With spring having arrived, the trees and flowers blooming, local youth are feeling the excitement of time off for the summer. And with the summer, some of them are graduating from their respective schools. Pelican Falls First Nations High School has already let out for the summer. Being a boarding school, they have longer hours making for a shorter school year. Sioux Mountain Public School and Sacred Heart School are local elementary schools here in Sioux Lookout and we will be making presentations for our annual Literacy awards. Queen Elizabeth District High School will also be letting out this month. Way to go, grads!

Good weather is finally here (I was frustrated at shoveling snow in May) and summer is on its way! Here are some nice ideas for the next couple of months:

  • Use a fitted bed sheet upside-down to stay sand free at the beach, by lifting the edges with the cooler, towel, and other bags.
  • Use a glue gun to give your kids’ shoes some grip, by adding a couple straight lines on the bottom.
  • Use a coffee lid, small paper cup, or cupcake liner to catch ice cream spills by poking the stick handles through them.
  • Use an old white bed sheet for painting fun by using it as a very large canvass.
  • Use shoe storage in your car/van so you never lose anything. Because pockets are great.
  • Create a safe play area for your baby using a blow-up pool
  • Create a drawing kit inside a dvd case or old diary.
  • Use a clean diaper to keep your things, like wallets or cell phones, safe at the beach by disguising it as used.
  • Use a muffin tin as a condiment tray for your summer parties, no more bottles.
  • Create enough bubble mix for a month in a sealable tub.
  • Use apple cider vinegar or lemon juice on your kids for mosquito bites.
  • Use large stickers to help your kids put on their shoes. L & R doesn’t do it, cut a larger sticker of an animal in half and put it on the bottom of the shoes. They only have to put the picture together.
  • Use plastic wrap on glasses and cups to avoid spills, poke a straw through the wrap and voila! Instant drink cover.
  • Use a hair grip for clothes that are too big
  • Keep your trampoline safe by covering exposed springs with pool noodles
  • Put paint in a resealable food bag and tape it to a window they can reach. They’ll play with paint without any mess or cleaning.
  • Create games with sponges and chalk on your driveway. Toss the sponges onto targets. Develops dexterity.
  • Create a portable sandbox using plastic under-bed storage bins.
  • Eat your hamburgers upside down, it reduces spills.
  • Use the tab on pop cans to stop your straws from floating by ending the tab over the hole and feeding the straw through it.