July will be here soon and here’s a fun art challenge especially if you’ve never tried Urban Sketching before. It can be as simple as sitting in your front yard or in a cafe. These drawings aren’t about winning the State Fair or being in an art gallery so don’t worry about how “perfect” you’re sketches will be. If you like keeping things simple or are trying it out for the first time, all you need is paper and a pen. Urban sketches can make great additions to travel journals even if it’s just a day trip to someplace else. To find out more about this challenge please go here) https://kickinthecreatives.com/kick-urban-sketching/

Their Summer Nights show sounds like fun with music, food, and a drone show. This only happens on certain nights including this Friday and Saturday. If you want a different day then please visit their calendar (https://grantsfarm.com/your-visit/#calendar) for future available dates. By clicking on the Summer Nights link for the day you want to visit, you will find information specific to that day as well as information about the event itself. During the day they have a variety of animals you can see besides the Clydesdales, and plenty you can pet. Please don’t forget to brighten the day of the alpacas, goats and llamas by feeding them.

If you know a dog who needs toys, and have some spare time and old t-shirts, you can go here (https://dfwcrafts.com/blog/easy-to-make-diy-dog-toys/) to find out how to make them. Once you’re done, you can either watch your dog have all the fun or join in. Just be careful if you decide to research more DIY toys. Some will clearly be bad ideas but did you know that tennis balls aren’t good either? This article (https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/advice/are-tennis-balls-safe-for-dogs/) explains the dangers, and how to manage them with your dog.

The Kansas City Zoo has a new aquarium they would love for you to come see. On June 8^th & 9^th, there will be opportunities to learn more about our oceans and activities for the kids. If you would like more information, please visit this site: https://kansascityzoo.org/event/world-oceans-weekend/.

If you participated in any summer reading programs as a kid it sounds like you probably had fun. The National Book Foundation is hosting one for adults which looks much more interesting in some ways. Who wouldn’t love to swap books with someone else? That’s one of the more mundane tasks you can check off the list. And yes, there are prizes to IF you submit before September arrives.  Interested? Then read more about it here: https://lithub.com/do-you-miss-childhood-summer-reading-challenges-the-national-book-foundation-has-one-for-adults/. If you want to jump straight to the fun list of assignments then you can go here: https://www.nationalbook.org/adventure/. How many people would have problems with “Read a book in a new-to-you genre” because they have a tough time thinking of a genre they haven’t picked up?