Oh, the sweet blissful memories of childhood: playing in sandboxes, climbing trees, drawing rainbows and spending the afternoon on a swing set. If you feel like you are losing touch with your inner child, here are some cheap and easy ways to reconnect.
1. Hopscotch: A small piece of sidewalk chalk, a rock and a section of sidewalk is all you need for this game. If you don't remember the rules, they are written below (courtesy of http://www.about.com):Draw the layout with the chalk - three single squares, one double square, two single squares, one double square, one single square. You can number the squares if you want. The two basic rules of hop scotch are 1) one foot in each square only, 2) hop over the square with the rock in it.Throw a rock into the first square. Hop on one foot over the square with the rock in it. Land with two feet on the double squares. On the second turn, throw the rock into the second square, and so forth. The tricky part is staying on one foot when the rock is in one of the side-by-side squares.
2. Cookies: Mix up a batch of chocolate chip cookies or snickerdoodles, and make sure to lick the spoon! I remember those days of sneaking cookie batter against the "raw eggs aren't good for you" advice from my parents - which made the batter taste that much more delicious. Use this recipe for cookies from http://www.allrecipes.com for "absolutely the best chocolate chip cookies:"
Ingredients:* One c. butter flavored shortening* 3/4 c. white sugar* 3/4 c. brown sugar* Two eggs* Two tsp. Mexican vanilla extract* Two 1/4 c. all-purpose flour* One tsp. baking soda* One tsp. salt* Two c. milk chocolate chips
Directions:a. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.b. In a large bowl, cream together the butter flavored shortening, brown sugar and white sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well with each addition, then stir in the vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; gradually stir them into the creamed mixture. Finally, fold in the chocolate chips. Drop rounded spoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets.c. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until light brown. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for five minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
3. Ice cream cones: Ice cream always tasted so much better when it was on a cone. So the next time you go out to grab a pint of your favorite Ben and Jerry's flavor, grab a pack of cones. Or for the full experience, buy toppings or throw a kid-themed birthday party complete with paper birthday hats and ice cream cones.
4. Papier-m??ché volcanoes: Feeling creative? Want to release a burst of childlike wonder? It was always amazing to see a papier-m??ché volcano in action. For directions on how to make one, head to the following Web site: http://www.ehow.com/how_2087490_make-papermache-volcano.html.
5. Disney sleepovers: Cozy up with movies like The Little Mermaid or The Lion King, a sleeping bag and a big bowl of popcorn.
6. Roller skating: Dig up an old pair of skates or rent some and go for a spin around campus, in your room or even at a roller rink.
7. Hide-and-seek: Remember hiding under the sink cabinet from the "seeker" for what seemed like hours? This game can be played anywhere and provides hours of fun.
8. Color-by-numbers: Oh, the miracles of a box of Crayola crayons and a color-by-number coloring book. You can even bring a coloring book to class or to the library to help you stay awake.
9. Freeze tag: For some great exercise and fun, grab some friends and head outside. Freeze tag is the same basic concept as regular tag, except you freeze when tapped instead of automatically being out. Best part? For those of you less ... talented in the ways of tag, you get second chances!
10. Visit the playground: Personally, the playground was my favorite place to go when I was young. There was a sandbox, slides, monkey bars and best of all, swings. Just be careful to wait your turn.
