INDOOR Summer Activities for the Kids

I love summer!  It's great to sleep in, let go of the schedules and just hang out with my own kids for a few months.  Truthfully, come May I begin looking forward to summer, but by August I am ready for the routine of school to start up again.  Any of you feel the same way? 
With all the fun that comes during the summer months, it can also be challenging to entertain kids, especially if your kids have ever used the phrase, "Mom, I'm bored!"  A few back up plans might be handy to have on hand, if you want to keep your kids happy and yourself sane!  Here are a few great INDOOR ideas I have come across...perfect for when the weather is bad or just too hot to be outside.
Make homemade bouncy balls from Making Memories:

Homemade Moon Sand (made with real sand!) from Home Spun Threads:

Also from Home Spun Threads, these make your own pet cages.  This would be right up my son's alley!

Get crafty by turning your old toothbrush into a bracelet by Two Girls Being Crafty:

A few more on the list...

*Build a fort to read books in.

*Play hide & go seek.

*Watercolor pictures, or if you don't like a mess (although it is easy to clean), try the paint books where you paint over with the paper with water and watch the colors appear.  I saw one of these last week at Walmart!

*Play dough...you could even try making your own with the kids!

*Have a game day.

*Make popsicles or try out a new recipe.

*Bake sugar cookies and decorate them.

*Have a pillow fight.

*Tie dye or puffy paint shirts.

*Paper mache - make & decorate a mask or a pinata.

OUTSIDE ideas for your kids coming soon....

**Question for my readers...I have thought about doing linky parties at the end of posts before.  The only problem is that I am not sure how to do it.  Is it free to do?  Is it beneficial to you (the reader)?  Does it make it any easier to find what you are looking for? Any suggestions??  You'd think I would know this by now!