Mark your calendar, July is a busy month and have we got ideas for you (Mom and Dad).
This July is:
National Picnic Month
Summer lends us beautiful days to picnic outside with our family and friends. Don't worry about the ants; grab a blanket or a couple of chairs, a ball for a game of catch, a picnic basket full of healthy treats, your sunscreen, and some bug spray, and head out to a local park, beach, or even your own backyard for a good, old- fashioned picnic, because July is National Picnic Month!
Here are some fun picnic ideas:
* Weather permitting, spread a blanket beneath your
favorite tree and enjoy a peaceful afternoon picnic.
* Keep a small blanket or quilt in the car at all times.
Whenever you have a spare hour or so, visit a drive-thru restaurant and stop just about anywhere for a quick picnic.
* Don't let the rain stop you! You can enjoy an indoor
picnic on the living room floor anytime; rain or shine.
*Picnic with your closest friends; ask each of them to bring a favorite dish.
*Have your picnic near a ball field so you can play softball, Frisbee, or kickball.
*Have your picnic by a stream or lake so you can go fishing or rock skipping.
*Ask an adult to set up a net so you can play badminton or volleyball.
*Find out if your community offers free outdoor concerts or plays
and set up your picnic there.
Highlighting National Picnic Month:
http://www.smarterkids.com/rescenter...958&redir=true
Recipe!
Star-Berry Picnic Cake
National Hot Dog Month
July is National Hot Dog Month, and according to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council, over seven billion hot dogs will be eaten by Americans between Memorial Day and Labor Day. During the July 4th weekend alone (the biggest hot dog holiday of the year), 155 million will be downed.
For more information, visit the Council's website at www.hot-dog.org. Bon appétit.
How did the hot dog get it's name?
The term "hot dog" is credited to sports cartoonist Tad Dorgan. At a 1901 baseball game at the Polo Grounds in New York, vendors began selling hot dachsund sausages in rolls.
From the press box, Dorgan could hear the vendors yelling, "Get your dachshund sausages while they're red hot!" He sketched a cartoon depicting the scene but wasn't sure how to spell "dachshund" so he called them simply, "hot dogs." And the rest is history.
What is the most popular condiment for a hot dog?
Council research shows that for adults, mustard is the condiment of choice, while children prefer ketchup. That said, preferences do change from region to region. For instance, hot dogs in New York are generally served with a lighter mustard and steamed onions, while Chicago hot dogs can come with mustard, relish, onions, tomato slices, or pretty much anything at all.
*Take a hotdog quiz!
Hot Diggity Dog!
*See a Hot Dog photo gallery!
*Make some yummy hot dogs with these recipes!
* This is an easy one: Grill hot dogs--or make chili dogs!
Invite the entire family over for a potluck feast. Supply
the hot dogs, and ask them to bring one side dish each.
* Experiment with different toppings for your hot dogs. Do you usually play it safe with mustard and relish? Try
chunks of pineapple instead!
* Teach young children the words to the Oscar Mayer song! Even though the song is for bologna, they also make hot dogs. Besides, it's just a fun little song.
National Ice Cream Month
July is National Ice Cream Month! In 1984, dessert-lover Ronald Reagan designated July as a time to honor America's favorite sweet. This is a good month to learn about ice cream and its history and benefits. It is also a great excuse to take your mom, dad, brother, sister, or even your best friend out to get a cool cone or an ice cream popsicle.
Things to do:
* Visit a dairy or ice cream shop
* Visit a Website to find out everything you wanted to know about ice cream!
*
Sing the "I scream You scream" song
*Want a really cool job? Find out how to become an ice cream taster?
* Host an old-fashioned ice cream social. Don't forget the root beer floats!
* Cover the kitchen table with tubs of ice cream, syrup in every imaginable flavor, bananas, cherries, chopped nuts, and all of the kids' favorite toppings.
*Top 15 Most Popular
Ice Cream Flavors
1. Vanilla (29%) 9. Vanilla Fudge Ripple (2.6%)
2. Chocolate (8.9%) 10. Praline Pecan (1.7%)
3. Butter Pecan (5.3%) 11. Cherry (1.6%)
4. Strawberry (5.3%) 12. Chocolate Almond (1.6%)
5. Neopolitan (vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry) (4.2%) 13. Coffee (1.6%)
6. Chocolate Chip (3.9%) 14. Rocky Road (1.5%)
7. French Vanilla (3.8%) 15. Chocolate Marshmallow (1.3%)
8. Cookies and Cream (3.6%) All Others (23.7%)
Source: International Ice Cream Association, 888 16th St., Washington, D.C. 20006
National Tennis Month
* Play a game of Balloon Tennis! This is a great game for toddlers. Glue a wooden paint stick to a paper plate to form the racket. Blow up a few balloons (no helium). Gently tap the balloons with your racket. Tennis anyone?
* Make silly tennis heads! Push 4 thumbtacks into a tennis ball to form a base, so it won't roll over. (Younger children should set the ball on top of a small cardboard tube once the ball is decorated, instead of using tacks.) Use a marker or fabric paint to draw a nose, mouth and the eyes. Glue yarn on top for hair.
* Help small children practice hand-eye coordination by sitting on the floor and rolling a tennis ball back and forth to each other.
Now on to an entire month of activities! Our thread continues on next post and check each week for new ideas for July!
