Your guide to activities and fun things to do with your preschoolers, toddlers and kids in Cleveland, OH

Are you ready for the longest day of the year?  Sometimes I feel like any day that ends with "day" could quite possibly qualify for the longest day of the year!

How about you take advantage of that "extra" time with your family and create all of the workings of an indoor campout?

My suggestions are only an offering ... something to get your brain started. 

Turn off the television for starters ... cook up a great breakfast and let the day begin!

1.  Have you strung popcorn yet?  In the alternative, if your kids are too little for popcorn strings, let them make a paper chain.  Decorate your campground.

2.  Put up a tent, or determine where the sleeping bags will go.

3.  Using red, orange and yellow tissue paper, cover the tops of various flashlights so that you can "start the campfire" when it gets dark.

4.  Make a fort (the ONLY way to effectively make a fort is to use the kitchen table and chairs, right?)

5.  Go on a scavenger hunt for fun outfits for your campout.  Maybe swimming suits and stocking caps?  Birthday hats and mismatched socks?

6.   Boil some hotdogs and even better, make some s'mores (be a bit creative with the microwave to melt the chocolate).

7.  Infuse your day with board games ... let everyone pick their favorite (and try really hard to leave the television off until later tonight!).

8.  Take some time to help your children make a gift for yourself (let them make it a surprise!), for your partner, spouse, grandparents, neighbors, etc.

Provide them with the fixins to wrap the gift themselves .. .and don't interfere with the process!

I could go on and on ... hopefully your juices are flowing and you and your littles can come up with a great way to celebrate the longest day of the year!