Take advantage of beautiful summer nights- you know, those balmy nights that are filled with crickets playing their tune- before the chill of Autumn fills the air. 

A fun way to spend time outside in the evening is to make your own ring toss- but not just any ring toss, take it to the next level by creating a Glow Ring Toss! This lawn game is very simple to make and the kids can help. Just grab some glow jewelry, (necklaces work better because they are larger) which can be found in craft stores and online, invite the kids to crack the tubes to get them glowing- and place two sticks (we used metal skewers) about 5 feet apart- that's it! 

Warning: Kids will get sidetracked by the awesome glowing being produced and probably abandon the game and start running around like some Tron character.

Tired of chasing down the neighborhood ice cream truck -the one that plays that absolutely annoying pseudo-rap- as it rolls down the street? (If you've heard it, you know exactly what I am talking about). Quit running after it and make your own ice cream treats!

The best part is- this ice cream won't melt because it is actually cupcakes! Perfect for summer, these are super simple to make and the kids will go wild when they see them! + they can help with the production.

Ingredients:
Ice Cream Cones [with flat bottoms so they can stand on their own]
Cake Mix
Cupcake Pans
Frosting or Whipped Cream
Decorations: Sprinkles, Candy, etc.

Make cupcakes according to instructions on box, except place batter directly into ice cream cone instead of cupcake papers. Fill cones slightly higher than half- I did not and they were flat!

Bake cones according to cupcake recommendations on box. Little ones can help set the cones up in the cupcake pan, while older kids can scoop the batter into the cones and help decorate with whatever edible baubles are in the pantry.

25 cupcakes were transported without incident- the secret was that they weren't frosted until directly before they were eaten. Whipped cream instead of frosting worked like a charm & added the height the cones were missing.

Back in kindergarten, mom made this recipe for my classroom birthday party & I was not pleased- they weren't true cupcakes... However- I recently served these at a childrens' summer soiree at 555 Gallery and they were a hit!

Bid farewell to summer in the sweetest of ways- by running to the nearest meadow or unkempt roadside and have some fun picking all the flowers you can handle. A favorite tradition for the end of summer, white Queen Anne's Lace transforms into bouquets of color in a few simple steps.

Take these delicate flowers home and cut them properly with sharp kitchen shears. Find an array of vases- we use the vase pictured above exclusively for this project every summer. Next, put a few drops of food coloring into each vase, then fill with water. Place the flowers into the water, and you will almost instantaneously see the microscopic petal change color.

This fun and educational and can be done with help from almost any age range, just delegate tasks for the appropriate for each age. This activity can be used to teach some basic ideas about science, the different parts of plants and how flowers stay hydrated- kids can actually witness the stems moving the water as it travels upwards- than as it changes the white to a rainbow of colors.