Just for Fun: Fun Activities

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Balloon Games | Indoor Activities for Kids

Victoria Knight

Has your child ever received a balloon at a birthday party and been totally enamored by it? Take that fascination to the next level by adding in a few rules and they’ll be happily moving around developing their gross motor skills while burning off some of that rambunctious energy.

Try some of our favorite balloon games and always keep a few handy to pull out when the going gets tough.

Just a reminder that pieces of burst balloons can be a serious choking hazard, so if you have younger kids, make sure they are supervised during these activities at all times.

Don’t Let The Balloon Touch The Ground

This is the classic game that kids fall for every time. The rules are simple – hit the balloon up in the air but don’t let it touch the ground. To make it more challenging for older kids, have them juggle more than 1 balloon, or tie one hand behind their back. Time them to see how long they can do it for, or if you have multiple kids, have them count how many times they can hit it back and forth…then see if they can beat their time or score! This game is great for improving arm strength and hand-eye coordination.

Penguin Waddle

Place a balloon between your child’s knees and have them waddle across the room without dropping it. Make it more challenging for older kids by having them go around a few obstacles. If they drop it, they have to go back to the start.

For multiple kids, have them play as a team with the balloon placed between their hips. Once they get the hang of it, get out your timer to see how fast they can do it.

Balloon Taps

Hang a balloon by a string from your doorway so it is a few inches higher than your child’s arm reach. Then challenge them to try and tap it with their hand. Count how many they can do in a row without missing (this gets tiring very quickly!). Up the ante by seeing if they can jump and touch the balloon with the top of their head!

Balloon Blow

Set up a course and see if your child can blow a balloon all the way to the finish line. They’ll have to do lots of army crawls working their upper body and core strength along the way.

Backhand Balloon Balance

Challenge your kids to balance a balloon on the back of their hand, and see how long they can do it before it falls to the ground. You’d be surprised how much they will move around with this one!

Balloon Paddle Ball

Use a fly swatter, tennis/badminton racket or make your own paddle using a paper plate and over-sized popsicle stick (or use a paint stir stick or plastic spoon), then use it to play the games above.

These paddles are also fun for balancing your balloon. Have your kids try to keep their balloon on the paddle as they navigate through obstacles or run around the house. Not as easy as it sounds!

Balloon Foot Balance

For a real challenge, have your kids lie on the ground with their legs up in the air and try and balance the balloon on their feet. It’s not an easy task and requires a lot of concentration. It’s also a great core workout!

Balloon Volleyball

Make a net by tying a piece of string between 2 chairs and then have your child hit the balloon back and forth by running from one side to the other, trying to keep it off the floor. If you have 2 or more kids, have them hit it over the net as many times as they can without it falling.

Balloon Hockey

Use a small kiddy hockey stick or make your own out of cardboard to navigate a balloon into a net (use a laundry basket or box on its side if you don’t have any smaller ones to bring indoors).

How to Make Cornhole Bags - Easy & Fun DIY Tutorial

Victoria Knight

Have you ever played the game of cornhole? It's a lot of fun and catching. Making your own corn hole bags for the cornhole game is easy, fun and can save you a ton of cash. Check out this tutorial and learn how to make cornhole bags for yourself below.

Of course, you can easily buy some great cornhole bags online, but from time to time it’s fun to have a DIY project that your family and friends can enjoy! If you have a little time and the right equipment, making your own cornhole bags can be a fun challenge.

How to Play Cornhole Game?

Cornhole is a game that can be enjoyed by all. While it is easy to be acquainted with the game, it requires skill and technique to best your opponents. The game is adaptable. You can play it as a team or one on one. You can play it indoors or outdoors. All of these factors make it a super fun and timeless game.

You don’t need much to get started. All you need are a few cornhole bags and a cornhole board. Unlike other games, it doesn’t need special equipment. And now thanks to the guide above on how to make cornhole bags yourself, you can enjoy the game with home made equipment.

Players throw small bags at a board with a hole in it. Players earn points by sinking bags in the hole or landing bags on the board. A set of cornhole bags have a total of 8 bags per set, 4 each of 2 different colors.

