Summer Fun (to Come)

What the heck is this thing, do you think??

Funny you should ask. It's a 'Splongee Ball' (!!) that one of the boys concocted over the weekend:).




I admit this seemed like sort of a funny thing to make (except for the fact that it was loads of fun, which means that it wasn't funny at all:)) . According to the book Jonathan borrowed his instructions from, it's best use is outside in the summer, as a tool for radical, splash fight 'hoedowns'.

As everyone who raises boys (and probably girls too:)) knows, there is nothing quite so important every summer as staging the all-out, ultimate, championship water war. This conflict must be replete with water guns, hoses, water balloons, buckets, and a variety of other creative weapons employed solely for the use of soaking your opposition into submission. Each year there is an entirely new plan and much discussion about how everything will work ahead of time (with some incredibly sophisticated rules and pre-war strategies in place), and then as soon as it is hot enough to run around outside in soaking wet bathing suits (or regular clothes, as the case may be), the fun begins.

Jonathan found his book called, 'The Ultimate Book of Kid Concoctions' by John E. Thomas and Danita Pagel, in the library. The wonderful thing about this book is that it makes project and craft ideas out of EXTREMELY cheap ingredients (perfect fodder for the single income HS family), and it is easy to understand the simple instructions for each project.

The 'Splongee Ball' project is located on pg. 24 and reads as follows:

What You Will Need:

-3 large sponges (use 3 different colored sponges) preferably nylon
-1 plastic cable tie
-Scissors

How To Concoct It:

1. Cut each sponge into thirds lengthwise
2. Stack the cut sponges on top of each other in three rows of three
3. Grab the stack of sponges in the center and twist the stack once.
4. Secure a plastic cable tie around the center of the twisted stack, pulling it as tightly as possible.
5. Trim the plastic cable tie down as close to the eye as possible.


Jonathan made his ball out of cellulose sponges because that was all his dad could find and because he was impatient to make it immediately. However, nylon ones would really be best because they stay soft and are easier to twist and tie (and as a bonus, come in lots of 'radical' colors:)).

It's a little early to think about summer yet, but once those triple H days roll around there is nothing better than to send everyone out with buckets of water and an arsenal of splongee balls to hurl across the yard at each other (while you position yourself somewhere w-a-a-a-y out of reach). They are cheap, fun, and best of all, indestructible!!

All the best,
Anonymom:)