The Land of Oz

Well, we usually always get lost!--But sometimes you stumble across something magical. 

Not too long ago, in looking for free and cheap things for the fam to do, I came across Geocaching. This is a rather new past time cooked up with the invention of GPS devices.  It is like an electronic scavenger hunt where one person hides a goody box and then leaves clues so other people can find them with the help of longitude and latitude coordinates.

We were in Boone when we decided to give it a whirl.  I found this awesome one that referenced The Wizard of Oz.  Maybe it's my generation, but every year growing up, The Wizard of Oz came on TV, and every year I was securely planted in front of the TV for 2 1/2 hours.  

We drove up and down the mountain passing signs for Emerald Mountain, we knew we were close, but couldn't quite find this place, so we stopped at the only store for miles and the hubby goes up to the cashier and says, "I know this sounds crazy, but is there a yellow brick road around here somewheres?"  To our surprise (and my content) she just smiles and pulls out a map!

We stumbled across the Land of Oz right here in our back yard:

Why is there a yellow brick road in the mountains of North Carolina you may ask?  This was a theme park back in the 70s.  There was a balloon ride (above) made from a ski lift, Dorothy's crash-landed house, and even costumes from the movie were on display there at one time.  Today, there is an annual festival where costumed characters employed in the 70s reunite in this magical oasis.

We didn't find a geocache that day, but we made an awesome discovery:

"We suck at geocaching, but we're pretty good at scarfing down chips!"

Roxboro Rocks

Has the rock hiding trend hit your town yet?

Here in our very own Little Town, USA (aka Roxboro) people are painting and decorating rocks, and then hiding them at parks and restaurants, in downtown, in the Walmart, even!  Then, other people (like my rock adoring child) hunt them down (at which point, you can re-hide it or keep it, if it suits your fancy).

There is even a Facebook page to give out hints and share photos of your newly acquired treasures.  I have actually been seeing little posts here and there for a while about this, but I just checked it out today.  We got a nice haul, and then proceeded to dig out our rock painting kits (because rock fiends like my child own not one but two of such kits!) and proceeded to fancy up some rocks of our own.

I chose to paint a few to represent plays my oldest has been in over the years. On the back, I included a nice little saying from the play and the tag Roxboro Rocks, so people know, "Hey, this rock is definitely for you!"

We tried out geocaching a few years back.  You can read about our adventures here.  Spoiler alert: We found Oz--as in the Wizard of!  Somehow, though, it didn't produce as much excitement as these rocks have.

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100 Things to Do This Summer

I know that summer doesn't OFFICIALLY start for another week, but as far as the kids are concerned IT'S HERE. Don't forget we also have a 100 Things to Do This Spring List, a 100 Things to Do This Fall List, and a 100 Things to Do This Winter List, so pop over to those and pin for ideas of things to do later.

But for now, here's a list of some fun things that you might want to consider doing this summer.

There are activities that the kids can do by themselves, activities that they might need your help with, activities for outside play, and activities for rainy days. I tried make sure that the list was balanced between activities for boys and activities for girls (the majority are gender neutral).

And to prove that these are things that we Harris Sisters endorse, I have included links and photos of our own experiences with many of these suggestions. (And of course, there are many on the list that my family has done that we just don't have photos of. Watching classic movies, for example, but it is well documented how we LOVE us some 1980s movies!)

1. Go to a Drive In Movie

2. Make Banana Splits

3. Catch Lightning Bugs

4. Slip N Slide

5. Rent and Watch Classic Kids Movies

6. Make Fun Summer Jewelry Using Free Online Tutorials

7. Play HORSE . . . maybe just not against this guy ;-)

8. Have a Slumber Party
9. Dip Dye or Tie Dye T-Shirts
10. Go on a Picnic
11. Visit a Science Museum

12. Go Tubing

13. Eat Breakfast for Dinner

14. Draw a Self Portrait (or Swap Names with a Family Member and Draw Pictures of Each Other) This example is courtesy of my wonderfully talented niece, Charlotte!

15. Have a Water Balloon Fight

16. Make Garden Stepping Stones

17. Play I Spy

18. Visit a Zoo

19. Make Milkshakes

20. Roll Down a Hill

21. Go to an Air Show

22. Pick Berries and Make Preserves or Old-Fashioned Cobbler

23. Play Simon Says
24. Paint Your Own Pottery
25. Assemble a Cookbook of Family Recipes
26. Go to a Baseball Game

27. Listen for the Ice Cream Truck!
28. Make an Obstacle Course
29. Watch Fireworks
30. Go for a Hike

31. Make Ice Cream Floats
32. Hula Hoop
33. Play in the Sprinkler
34. Tend Your Garden

35. Go Geocaching
36. Make Paper Airplanes
37. Build a Bonfire, Then Roast Hot Dogs or Make S'mores
38. Go to an Amusement Park

39. Play Charades
40. Perform a Random Act of Kindness (RAOK)
41. Go Bowling

42. Play a Game of Telephone
43. Decorate Your Bike or Wagon for a July 4th Parade
44. Build a Treehouse

45. Go Camping in Your Own Backyard
46. Visit Local Tourist Attractions
47. Fly Kites
48. Tour a Factory

49. Go to a Summer Movie Matinee
50. Make Homemade Ice Cream
51. Make Your Own Play Kitchen, Doll House, or Race Track
52. Hand Wash the Family Cars

53. Assemble a Puzzle
54. Make Fluffer Nutter Sandwiches
55. Play Rock, Paper, Scissors
56. Go Rollerskating

57. Write to a Pen Pal (on paper . . . and send it through the mail . . . GASP!)
58. Make Your Own Market Bags Using Free Online Patterns or Tutorials
59. Visit the Local Farmer's Market
60. Take a Themed Family Photo

61. Pick Flowers and Make a Floral Arrangement
62. Learn a New Card Game
63. Thumb Wrestle
64. Grow a Butterfly from a Caterpillar (The boys do this with their Grandma nearly every year!)

65. Go on a Scavenger Hunt
66. Go Horseback Riding
67. Make Homemade Pizzas
68. Visit a Petting Zoo or Animal Park

69. Have a Dance Battle
70. Go on a Hot Air Balloon Ride
71. Play Hopscotch
72. Go to the Playground

73. Do Mad Libs
74. Go on a Road Trip
75. Visit your Public Library or a Little Free Library
76. Go to an Aquarium

77. Make Soda Rockets
78. Finish a Game of Monopoly
79. Go Fishing
80. Start a Collection

81. Limbo!
82. Start a Journal
83. Master the Rubik's Cube
84. Go to a Local Festival

85. Learn to Play an Instrument
86. Make a Movie or Music Video
87. Complete a Crossword Puzzle
88. Play Miniature Golf

89. Go Ziplining
90. Go Thrifting and Look for Treasures
91. Start a Compost Bin
92. Blow Bubbles

93. Hang a Birdfeeder and Watch the Birds
94. Learn Hand Clapping Games (Miss Mary Mack!)
95. Have a Karaoke Party
96. Go to a Car Show

97. Visit a New Restaurant
98. Go to a Planetarium
99. Start Making Homemade Christmas Presents
100. Take a Nap in a Hammock

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