The American Cornhole Association requires platforms be a 48" x 24" rectangle made from 1/2-inch plywood. The front of the platform stands 2-1/2 to 4 inches tall and the back of the platform sits 12 inches off the ground. The plans for this project follow those requirements.

Regulation corn bags need to be 6-inches square, made from duck canvas and be filled with two cups of corn feed.

Steps for How to Make Cornhole Bags

Cornhole bags are not made to last forever, but I have a secrets recipe to share with you that will help you get the most life and perfect play out of your bags.

Using the following instructions, you’ll be able to create regulation-size bags as set by the American Cornhole Organization.

To make a set of strong and sturdy cornhole bags, we used Cotton Duck material. It is a soft, easy-to-sew material and is strong enough to stand up to the abuse of being tossed around. The bags are sewn with a double stitch around the inner sides, according to the American Cornhole Organization’s regulations. For the stuffing inside, we used feed corn, which is traditional, but you can also use beans or plastic pellets. To have your bags regulation compliant, each bag should contain approximately 1-3/4 cup of corn to weigh between 15-16 oz.

Supplies

12 oz. duck canvas, 1/4 yard each of two colors
Quality feed corn, 15 oz. for each corn bag (or use 15 oz. dried beans)
Zipper foot
5-in-1 Sliding Gauge (optional)
Clover Point 2 Point Turner (optional)
Wonder Clips (optional)

Instructions

Step 1: Cut out sixteen 7-inch squares, 8 squares of each color.

Cut out 7” strips from two different colors of fabric with the help of a ruler and a rotary cutter. Then divide each strip into four 7” squares. You will need a total of sixteen 7” squares, 8 squares of each color. Spare about ½” of fabric on the edges for the ease of stitching.

For more precision, you should first cut out the 7”x7” on a cardboard to make a stencil. Then firmly place this stencil on the cloth, take a marker and start tracing. After measuring 8 squares, cut them out. Easy-peasy.

Step 2: Start sewing 3 sides ½ inch from the raw edges

Next up, take two pieces of fabric, line them up for sewing. Adjust your sewing machine for straight stitching at medium speed. Start sewing the sides ½ inch from the raw edges. Do a double stitching to prevent the bag from bursting while throwing around.

Fully stitch 3 sides and leave a small gap on the 4th side for filling the bag. Chop off the corners before flipping your bag inside out.

Step 3: Fill the Bag with 15 Oz of filling (Corn or Plastic)

After cutting the corners, turn the bag inside out. Use a pen or something to poke out the corners.

Next, measure 2 cups of whole corn or plastic pellets for stuffing. Use a digital scale to accurately measure out 15 Oz. of filling. Stick a wide funnel into the gap you left while stitching and start loading the corn. When done, seal the mouth with two pins as close to the edge as possible.

Step 4: Finally Stitch the open side

This is the final step of this process. This time, you will have to sew the thicker side which could be a little tricky for beginners.

Have patience, take your time and always put double stitching. Go for triple stitching if possible. Sew the entire length of the edges for a great finish. For best results, use zig-zag stitch for the final stitching if your machine has this option.

Now you're ready to get outside and throw some cornhole bags! The whole process should take at least an hour or two to cut and sew cornhole bags yourself depending on your sewing ability. Do you and your family and friends play cornhole or other yard games? What’s your favorite summertime game? Share your thoughts and stories with us in the comments!

Official Cornhole Bags Rules and Regulations

Victoria Knight

Cornhole is a very simple and fun game. Toss the bag through the hole. But when you dig a little deeper, there are an abundance of rules and regulations. If you want to be official and have regulation cornhole bags, you need to take the following things according to American Cornhole Association (ACA) into consideration.

Cornhole, also known as bean bags, baggo, bags, or sack toss, is a common lawn game where players (singles or teams of two) throw bean bags at a hole on an angled board to score points. Players score three points for throwing a bag through the hole, and one point for each that lands on the platform.

