Parent Hacks

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Best of Parent Hacks: Summertime edition

in: Etc.

Here you go! A nice collection of hacks that will take you all the way through summer.

I'll be here and there throughout the summer as vacations, projects and my garden come and go. Consider this my gone fishin' sign — it will pop up when my attention leads me away from the computer. Hopefully it will give you tacit encouragement to take an Internet break yourself.

Happy summer!

Best of Parent Hacks: Summertime

Photo credit: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Summer activities

Hacks about swimming, camping, and going to the beach.

Tips for simplifying swimming with kids (at The Accidental Expert)

Summer project: homemade merit badges

Fill baby's high chair tray with water for warm weather splashing

Washing the water table is almost as fun as playing with it

Bath toys gain new life as pool toys

Old-fashioned ice crusher makes a perfect hot weather distraction

Turn the Pack n' Play into a shady hangout for baby

Mesh food covers become play tents for action figures

DIY summer bracelets

Cool Summer fun: Draw on the driveway with ice

For YOU: A summer of self-care in 6 simple steps (at The Accidental Expert)

Summer learning

8 fun and useful "chores" to coax your kids outside (at The Accidental Expert)

Summer camp fairs help kids AND parents make smart choices

How to combat summertime "brain drain?"

6 life skills your kids can learn this summer (at The Accidental Expert)

You can do it: grow a vegetable garden

Check your local library for summer reading activites

Summer organization and quick cleanup tips

Summer vacation: the big picture

One mom's DIY approach to summer: "structure, not scheduling"

How do you effectively work from home during the summer?

Tape combination to padlock so it won't be forgotten over the summer

Clean summer toenails with a toothbrush

Baby food stains come clean in a sunbath

Summer meals, snacks and treats

Instant s'mores

Coffee sleeve makes frozen drinks easier to handle

Frozen yogurt tubes stand in for ice cream treats

Cool summer snack: Frozen corn

Give 'em Popsicles that match their shirts

Juice box "wings" prevent spills

Summer health

Hot day? Store your sunscreen in a cooler bag

Put toddler girls into boys' swim trunks for extra sun and knee protection

Apply sunscreen to kids' faces with a makeup brush

Sunscreen as face paint

Nightlight on a timer tells early risers when it's morning wakeup time

Low-effort summer "fashion"

Boxer shorts and cotton undershirts make cheaper summer PJs

Cornrows make for a low-maintenance summer hairdo

See also: the piles of family travel tips in the Travel/Getting Out archive.

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About Asha Dornfest

Asha Dornfest is a writer, parent, and insistent optimist living in Portland, Oregon. She is the author of PARENT HACKS, co-author of MINIMALIST PARENTING, and co-host of the Edit Your Life podcast.

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About the Author

Asha Dornfest is the author of Parent Hacks and other books, and former co-host of the Edit Your Life podcast. More about Asha »

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