To celebrate the publication of my previously out-of-print book, Boredom Busters, for the Kindle – here’s a free sample chapter!
For more Boredom Busting fun – get your copy of the ebook here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0057XJKVU
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ALL THE FUN OF THE FAIR!
Funfairs have thrilling rides, tasty food, and exciting games. Here are a few ideas for fantastic fairground fun!
Hoop-La!
A great game at the fair is the RING TOSS, where you have to throw a ring over a peg to win a prize!
Paint four cardboard tubes and stick them to the corners of a large sheet of card so that they stand up in the air.
To make the rings, draw around a plate on a piece of thinner card and then, inside that circle, draw around a smaller plate. Cut around the two lines, and you’re left with a card ring! Make six of them.
Stand a few metres away from the tubes, and take turns with your friends to throw the rings. You get 10 points for each ring you manage to land over one of the tubes. The player with the highest score after six tries is the winner!
Fairgrounds often give goldfish away as prizes. You can make your own by filling clear sandwich bags with water, and adding a fish shape cut from carrot!
A Lovely Bunch Of Coconuts
At the COCONUT SHY, you throw balls at coconuts on stands to try and knock them off. It’s easy to make, too!
For the coconuts, blow up four balloons, and cover them with papier mâché (which you can make by mixing four glasses of water with two glass of flour, then dipping in strips of newspaper). Paint them brown but, before they’re completely dry, roll them in a dish filled with lengths of cotton, to make them look hairy!
The coconut stands are just empty yoghurt pots stuck onto the top of bamboo sticks and painted. Push the stands into the ground in the garden, and rest your coconuts on top.
Stand a few metres back and throw balls made of screwed up newspaper to see how many coconuts you can knock down!
Sweet Tooth
When you’re at the fairground, you can feast on all kinds of wonderful treats, including my favourite – TOFFEE APPLES!
To make four toffee apples you’ll need 110ml of water, 225g of sugar and, of course, four apples! Get an adult to help you in the kitchen.
Mix the sugar and water in a bowl, and cook on full power in a microwave for five minutes. Remove the bowl and stir the mixture until all the sugar has dissolved. Return the bowl to the microwave, and cook for another 15-20 minutes until the mixture turns a golden brown.
Wash the apples and push a lollipop stick into each of them. When the mixture is ready, dip the apples into the bowl, making sure to cover them completely with the toffee.
Stand them on a plate covered with greaseproof paper to cool and harden. Delicious!
Scream If You Want To Go Faster!
The fairground is always full of screams – the loudest coming from the ROLLER COASTER!
You might not be able to build an entire roller coaster yourself, but you can make one of the cars from the ride, and let your imagination do the rest!
You’ll need a cardboard box big enough to sit in. Remove the top flaps and the front of the box, and then cut the side panels in half diagonally.
Paint the box in bright colours, and invent an exciting name for your ride. Some of the world’s most famous roller coasters are called ‘Viper’, ‘Thunder Mountain’, and ‘Colossus’! Write the name on the back of your car.
Next you’ll need a cardboard tube or bamboo cane long enough to reach from one side of the box to the other. This will be the safety bar that stops you from falling out during the ride! Paint it silver, and cut a notch on either side of the box to hold it in place.
Now the fun begins! Put your roller coaster car on a chair, and sit inside. Slot the safety bar in front of you, and imagine that you’re being pulled up a high hill to start your ride. When you get to the top, grab hold of the bar, and jiggle about in the car as you race down the other side. Imagine that you’re whizzing through tunnels, being flipped upside down, and even splashing through lakes – and don’t forget to scream!
Strong Man!
The fairground is a great place to TEST YOUR STRENGTH, so here’s a silly strong man game to play with your friends! You’ll need two identical foot pumps with hoses – the type used to blow up inflatable boats or mattresses. On the end of each hose, tightly secure a balloon with a rubber band.
Each player chooses a pump and, after a count of three, use it to blow their balloon up as fast as they can! They can stand on the pump, use their hands, or even sit on it!
The first player to blow their balloon up so much that it bursts is the winner!
Back To The Future…
A popular attraction at old fairgrounds was the FORTUNE TELLER. They would gaze into a crystal ball, and mysteriously tell you what your future would bring! You can entertain your friends by telling some funny fortunes for them!
Instead of a crystal ball, you’ll have a crystal BOWL! Any clear glass bowl will do. Cut up 30 pieces of paper, and write a potty prediction on each, such as “You will meet a man with a very big nose!”, or “Your feet will smell on Tuesday!” Fold the predictions up and drop them into the bowl.
Cover a table with a brightly coloured cloth, and sit behind it wearing a headscarf. Now, invite a friend to ‘cross your palm with silver’ (they can give you 50p so long as you give it back later!)
To tell their fortune, wave your hands magically over the bowl, then reach in and pull out a piece of paper. Unfold it, and tell your customer what silliness their future holds!
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For more Boredom Busting fun – get your copy of the ebook here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0057XJKVU