Modern cornhole was invented in 1883 as a game called 'Parlor Quoits' that substituted horseshoes with bean-bags so that the game could be played indoors. Variety of venues that typically include backyards, bars, breweries, camp sites, and tailgating events. Cornhole has gained popularity for a variety of reasons that may include the simplicity of the game rules, the social nature of competing in teams or watching others play, and the ease of transporting the required game equipment.

Regulation cornhole bags need to be 6-inches square and should weigh between 14-16 oz. Today are typically filled with plastic pellets, but traditional cornhole bags filled with corn kernels are still popularly used. Its name because the bags used to play the game were originally filled with corn kernels.

Lets go to the Regulation And Rules

CORNHOLE GAME COURT LAYOUT

DIMENSIONS
A cornhole court shall be a level rectangular area 8-10 feet wide and a minimum of 40-45 feet long. The court should consist of two cornhole boards, designated pitcher’s boxes, and foul lines.

PITCHER'S BOX
The pitcher’s box is the rectangle 4 feet by 3 feet at each end of the court, parallel with, and on both sides of the boards. Each player must remain in the pitcher’s box while pitching a cornhole bag.

FOUL LINES
There are two sets of foul lines: open adult-play and junior-play for children 12 and under. The adult foul lines shall be defined as an imaginary line 27 feet between the front of each board. The junior-play foul lines are defined as an imaginary line 12-15 feet between the front of each board. The foul line should be parallel to the front of the opposite board to meet ACA guidelines.

STANDARDS REGULATIONS FOR CORNHOLE BOARDS AND BAGS

The ACA has adopted the following equipment specifications and standards:

1. Each board shall be a 47.5 to 48 inch by 23.5 to 24 inch rectangle made of plywood that is at least a 0.5 inch thick. ACA sanctioned cornhole tournaments should only be played with wooden boards, as there is significant variance in play between wooden, plastic, and other surfaces.

2. The hole in the board shall be 6 inches in diameter. Its center shall be 9 inches from the top and 12 inches from each side of the board edges.

3. The front of the board shall be 3-4 inches from bottom to top.

4. The back of the board shall be approximately 12 inches from ground to the highest point of the deck.

5. The board finish shall be sanded to a very smooth texture, and there shall not be any blemishes in the wood surface that might disrupt or distort play.

6. The board can be painted with a semi-gloss exterior latex paint resulting in a surface that allows bags to slide, but is not so slippery that it allows the bags to slide back down the board.

7. The cornhole bags shall be made from two fabric squares 6.25 square inches with a 0.25 inch stitched seam on all four sides. Bags should be made from durable fabric. Each bag shall be filled with approximately 2 cups of feed corn and finished bags should be roughly 6 square inches and weigh 14-16 ounces. ACA will allow the use of plastic pellets (All Weather Cornhole Bags) in lieu of feed corn. ACA offers both Corn-Filled and All Weather cornhole bags.

THE CORNHOLE GAME RULES

Every cornhole match is broken down into innings of play. During an inning of play, each player must pitch all four of his/her bags. An inning is never completed until all players pitch all four of his/her bags.

The cornhole game shall be played to the predetermined number of twenty-one points. The first player/team to reach (or exceed) that amount at the conclusion of an inning is the winner.

Singles Play - Player A competes against Player B.

1. Both players stay in their designated lane for the whole game.
2. Players start the game at the headboard and will alternate pitching bags until each player has pitched all four of his/her bags.
3. Players then walk to the end of their lane to the other court, take score, and resume pitching back to the other board.
4. The top of an inning is completed when the first player pitches all four bags; the bottom of the inning is completed when the remaining player pitches all four bags.

Doubles Play - Team A competes against Team B; each team is comprised of two people.

1. Each team will stay in their designated lane for the whole game.
2. Players at the headboard will alternate pitching bags until each player has pitched all four of his/her bags.
3. Players at the footboard will take score and resume pitching back to the other board.
4. The top of an inning is completed when both players pitching from the headboard pitch all four bags; the bottom of the inning is completed when the remaining players pitching from the footboard pitch all four bags.

Do you have any regulation cornhole bags questions we left off the list? Share your concerns with us!

