If your summer activities are being done on a budget, a recent new articles gives some ideas for inexpensive summer activities, many of which can be done with tarps. While some winter activities may involve freezing water over a white poly tarp to make a homemade ice skating rink, one of the more prominent uses for a tarp in the summer is to make a homemade slip-and-slide with a tarp and a hose or sprinkler. On a hot day, a slippery slide can provide hours of fun for children, especially those who want an alternative to going to a public pool. As mentioned in the article, the water needs to flow down the slide and putting the tarp on a hill is ideal for the best slide effect. In addition, all rocks, branches, and other sharp objects should be cleared from under the tarp before anyone uses it.
This particular article has other suggestions regarding summer activities and many of these can involve tarps or tents in some form. Out of the nine suggestions, going to the beach for a day trip, doing a neighborhood campout, and arts and crafts projects all involve tarps. How so? For example, you don’t need a tent for camping and, in fact, a tarp can be made into a tent. Or, if you want to make the campsite more rainproof, tarps can be secured above and below the tent to prevent water from seeping in. In fact, camping tarps have been covered previously in this blog for more details on how to set up a tarp for camping.
For arts and crafts, the tarp is involved indirectly in the activity. If paint is being used in the project, a poly or canvas tarp can be put on the floor or ground in case of paint splatters. A tarp is also indirectly involved in going to the beach, especially if a tent is brought along for shade. Some pop-up tents use medium-duty tarps instead of a polyester canopy and, if you take one of these structures with you for a full day trip to the beach, the tarp will be providing you and the rest of your guests with some shade.
