5 stay-cool activities for your kids this summer

STAY COOL 2012: Five ways to keep your kids
cool this summer

It's officially summertime and you know what that means: It's hot outside and your kids will be looking for anything to keep cool. If you're lucky enough to have a pool (I'm jealous!), you and your kids are probably planning on logging some serious hours poolside.

But if you don't have a pool, or are looking for ways to keep cool on land, here are five activities I scouted from Pinterest that you can use to beat the heat with your kids this summer. The best part? These will work with toddlers and older children too!

1. Play water balloon pinata. Instead of the traditional take on this game, why not fill water balloons and hang them from your garage ceiling, deck ceiling, or swing set? Your older kids will have a ball swinging a plastic bat to pop the big ones, and set up smaller balloons for your toddler so you can pop some together. 
2. Create water balloon art. While we're on the topic of water balloons, why not trying filling balloons with sidewalk chalk paint? Then break them on the cement and see how the design comes out. This one might be a little messy, so remember to dress your kids in play clothes. But they'll be sure to have a lot of fun!
3. Make a water blob. It's easier than it sounds -- just grab a tarp, fold it in half, duck tape two and a half sides, fill it with water, tape up the rest of the opening, and go to town. The water bubble it creates is safe for your toddler to play on, but fun for older kids too. If you turn a sprinkler on, it'll be a cool, fun, and slippery playground for your kids on a hot summer day. 
4. Have a watering can race. String plastic lightweight watering cans up on a clothes line, fill them up with a little water, and use only water guns to move the cans along the line. Whoever can move them across the yard wins! For older kids, this can get a little competitive, so you can always do a separate course for your toddler.
5. Save their favorite characters with water. Kids love to use their imagination, so how about creating a story within a water game? Picture this: The evil queen has taken the princess and trapped her in a block of ice. How can your child save the day? By shooting the ice with a water gun, melting it, and setting the princess free!

Thanks to all the mommy bloggers who share their tips with the world -- I love seeing what everyone else comes up with! What do you do with your kids to stay cool? I'd love to see your pictures and hear your recipes for keeping cool on our mOmmaUS Facebook page.