Welcome, June – summer fun ahead! How are your non-school days shaping up thus far? Be intentional to make cool memories with the family that will warm your heart long into the cooler days of autumn – those cool days we’ll dream about halfway through the summer. Incorporate some of these silly days into your family’s schedule for the month or make up some family ones of your own this summer.
Country Cooking Month – Gather in the kitchen together to make this yummy macaroni and cheese, just like grandma used to make. Cook eight ounces of elbow macaroni noodles according to the package instructions. Drain and rinse with cold water. Place the macaroni back in the pot after draining and rinsing. Pour one-half tablespoon of butter, melted, over the noodles and stir to keep them from sticking.
Melt one-half stick of butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in one-fourth cups of flour and cook for two to three minutes, stirring constantly, until golden. Slowly pour two cups of milk into the pot while whisking. Bring the sauce to a simmer and stir until it thickens, about ten minutes. Reduce the heat to low and add one-half teaspoon salt, one-half teaspoon paprika, dash of black pepper, and two and a half cups shredded cheddar cheese.
Turn off the heat and mix in the cooked noodles. Pour into a baking dish and top with one-half cup of grated cheddar cheese. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Broil for two to three minutes, watching carefully, for a golden top.
Great Outdoors Month – Make plans to get outside several times each week of the month to celebrate this one. Play games, look for critters, go for hikes, read in a hammock, swing on the front porch, visit parks, play in a sprinkler, draw with sidewalk chalk on the driveway, ride bikes, dance in the rain, and get creative with other outdoor activities throughout the month. Just for fun, log in the amount of time you spend outdoors each day and see how the numbers add up by the end of the month.
National Pollinator Week – Have fun creating this pollinating-bee craft. On a yellow paper plate, make horizontal stripes with black paint. Use a wooden clothes pin as a handle by clipping the pin into the center of a make up sponge.
Dip the sponge in black paint and create three rows of black stripes on the plate. Paint two clothes pins with black paint. When the paint is dry, glue a black pom pom on the top of each clip to form antennae for the bee. Glue two wiggly eyes above the first horizontal stripe. Then clip the paper clips in place on the yellow plate for the bee’s antennae.
National Soul Food Month – Read Soul Food Sunday, by Winsome Bingham, aloud together. Try out some soul food recipes or find a restaurant to partake of a meal to celebrate the day.
National Weed Your Garden Day – Work together to pull weeds from the family vegetable or plant garden. Then check with a neighbor who might need some assistance with yard work and make plans to spend another day weeding the neighbor’s garden.
June is shaping up to be a bit of a warm one, but there are most likely some scorchers ahead! Don’t let that hinder the family fun adventures throughout the month of June. Plan to get outside early in the morning and late evening to enjoy outdoors in south Georgia. Make cool snacks, find ways to incorporate water play throughout the day, and read books inside with air conditioning during the heat of the day. Make lots of memories with those you love this June.
Julie Lavender looks forward to lots of outside time during the summer with grandkids and adult kids. She is the author of Raising Good Sons: Christian Parenting Principles for Nurturing Boys of Faith and Character and other books.