This July is:
National Picnic Month
Summer lends us beautiful days to picnic outside with our family and friends. Don't worry about the ants; grab a blanket or a couple of chairs, a ball for a game of catch, a picnic basket full of healthy treats, your sunscreen, and some bug spray, and head out to a local park, beach, or even your own backyard for a good, old- fashioned picnic, because July is National Picnic Month!
Here are some fun picnic ideas:
* Weather permitting, spread a blanket beneath your
favorite tree and enjoy a peaceful afternoon picnic.
* Keep a small blanket or quilt in the car at all times.
Whenever you have a spare hour or so, visit a drive-thru restaurant and stop just about anywhere for a quick picnic.
* Don't let the rain stop you! You can enjoy an indoor
picnic on the living room floor anytime; rain or shine.
*Picnic with your closest friends; ask each of them to bring a favorite dish.
*Have your picnic near a ball field so you can play softball, Frisbee, or kickball.
*Have your picnic by a stream or lake so you can go fishing or rock skipping.
*Ask an adult to set up a net so you can play badminton or volleyball.
*Find out if your community offers free outdoor concerts or plays
and set up your picnic there.
Highlighting National Picnic Month:
http://www.smarterkids.com/rescenter...958&redir=true
Recipe!
Star-Berry Picnic Cake
National Hot Dog Month
July is National Hot Dog Month, and according to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council, over seven billion hot dogs will be eaten by Americans between Memorial Day and Labor Day. During the July 4th weekend alone (the biggest hot dog holiday of the year), 155 million will be downed.
For more information, visit the Council's website at www.hot-dog.org. Bon appétit.
How did the hot dog get it's name?
The term "hot dog" is credited to sports cartoonist Tad Dorgan. At a 1901 baseball game at the Polo Grounds in New York, vendors began selling hot dachsund sausages in rolls.
From the press box, Dorgan could hear the vendors yelling, "Get your dachshund sausages while they're red hot!" He sketched a cartoon depicting the scene but wasn't sure how to spell "dachshund" so he called them simply, "hot dogs." And the rest is history.
What is the most popular condiment for a hot dog?
Council research shows that for adults, mustard is the condiment of choice, while children prefer ketchup. That said, preferences do change from region to region. For instance, hot dogs in New York are generally served with a lighter mustard and steamed onions, while Chicago hot dogs can come with mustard, relish, onions, tomato slices, or pretty much anything at all.
*Take a hotdog quiz!
Hot Diggity Dog!
*See a Hot Dog photo gallery!
*Make some yummy hot dogs with these recipes!
* This is an easy one: Grill hot dogs--or make chili dogs!
Invite the entire family over for a potluck feast. Supply
the hot dogs, and ask them to bring one side dish each.
* Experiment with different toppings for your hot dogs. Do you usually play it safe with mustard and relish? Try
chunks of pineapple instead!
* Teach young children the words to the Oscar Mayer song! Even though the song is for bologna, they also make hot dogs. Besides, it's just a fun little song.
National Ice Cream Month
July is National Ice Cream Month! In 1984, dessert-lover Ronald Reagan designated July as a time to honor America's favorite sweet. This is a good month to learn about ice cream and its history and benefits. It is also a great excuse to take your mom, dad, brother, sister, or even your best friend out to get a cool cone or an ice cream popsicle.
Things to do:
* Visit a dairy or ice cream shop
* Visit a Website to find out everything you wanted to know about ice cream!
*
Sing the "I scream You scream" song*Want a really cool job? Find out how to become an ice cream taster?
* Host an old-fashioned ice cream social. Don't forget the root beer floats!
* Cover the kitchen table with tubs of ice cream, syrup in every imaginable flavor, bananas, cherries, chopped nuts, and all of the kids' favorite toppings.
*Top 15 Most Popular
Ice Cream Flavors
1. Vanilla (29%) 9. Vanilla Fudge Ripple (2.6%)
2. Chocolate (8.9%) 10. Praline Pecan (1.7%)
3. Butter Pecan (5.3%) 11. Cherry (1.6%)
4. Strawberry (5.3%) 12. Chocolate Almond (1.6%)
5. Neopolitan (vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry) (4.2%) 13. Coffee (1.6%)
6. Chocolate Chip (3.9%) 14. Rocky Road (1.5%)
7. French Vanilla (3.8%) 15. Chocolate Marshmallow (1.3%)
8. Cookies and Cream (3.6%) All Others (23.7%)
Source: International Ice Cream Association, 888 16th St., Washington, D.C. 20006
National Tennis Month
* Play a game of Balloon Tennis! This is a great game for toddlers. Glue a wooden paint stick to a paper plate to form the racket. Blow up a few balloons (no helium). Gently tap the balloons with your racket. Tennis anyone?
* Make silly tennis heads! Push 4 thumbtacks into a tennis ball to form a base, so it won't roll over. (Younger children should set the ball on top of a small cardboard tube once the ball is decorated, instead of using tacks.) Use a marker or fabric paint to draw a nose, mouth and the eyes. Glue yarn on top for hair.
* Help small children practice hand-eye coordination by sitting on the floor and rolling a tennis ball back and forth to each other.
Now on to an entire month of activities! Our thread continues on next post and check each week for new ideas for July!
and Macaroni Day 
(July 7)
(July 8th)
relax and drink some ice tea or lemonade
about 
