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Things Are Heating Up: 10 DIY Backyard Ideas For Summer 2019

June 14, 2019 by Mandy

It’s summertime and you love having fun in the sun! But when you look out into your backyard, does it seem a bit lackluster?

Don’t let a boring backyard bring on the summertime blues. Create a sunny day oasis that’s worthy of any barbecue party or stay-cation! And the best part is, you can do it all yourself.

Let’s look at 10 DIY backyard ideas that will turn it into your favorite summer destination.

1. Hang a Hammock for Midsummer Naps

Nothing says lazy summer days and relaxation quite like lounging on an outdoor hammock.

Hang a hammock between two shady trees or find a quiet corner on the patio. If you don’t have a place to hang it, you can either buy a hammock stand or build one yourself.

It’s the perfect place to read a book or simply enjoy the warm summer evening breezes.

2. Cozy up to a Fire Pit

Fire pits are one of those DIY backyard ideas that’s fun for the entire family. And it’s super easy to build!

Pick the perfect spot in your backyard and dig a hole 4’ wide by 12” deep, keeping the side walls slightly angled out. Fill the bottom of the hole with lava rocks and line the walls with fire bricks.

Cut several inches of grass away for safety then surround the rim with flat rocks.

Now it’s time for s’mores and campfire stories!

3. Tire Swing Fun

Have a spare tire laying around? Transform it into a fun backyard tire swing!

After cleaning the tire, gather the kids together and paint it any way you like. For example, paint it a favorite color, have it look like a ladybug, or a colorful rainbow.

First, prep the tire with a spray primer. Then use non-toxic outdoor paint, preferably a durable commercial grade paint. Once it’s dry, add hardware and a chain then hang it from the backyard tree.

It’s swinging fun that will last for hours!

4. Outdoor Movie Theater

A favorite DIY backyard project is setting up an outdoor movie theater.

There are several options for creating a movie screen. If you have a blank wall on the house or garage, hang a white cloth on it. If not, attach the cloth between two wooden posts or PVC piping.

You can even hang the white cloth from a rope tied between two trees (just make sure to anchor the cloth to the ground so it doesn’t flap in the breeze).

Fill large, inflatable pools with blankets and pillows for movie watching comfort. You’ve now got yourself a backyard movie theater the whole family will enjoy!

5. Dine Alfresco

Barbecues, parties, and brunch – oh my! Outdoor eating is a summertime staple.

Set up a small bistro table set under a tree for shaded brunches or a retreat with a cup of coffee. For those larger family dinners and parties, picnic tables or an outdoor dining room table on a patio does the trick.

You could also set the mood by adding string lights overhead.

Find out more barbecue kitchen must-haves here.

6. Build a Pergola

For those with a more woodworking flare, building a pergola is the DIY backyard summer project for you.

Pergola’s are great for creating a focal point in your backyard. You can build them over a patio, hot tub, or for decoration in a garden.

Give them an earthy look by growing blooming vines up the poles. Add string lights to give a patio a warm glow. Or string a canvas canopy overhead to provide needed shade.

7. Create a Water Feature for Soothing Sounds

It’s amazing how much the sound of water can help us relax and feel cooler on hot summer days. So give your backyard a DIY water feature.

Pick the perfect spot near your patio and dig a hole big enough to hold a small pond liner. Surround the edges with flat stones. Build up these stones to create a small waterfall, also using tubing and a water garden pump.

Then decorate around the pond with flowers and greenery to give it that lush feeling.

8. Outdoor Forts

Nothing is better than building a fort, no matter how old you are! And you don’t have to be a master builder to construct a cool one. There are lots of ways to build a backyard fort!

Use PVC pipes, connectors, clamps, and an outdoor cloth. That large cardboard box you don’t know what to do with could become a great fort by cutting out windows and decorating with paint. Or simply decorate up a camping tent.

Forts are all about using your imagination, so let it run wild!

9. Sandbox Sailboats

A sandbox is a fun and creative way to have your child play outdoors. But why not kick it up a notch by turning it into a DIY sandbox sailboat.

You can use any sandbox or find one that’s shaped like a boat. Secure two wooden posts to the side with a rod attached between at the top. Then drape outdoor fabric (the sail) over the rod, tying it to the ends of the sandbox with hardware and rope.

The fabric not only acts as the sail, it provides your child with shade during those sunny summer days.

10. Entertain on a Pea Gravel Patio

If you don’t have a patio to entertain on, a great DIY backyard idea is to build one! No cement pouring required.

