Tennis, Anyone?

Faced with the dilemma of how to spend the endless days at home in winter, parents improvise fun and sometimes off-the-wall activities for their kids.  This week was no exception, having created a Car Wash (based on the great idea from Frugal Family Fun Blog), which turned out to be a huge hit, keeping S busy for literally an entire hour.

The Car Wash at rest, post playtime

You'd think the Christmas toys would still be fresh in the boy's mind, however something cheaper and simpler has been keeping him occupied over the last few days--balloon tennis!

Who knew that a duct tape tennis racquet and a balloon could provide such fun.

All I did was cut out a few layers of cardboard shaped like a small racquet, then covered it in duct tape.

Chris then blew up a balloon, and tied it to a string that we ran from the curtain rod to the banister of the steps.

Hours of fun, I kid you not.  Every time Soren wakes up from sleeping, that's the first thing he starts talking about, hitting the balloon.

Other than adding a new balloon or two, there's really no upkeep in this game.  I often ask him if he can hit it from underneath, or from one side or another, just to mix it up for him.

Definitely a hit in our house.  And don't be shocked if you actually see me swinging the racquet once or twice, that is if I can convince someone to share the racquet.  It really is that fun!