Doing some research to write the previous posts, it was interesting to find a simple yet FUNtastic game that most children really enjoy and never get tired of, so it deserved a post of its own: BUBBLE BLOWING!

It is unbelievable how many websites have information about this classic game.

Image by Dino De Luca /FreeDigitalPhotos.net

You can buy a bubble-blowing kit or have your children make their own bubble-making tools with everyday materials. The second option is much more fun and allows your kids to come up with some creative ideas, so before you close your bags and head off to your home exchange destination, be sure to pack any items you may need to make your bubble-blowing tools during your swap.

First, take notes about the basic recipe to prepare the bubble making solution: add 2 teaspoons of dish soap to 1 cup of water. If you want long-lasting bubbles you can add 1 teaspoon of glycerin to the above recipe. Glycerin is inexpensive, non-toxic and can be purchased in most pharmacies. Baby shampoo can be an alternative to replace the soap for younger children as it won’t cause irritation if some bubble solution comes into contact with their eyes. Wearing pool goggles during a bubble battle can be fun too! You don’t know what a bubble battle is? Just a battle in which your objective is to have your opponent surrender to your bubble-making attack.

Everyday use items that can be turned into bubble wands:

- Cloth hangers (adult supervision should be a must to work with these).

- Plastic cookie cutters.

- Drinking straws.

- Strings. Cotton strings seem to work just fine. Tie the ends together forming a loop (try different lengths for different bubble sizes), soak the loop in the solution, stretch it and then blow through the film caught in the loop.

- A variety of empty containers can have their bottoms removed or portions cut off to become a simple bubble-making device: cans, yogurt containers, plastic lids. (We would also recommend adult supervision if you choose these items)

- A funnel.

- An old racket.

- A balloon. It is hard to get the hang of it but you can use an inflated balloon to “blow” your bubbles.

- An interesting item that seems to be excellent for younger children is a fly swatter. Its small holes are perfect for the little ones to make dozens of bubbles with just one swing!

- The simplest bubble wand: your hands. And a tip we found at http://www.bubbles.org: “… it is dryness, not sharpness, which pops bubbles. This means that if you get your bubble tools wet, you can touch a bubble without popping it” (where bubble tools means your own hands).

There are many options and all you need is creativity, you can also come up with competitions like: the biggest bubble, the longest lasting bubble, who can blow the most bubbles in one minute… Have fun!!!

Image by ahmet guler /FreeDigitalPhotos.net

As we promised yesterday, today we continue with ideas for a great day of outdoor fun with your children.  One great advantage of home exchange is the possibility to be “at home” while you are away on vacations so your family can share a special day in the yard just as you would do in your own house. Some ideas may even be of help to your home exchange partner because you can keep his garden green while you have fun with your kids, as a garden hose or sprinkler may be everything you need to let the fun begin.

Water balloon wars - This is a classic game for a hot summer afternoon, so the next time you go shopping, remember to get some water balloons for the next time you need a fun game to cool down.

Fishing ice-cubes - If you have a kiddie pool or just a bucket, you can dump some ice-cubes into it and compete to be the most effective fisher, catching as many ice-cubes as possible but with your feet!

Ice-cube brigade - In this game, teams compete to be the most effective in carrying ice-cubes from a common bucket to their respective jars. Only hands can be used to transport the ice-cubes and the team that gets the higher final volume of water wins.

Wet potato - As in hot potato, players stand or sit in a circle and pass around a water balloon. If a player fails to keep the water balloon “alive” or if he or she intentionally makes it explode by throwing it too hard, he or she is called out and leaves the circle. The last person standing (still dry!) wins the game.

Sprinkler-jumps - If there is a rotating sprinkler, kids can form a circle within water reach and try to jump each time the stream comes their way. The last one to get wet wins the competition. If you have a single child and you and your spouse  can catch your breath after a few jumps, you can set your child a goal, for example completing 10 jumps before getting hit by the sprinkler.

Wet tag - Just as regular tag, the only difference being you get tagged when you are hit by a water balloon or touched with a wet soft sponge so wet = tagged.

We still have one more game to suggest you, but we will leave it for tomorrow.

It is official, summer is here. If there’s something we all associate with these warm times is outdoor fun. No matter where you are headed for your home exchange vacation, it’s time to enjoy the fresh air and the sunny days. No one knows more about having fun outside than children, they just love it, don’t they? And they have the ability to imagine the most incredible games, but sometimes they come to us for suggestions. So, to give you some ideas to keep the little ones entertained while you enjoy your home swap stay we have a few tips.

Bike Photo Hunt - Find a bike rental (if your home exchange partner does not have bikes and has agreed to let you use them), get a few disposable cameras and engage your kids in a Photo Scavenger Hunt. You may not even need the bikes, having their own cameras could be just enough to keep them excited while they go photo hunting. This is a good idea if you want to get to know the new neighbourhood by taking a walk around but you think they will get bored (and tired) if they have to walk for too long. Just think of an interesting list of things worth “hunting” on film.

Shape Scavenger Hunt - Another good idea that can keep your children entertained during a walk. Get them engaged in another kind of scavenger hunt: have them look for shapes. Having prices could be a good way to attract the least enthusiasts and the list may look like this: Find 2 circles, 2 squares, 2 rectangles, 2 triangles, 1 oval, 1 spheres, 1 pyramid, and 2 cubes. If you have younger children, then make it a Colour Scavenger Hunt.

The Navigator(s) - When you are on vacations, you have more time to do things,  so something simple like walking to the get the groceries becomes an enjoyable activity rather than a duty. This game will allow your children to play a game while they tag along. The idea is to have them take the navigator role during your walk: The navigator can trace your route on a map and periodically report in which direction you’re walking (learning to use a compass can be a lot of fun!) and how far you’ve walked (how many blocks). This is much more fun if you plan several stops and have them give you directions after “studying” their map.

This post is so much fun we will continue with more ideas tomorrow.

Some home-exchanging families will be be taking their children with them on holiday. When evaluating whether you want to accept a home exchange request or not, the question of children is something that requires consideration.

If you are not a parent yourself, you will need to think about the suitability of your home for potential exchange partners and their kids. For example, do you have a lot of breakables? Do you have expensive carpets that are difficult to clean? Are there any unprotected high-points from which a young child could fall? Do you have an open fire or a swimming pool? Do you have crockery that can be used by all, or do you only have precious plates and glasses?

Do you have a bath-tub? This can be an important consideration as sometimes children are not yet able to use the shower. Do you have any toys or games, whether they be computer learning games or physical toys?

If you are a parent hoping to do a home exchange with a user from a child-free home, it’s also very important to think about your compatibility. If you have babies, you’ll be able to take all the paraphernalia that you need with you, and also contain the possible mess made. However, with toddlers upwards, you’ll need to make an assessment. Will they be able to manage with the facilities in the prospective home? Is there a high-risk of breakage? Will they be amply entertained with the pass-times available? Will they be within close enough reach during the night-time?

The best thing to do is to look at the photos of the prospective house, and then have a talk with the prospective home exchange partners. You need to ensure that both parties will be comfortable and that the prospective home meets your family’s needs!