An Educational Past Time: Stamp Collecting

Victoria Knight

Stamp collecting, also known as philately, is a popular and educational past time. Stamp collectors save stamps from letters, especially those from other countries. They also search out old stamps that represent a past time. Stamp enthusiasts can be found everywhere. Their notebooks and glassine envelopes filled with stamps are fascinating to look through. Many of the stamps they collect are very valuable as well.

Materials needed for starting a stamp collection include a stamp album and special mounting tapes called hinges. Tools you will find useful are a pair of small tongs or tweezers for carefully lifting delicate old stamps and a magnifying glass for finding minute details.

The beginning philatelist can start with the stamps on the mail that arrives this very day. To remove a stamp from an envelope, carefully tear away the envelope from around the stamp being careful not to tear the stamp itself. Now soak the stamp in warm water. The remaining piece of envelope will turn loose, allowing you to lift the stamp from the water with the tongs.

Lay the stamp on absorbent paper. When dry, place a heavy book on top of the stamp to flatten it. As a past time, stamp collecting requires precision and neatness. Place the dried and flattened stamp in the album by using one of the hinges, or store it in one of the tiny glassine envelopes unique to stamp collecting.

Many collectors specialize in collecting currently available commemoratives as a past time. Stamp designs are varied, beautiful and interesting. Commemoratives are those special stamps that are released by the post office for a limited time. They can commemorate special people or events. Most nations print commemorative stamps from time to time.

American stamps have featured wild life, artists, antiques, and many other themes. In fact, there is an annual contest in which American school children compete to draw the best picture of a wild duck. The best duck art is featured on a stamp.

A fun way for a young person to build a collection of foreign stamps is to find a few pen pals in foreign countries. This activity helps people make friends as well as broadening their outlook. There are also companies that will send out introductory collections of foreign stamps in order to get stamp collecting customers on their mailing lists. These collections are usually colorful and contain a wide variety.

Stamp collecting is an educational past time. Stamp collections can sometimes become very valuable to the right people. If you are looking for a new hobby or past time, stamp collecting might be for you!

Father's Day Crafts Or Activity Ideas

Shendy

There are lots of Father's Day activities. Among the most significant is developing a reward for father. Kids are far less unlikely to wish to accomplish this. A quest that entails everyone may also be organized.

There is of the previous a genuine benefit the fact that it's an invaluable learning experience for the kid. Present development is included by some colleges included in its program. Having having said that, the kidis mom may also use and motivate their child to produce a present due to their father, no matter whether the college does or does not.

Therefore, what're the Father's Day actions that kids may do to produce a present? Search no more compared to Web to get a quantity of ideas that are great. You can using the term "Father" produce a picture body for instance onto it.

An present is definitely enjoyable and fascinating. You are able to produce an animal or a celebrity. Children may learn how to enhance their handling of items, producing them much more innovative and less awkward. And like every innovative undertaking, it's an incredible method for your youngster expressing themselves. They'll discover abilities that'll stay throughout their lives together.

Motivate her or him to build up something special using that ability in case your child is creative anyhow. They are able to write a bit of music or create some words and perform or perform a tune for father therefore for instance if they're experienced in audio. If he/she enjoys literature, they might write perhaps a short-story or a poetry. If he/she enjoys drawing, they might produce perhaps a painting or a design. In this manner you motivate and can maintain your youngsteris normal capabilities, as well as excitement attempting to provide their finest without experience compelled to complete it will be worked with by your child. And it'll be considered an exciting task for them. Was that currently said by us?

Or another quest that is wonderful would be to make a move that appreciate or father is famous to understand. What about an operating a sports vehicle for instance, or solution towards the theater, a rock-concert? Several of those actions may include more or one household members.

Why don't you get him something which he's been referring to but never purchased? For instance perhaps a lightweight vacuum or cleansing resources cleaner he may use together with perhaps a new device or his vehicle. An excellent present to reinforce the relationship between kid and dad is one where the kid may also make use of the present bought. For instance having a car washing package, the kid might help father to wash the vehicle.

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