Soleil Moon Frye's DIY projects for parents

STAMPED BASEBALLS

1 baseball per kid
Baseball-inspired or team rubber stamp
Assorted colored ink pads

As you can see in photographs throughout the book, I love a great rubber stamp. My girlfriend Lisa rubber-stamped her son’s team name on their baseballs. I love this idea. It looks amazing and builds team spirit too, which is so important to foster in young ones! You can get custom rubber stamps made for your kids’ teams. Rubber stamps and ink pads are available at most craft stores. I especially love the special ones I find at Paper Source.

CUSTOM JERSEYS

Every athlete needs a jersey, so have each kid transform a T-shirt into his or her very own customized jersey, using an array of fabric paints! Let each kid design their own team name and mascot, or collaborate together and come up with a wild team name everyone will love! A team cheer and a game or two will definitely be in order. The kids will love seeing their new jerseys in action!

1 white T-shirt per kid
2 tablespoons each of various colors fabric paint
1 paintbrush for each color

Set out white shirts in different sizes for each kid to choose, making sure to include a good amount of each size. I got mine from Target, where they have a great, affordable selection. Once the kids pick out their shirts, have them paint away. Let them pick their own numbers for the back of the shirt so when the games begin they will each have a designated number. Hang the shirts to dry, using clothespins, for 1 to 2 hours.

Sports Game

A fun game of baseball or football is an awesome activity for a sports-themed birthday. Getting together at a park for a game is a great way to throw a fun, affordable party where people are interacting and friends and family can spend quality time being active and outside together. Parents can play too-just make sure not to get so competitive that it takes the fun out of it for the little ones. It’s not about who wins or loses, just how much fun you have playing the game.

Tips
• To save money, you can buy chips in bulk and place them in brown paper bags for individual servings. A rubber-stamped brown paper bag of chips adds a dash of style. To create a classic look, fold the top of your paper bag down two inches before filling with chips. Line the bag with a paper towel to absorb the oil from the chips.
• A good reminder for any sports party is to make sure you have plenty of liquids and sunscreen on hand.