Frame out the area you want as a patio with pressure treated 2×6’s. Then cover the inside with weed blocking fabric, securing it down with metal stakes. Then simply fill the frame in with pea gravel, raking it in until it’s even.

It’s a great place to set up a fire pit, barbecue, and outdoor dining space!

Create a Summer Destination with DIY Backyard Ideas

Get out and enjoy the outdoors. With these DIY backyard ideas, you will turn this into the best summer ever!

Want to get your hands dirty with more DIY projects? Check out all our ideas on the DIY/Home blog!

How to Use Summer Break to Its Full Potential

February 22, 2019 by Mandy

The year is well underway now and if you’re good at forward planning, no doubt your thoughts are turning to the summer and how you can best keep the kids entertained. Summer break is a long time for kids, and can be a challenge for parents, especially if you work and have the whole period off isn’t an option. Such a large chunk of time is a valuable asset if used wisely, but what are the best ways to use the summer break to its full potential?

Vacations

The obvious way to spend a week or two of summer break is going on vacation. If you start planning now, you’ll be able to research possible destinations and find the places that most appeal to everyone in the family, and you could get some decent rates on packages, flights, accommodation, and tickets. Get the whole family involved in making the decision, so everyone feels invested in having a great time and make sure you arrange your visit so each family member can have at least one day where they choose what to do.

Summer camp

It’s a tradition among many families for kids to go to summer camp, and if you choose the right camp, it can be a fantastic experience for your kids. You’ll find a wide variety of alternative types of camp, from the traditional outdoors camping in nature to themed camps for horseback riding, sports, cookery, crafts, space camp, and many more. There are also military-style camps that some parents swear by, and if your child is interested in a career in the armed forces, they could be a good option. Your kids get to take part in plenty of activities, make friends, and learn many valuable skills, and a good summer camp can make a lasting impression on children.

Summer school

Summer school is a more academic option, but if your child is finding their lessons a challenge, they can be a highly effective way of learning and getting caught up. You can choose from general summer schools that cover a range of subjects or go for a specialist summer school that focuses on a specific topic like math or science. For kids who aren’t native English speakers, going to an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) summer school, such as those run by ECS, gives them a definite boost because the schools approach the teaching by using real-life experiences to help children feel at home speaking English in all sorts of different situations. It’s not all work, either! Summer schools often combine the academic element with sports or other activities; for example, your child could do an EFL with golf or tennis summer school.

While kids should be given a chance to relax and recharge their batteries over the summer break, that doesn’t mean a whole summer of playing computer games or sleeping in! Summer is a great time to branch out into new areas and practice skills in others, and your kids will benefit enormously from an active, rewarding summer break.

Cooling off Without a Huge Bill: 5 Ways to Beat the Heat on the Cheap

April 21, 2018 by Mandy

The hot days of summer mean refreshing trips to your favorite beach or local pool. Unfortunately, our busy lifestyles don’t always afford the luxury of these special trips. Sometimes, after a busy day of yard work or running around with the kids, a retreat to a cool house can provide a relaxing respite from the heat. Enjoying a cool house can be great until the energy bill arrives. Luckily, there are ways to keep cool while saving money. Here are five ways to beat the heat without breaking the bank:

Plan Your Meals for the Season

Using the stove and oven adds additional heat to your home causing your air conditioner to work harder. During hot days, make cold meals like sandwiches or salads to avoid using the oven. Even better, cook your favorite dishes outside on a grill. Pour your favorite cold drink and keep the cooking heat outside. When the food is finished, enjoy the food in your comfortable kitchen or dining room.

Embrace the Cold Shower

Cold water doesn’t cost much. If you find yourself drenched in sweat after cutting the lawn, a quick cold shower can be an invigorating way to clean up and cool off. Since you will probably feel cold after stepping out of the shower, you won’t feel the need to blast the air conditioning. Plus, you save a little extra money not using your water heater as much. On particularly hot days, take a few quick, cold showers to stay cool without overusing your air conditioner.

Use the Ceiling Fans Correctly

Ceiling fans don’t use as much energy as air conditioners. When used properly, ceiling fans cause a downdraft moving cool air to the middle of the room. In the summer, make sure your fans are running counterclockwise to maximize the comfort and energy savings of your home. Arrange your furniture so those downdrafts are cooling you and not the coffee table.

Give Your Air Conditioner a Tune-Up

Running an inefficient air conditioner will drive up energy costs. The cost of having a technician inspect and maintain your air conditioner can easily be recovered by energy savings. Regular maintenance also prevents the air conditioner from breaking down when you need it most. Air conditioner repair in Oshawa can optimize your air conditioner for Canada’s hot summer months.

