DIY OR BUY?
Lawn Games for Family Summer Fun
The warm summer sun may be enough to beckon your family outdoors, but lawn games will guarantee hours of fun outside. If you’re handy, there are plenty of great lawn games you can make yourself. If not, buy an off-the-shelf alternative and enjoy the easy setup. Giant Jenga: Easy DIY All you need to build a giant Jenga tower are two-by-fours that are cut to length. If you’re handy with a saw, you can do this at home. If not, ask to have the wood cut at your local lumberyard. Be sure to sand down the edges before stacking the boards to create a classic Jenga tower! For extra fun, pick a few paint colors and paint each board.Visit ABeautifulMess.com/make-this-giant-jenga to see a complete set of instructions. Buy: Skip the project and buy GoSports Giant Wooden Toppling Tower online, which retails for about $70 and stacks over 5 feet high. Classic Horseshoes: Intermediate DIY Tossing horseshoes is a great way to pass an afternoon. To play, you’ll just need to set up two sand pits in your yard. Get a handful of horseshoes, and you’re ready to go!
Many DIY plans are available online, including one from HousefulOfHandmade.com/ultimate-diy-horseshoe-pit. Buy: Check out the kid-friendly rubber horseshoe set from Wayfair.com, which requires no installation, can be used indoors or alongside your outdoor game, and is safe for younger children. Cornhole: Advanced DIY The humble beanbag may be the most versatile backyard game piece. It’s used in the popular game commonly known as cornhole. To build your own cornhole set, you’ll need a couple of sheets of 1/2-inch-thick plywood along with two- by-fours, some hardware, and a variety of tools including a drill, jigsaw, and sander.Visit DIYPete.com/cornhole-board- plans to get both written and video instructions. Buy: Ready to play ASAP? Cornhole sets are available from many large retailers around summertime, or you can order a customized set featuring your favorite team, family name, or characters from your favorite movies by looking at Etsy.com. Whether you buy or DIY, remember to have fun and always supervise your children while playing outdoors, especially when it comes to yard games!
A Word From Cheyenne:
Avoid the Summer Slide!
Summer is here at last, and we’ve got plenty of things we’re excited to do! But one thing we’re not excited about is the“summer slide”that can happen with dental health, particularly kids’health.
September visit if you can’t get in this August and call early to get your spot locked down. We can’t wait to see your kids!
Healthy Tips for Summer Snacking
Summer may be enough to make you smile, but here are some ways to make those smiles the best they can be:
• Crunch down on celery, cucumber sticks, carrots, or broccoli instead of carbs. • Cheese sticks and other dairy products are low in sugar and high in calcium and phosphorus, which strengthen and protect tooth enamel. Research says more dairy lowers risk of gum disease. • Try a“plaque remover”instead of harmful toothpicks. Sugar-free gum activates saliva, which removes bad tastes and is better than candied mints. • Fruit is fine, but seeds get stuck. Watch out for those berries! • If you crunch on ice, get crushed, not cubed.Your uncracked teeth will thank you. • Finally, for a refreshing soda alternate, drop fruit slices in ice water and let it stand for a while.You can even make“sun tea”by putting slices in warm water and sunlight, then chilling the cup! –Cheyenne, RDH
1. Stay on routine, whether you’re at a lake house or roughing it in camp. It may be tempting to skip the brushing, but don’t neglect your smile. Two minutes of brushing twice a day is a“smile”price to pay! Do it with family to stay on track. 2. For many, summer includes sugary drinks like lemonade, sweet tea, or an ice-cold soda. In this case, though, only one sugary drink a day keeps the dentist away. While you’re feeling snacky, pick smart things to munch on! 3. It’s not“back to school”until the kids have been to the dentist, which lets us spot trouble and fix it before the school year really gets going. But we’re already filling up fast, so consider a late-July or mid-
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