Kid’s Craic: Summer Break….A Time to Make Memories!
By Megan Lardie
Have you ever wondered how summer break from school came about?

Some say the school calendar was set up that way because children were needed to help with farming. There may be some truth to that but, the real reason is because as urban cities became more crowded with people from all over the world in the 19th century; the temperature in the city became so hot.
Many families, if they could afford to, would escape the city in the summer for the cooler countryside and would not return until the cooler weather arrived in September. This, of course, was before the invention of air conditioning!
I always think back to the end of each school year and remember the fun activities that my teachers planned. My favorite memory is of our 8th grade trip to Cedar Point. I remember that my class really lucked out with perfect weather on that day.
This school year has been hard to say the least. I am sad for all of you that will not be able to enjoy those end of the year trips and fun activities this year. It has been hard for teachers too, and we look forward to all those trips as much as you do!
Some of you were brave enough to go to school every day since August. Some of you had to overcome the challenges of remote learning. All of you are survivors of however you had to “go” to school this year.
As you enjoy your lazy days of summer, be sure to take advantage of your time away from school. Some fun ideas to enjoy the outdoors might be to ride bikes to a new park and pack a picnic lunch or check out one of the amazing beaches along Lake Erie and spend the day with your toes in the sand. You could go to the Zoo, the aquarium, or one of our famous museums and pretend it is the class trip you did not get to take.
Maybe you could learn a new craft. There are YouTube videos to teach you how to do anything!
Another way to enjoy your summer is to volunteer some of your free time. You could have a lemonade sale and donate the profits to a charity. You could work at an animal shelter. You could collect food from friends and relatives and donate it to a food bank. You could even just help some of your neighbors with small jobs around their house. Whatever you decide, make your summer something to remember!
Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream

Ingredients:
2 cups heavy whipping cream
2 cups half and half
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Combine all the ingredients, stirring to dissolve sugar completely. Pour the ice cream mixture into a shallow container (glass or metal work best) that you’ve propped in the freezer previously to get nice and chilled. Store in the coldest part of your freezer until almost firm, but still soft enough to be stirred. For the next three hours, check the ice cream every 30 minutes and stir or mix with a hand mixer to keep it aerated and creamy.
Trapped in a Video Game

Ever wish you could get inside your video game and play? Find out what happens to Jesse Rigsby and his friend, Eric when they get sucked into the game, Full Blast.
A mysterious figure starts to follow them, and they do not know if he is trying to kill them or help them!
If they cannot figure out what is going on they might be trapped forever! This is this 1st book in a series of five books.
Taking a Listening Walk

Take a walk around your neighborhood. Don’t forget to put on your listening ears! Walk slowly and listen to all the sounds you hear around you. Can you identify where each sound is coming from? Do you know what is making each sound? Maybe keep a journal and draw pictures of what you hear!
Jokes
What does a mermaid use to call her friends?
A shell phone.
What did the kid say to his teacher when the teacher said he missed summer school?
No teacher, I didn’t miss it at all!
Gab in Gaelic
The weather is beautiful today! = Ta an aimsir go halainn inniu
(pron: taw an eyeim-shur guh haul-inn inn-you)