Keep Out the Light

The summer sun may be great for tanning, but it won’t help your energy bills. Depending on your windows, room temperatures can increase by 10 to 20 degrees when direct sunlight fills your room. Close your curtains during the hottest times of day–especially if you plan to be outdoors. Then you could return to a nice, cool home.

Summer is a great time for being outdoors. After enjoying your favorite activities, however, you probably want to relax in a cool, comfortable home. Instead of making the air conditioner work overtime and drive up your energy bills, using these five strategies can keep you comfortable and save money.

5 Reasons Summer Camp is Great for Children

March 30, 2018 by Mandy

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If you’ve been wondering whether to sign your child up for summer camp, there has never been a better reason to do so. If you’ve been a summer camp attender yourself when you were younger, you will have fond memories of the summers you spent there and the friends you made. Summer camp has many great benefits for your children. Here are just five reasons why should book them on a summer camp this summer.

Physical Activity

This is a great way to promote plenty of physical activity, as there is usually sports or events taking place every day. Physical activity is very important for children to get rid of all their energy and not get bored over summer, especially if your area doesn’t have a lot going on. Summer camps mean action, whether this is running, swimming, or climbing, so your child will be getting plenty of exercise each day. This is also great to instill in them from an early age to reduce the risk of obesity later in life. With childhood obesity becoming a problem in many countries, we need to promote physical activity in our children to stop this from being a problem for them. If you work a lot or do not have a lot of outdoor activities for children near you, it can be hard to promote physical activity. Camp means kids can do this in a fun environment with their peers. It pushes them to go outside and get fresh air and enjoy nature, not what is on the TV.

Getting Away from Technology

Technology is taking over all our lives and no more so than our children’s. If you are worried your child is going to spend a lot of the summer indoors on their tablet or games console, summer camp ensures this does not happen and gives them that well-needed break from technology. Children should be outdoors enjoying themselves, not cooped up behind a computer screen, and reducing this activity is important to promote good social skills in your children and to tackle obesity. Summer camp will have plenty for the children to do in real life, including engaging with real people, and it is a way for them to disconnect from a virtual world. Technology can be a problem with young children as it surrounds them and is what they have been brought up around. Try to reduce your technology habits and only use your phone for important calls and texts or photos, as the more they see you using technology, the more they will believe this is the norm. This can be a good time for you to reduce your time spent online too.

Independence

This can be a great one, not only for the children but for parents too. Your child may have never have gone away overnight before without you, and this can be a hard transition for both parents and children. Ensuring that they can do this will promote independence in the safe and fun environment of a summer camp. This encourages children to make their own decisions without a parent or teacher guiding them and can stop them from being so clingy if you are having issues with this. If you work over summer and you are going to be out of the house a lot, this can ensure that your child is somewhere having fun each day and learning new skills with new friends. They can come back and tell you what fun they had and they will thank you for giving them the opportunity to do something for themselves. Promoting independence to play by themselves or with friends in a safe environment from a young age ensures that they can be independent of you and can reduce the risk of attachment issues and separation anxiety for both you and your child. It can be hard being away from your child, especially for the first time, but know they are having the time of their life and you can go to work and earn for your family, without having to worry about them being stuck at home with a babysitter.

Making New Friends

This is one of the biggest parts of summer camp and it promotes children to be more social with those they may not have thought to talk to before. Country Montessori School offers a great summer camp where children may make friends out of their group or make friends that they will be studying with next year. Either way, promoting children to make new friends increases their social skills and helps them in later life. It also promotes confidence and they may make a friend for life. Spending time with new people every day is sure fire way to make a best friend they can count on.

Experience New Things

Camp can help children experience a great variety of new things they may have never done before. Summer camps do a lot of outdoor activities and take away the competitive barrier that is often found in schools. They encourage children to have fun and try something different, meaning your child may find a new hobby or sport they enjoy doing whilst at summer camp. It is also a great time to face any fears as there are plenty of opportunities for more adventurous sports such as kayaking or climbing. Having the encouragement of other children around them and seeing all the other kids have fun can help them overcome their fears of water or heights.

Experiencing new things helps shape us and helps us to have a better understanding of ourselves and our likes and dislikes. They may even experience new foods, as camp can have a great variety of foods to offer your children. Camps usually offer a range of activities that you can take part in, therefore, your child can choose what best suits them rather than being pushed into an activity they do not enjoy or do not have an interest in.

Summer camp is a great opportunity for your children, so get them involved in new activities in the great outdoors this summer.

