Summertime Sillies

So, we are trying to NOT spend lots of money this summer and the kiddos are starting to go bonkers.  Apparently they feel that we must do something outside the home every day...hmmm.....ok, go play soccer in the back yard.....or practice the katas you need to know for your next belt test in karate.....yeah, those don't go over well.

SO....we found double packs of water balloons (2 different colored balloons in each pack, along with matching faucet attachments)....ok, so have a water balloon fight.  That worked - for a while - and things calmed a bit.  Then one got hit in the face and all hell broke loose....remember, both children wear glasses....yeah {sigh}.

Thinking about making them an obstacle course in the back yard (no, dog poop isn't an official obstacle, but they'd still have to watch out for it)....neighbors built a Pinterest-inspired kid-sprinkler, so thinking about doing something like that...or heck, just attaching the regular sprinkler up for them to run through....

We are all participating in the summer reading program through the library, but they aren't like me and can't just flop in a chair and read for hours on end....which kind of sucks since they need to read more to get more prize tickets and keep their minds active (not in that order for me, but that's how they are thinking).  Both are still doing summer school work so that they don't start the next school year off not remembering anything and both are doing well with their studies.  I have some concern over my son and his math work because, as always, he rushes through things and misunderstands/doesn't fully read the directions....can't afford for him to do that in the classes from his online school because that just means we wasted money and that's NEVER a good thing.

Any other suggestions on how to keep a 13yo boy and his 9yo sister busy??  We did sewing last year, but they don't seem interested in it this year....but both still seem to like cooking....and they helped with some canning this year as well (next round won't be until fall when apples are less expensive).....