for the Kids Bowl Free program. Here’s how to register up to six children:

1. Find a participating bowling center near you.
2. Register directly on your bowling center’s website. Your passes will only be good at the center you’ve chosen. Look in the right-hand column for times that your passes will work (most are all day on weekdays but limited hours on weekends).
3. Each Sunday morning, you’ll receive an email with that week’s passes for each child to bowl two FREE games every day. You will still have to pay for shoe rental unless you have your own shoes.
4. Once you register, you can also purchase a Family Pass any time during the summer. The Family Pass is $24.95 and allows up to 4 adults to play 2 games per person per day along with the kids. (If you have your own shoes, this is a great deal!)

The Kids Bowl Free program runs through the end of August or early September, depending on the bowling center. You’ll see the information and age requirements (most define “child” as age 15 and under) when you click on your local bowling center. Note that shoe rental is not included, so this is not a completely FREE activity.