How to Cope with the Worst Parts of Summer

July 13, 2017 by Mandy

Everyone talks about the summer in hushed, reverent tones, as if the season can do no wrong. As if the season only has good points, and no negatives. If you dare to mention parts that you don’t like, you’re told to be quiet and that you’ll regret it in the depths of winter. Well, you’re not alone. From the growing boredom in the long holidays, to the skin ravaged by insect bites, there’s plenty of reasons to dislike the summer. For your children, it can be hard to stay cool, eat well, keep entertained, and enjoy themselves. Meanwhile your pets suffer from dehydration, heat exhaustion and sore paws. So, here’s your guide to keeping your family together through the worst, hottest parts of the summer – so you’re all in one piece by the time the fall brings its cooler climate.

Staying cool at night

One of the hardest things to cope with as a parent is a tired child, and no child is more tired than ones who wants to sleep but can’t because of the heat. You need to do all you can to keep your little ones cool and calm before bedtime, as well as ensuring that their room and your home is doing the best it can for them.

Address your child’s room first. If you’re lucky enough to get cool breezes, put up fly nets so you can have the windows open. If that’s not a possibility, look at getting a fan or two. You can get quiet but powerful ones, so you don’t need to worry about the noise. Putting a bottle of ice water in front of a fan will blow cold air around the room, so that’s worth doing. Keep on doing things like keeping the curtains closed all day to keep the sun out.

Next, look at bedding. To give them the comfiest night’s sleep, only buy sheets made from 100 percent cotton. It’ll keep them cool and wick away any moisture caused by sweating overnight. You might want to get a light sheet to replace any quilts or duvets, if your child won’t sleep without anything covering them. Likewise, make sure their pajamas are made from cotton too.

Finally, before bed, make sure your children are nice and cool. A cold shower or bath will lower their body temperature, as will running cold water over their wrists and feet. You can try laying cold flannels over their heads too as they lie in bed, or freezing a hot water bottle, and tucking it in with them. Whenever you use ice, just be careful that it doesn’t ever touch skin directly. Always wrap it in a piece of fabric.

Entertaining them through the holidays

The summer vacation is always pined for throughout the school year, but after the initial two weeks of euphoria, the novelty quickly wears off. You need to keep your children occupied and entertained, else you risk having a house full of cranky kids with too much energy. As it’s likely to be too hot to do much during the day, make the most of early mornings and get out for a cycle or walk first thing in the morning when it’s much cooler.

During the day, pick activities that won’t make your children get hot. Swimming and water sports are the perfect summertime activities, as they’ll stay cool while being outside and active. See if you can find any local facilities that will let your children either get started, or develop existing skills.

Making the house a safe, cool refuge

Now, time to look at your pets, as it’s not just us humans who suffer in the heat. Your pet should be allowed to roam around outside or cool off indoors. So, make sure they can get in and out as often as they need. If you can set up some shade or shelter in the back yard, they might be more comfortable out there.

For both your children and your pets, you need to keep a close eye on any insect activity. Summer is a key time for swarms and infestations settling in, and you don’t want any pests getting too comfy. If you spot anything that you’re worried about, get in touch with local professionals, like Go-Forth Pest Control in Wake Forest NC. The closer they are to you, the better, as you’ll be able to get them out and on the job much more quickly.

Keeping them healthy and hydrated

Your children will struggle in the heat if they aren’t drinking enough or eating well. Even though appetites tend to decrease in hot weather, you need to try to make sure your children are still eating a well-rounded diet.

For pets, it can be much harder to make them drink. You could try putting treats in their water bowl, or putting ice cubes in their food. Once the ice cubes melt, they’ll create a tasty soup that your animals will love lapping up. If you’ve got a dog, think carefully about exercising. Hot sidewalks can burn the skin off their paws, so you should only walk them on grass, or when it’s cool. You can test this by pressing the inside of your wrist to the floor. If you can’t hold it there for a minute, it’s too hot for your dog’s feet. When it’s like this, you could look at taking them swimming: they won’t burn, they’ll stay cool, and they’ll still get lots of exercise.

Ensuring no one gets sunburn

Sunburn is one of the most dangerous parts of summer. Not only is it incredibly painful, but it can cause sunstroke and cancer. Prevent your little ones from getting burnt by keeping them indoors during the hottest part of the day, and under shelter or shade for as much time as possible. Buy UV blocking clothes and sunglasses too, to protect any skin under fabric.

Most importantly, slather on as much sunblock as possible. Get the highest factor you can, and reapply it every 30 to 60 minutes.