I would like a fun activity that I can use at a family party. Do you have any ideas? Seedless watermelon is getting so expensive, but seeds and parties just don't mix. How can I make a regular watermelon work for my parties? I am taking a group of girl scouts ages 10-14 on a weekend camping trip. Do you have any fun ideas that I could teach that might be unique and interesting to them? My family loves to camp, but how do I keep my kids clean?

Seedless watermelon is getting so expensive, but seeds and parties just don't mix. How can I make a regular watermelon work for my parties?

What you need is a new way to de-seed a watermelon. The following instructions will allow you to keep all the wonderful watermelon, but also get rid of those nasty seeds in a hurry.

De-Seed a Watermelon 1. Cut the ends of the watermelon off and set the melon in front of you on a table. 2. With a paring knife, cut the melon from the top to the bottom into the seed base, which is about 3" deep in the melon. Cut the opposite side of the melon from the top to the bottom into the seed base. 3. Repeat procedure three to five times. 4. With the palm of your hand, hit the melon up and down each wedge until it becomes loose. Then remove the wedge. 5. With a knife, scrape out the watermelon seeds, and you'll have a watermelon without the seeds.

How to de-seed a watermelon, along with many more great ideas, can be found in Holiday Fun Year-Round.

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I am taking a group of girl scouts ages 10-14 on a weekend camping trip. Do you have any fun ideas that I could teach that might be unique and interesting to them?

I have taken who knows how many groups of girl scouts on weekend camping trips and they are so much fun. We always seem to have a wonderful time experimenting with plants and fire building techniques. Have you ever thought of starting a fire with flashlight batteries and steel wool? Show the girls a little trick to build a fire in an emergency situation.

A rather dramatic method of starting a fire is to conduct the electricity from two flashlight batteries through steel wool. Use 00 or a finer grade of steel-wool roll, cut or tear it into a ½-inch strip (which will lengthen out to a strip 7 or 8 inches long), and two good flashlight batteries. Place one battery on top of the other, making sure both are in an upright position like they would go into a flashlight. Take one end of the strip of steel wool and hold it against the bottom of the lower battery.

Take the other end of the wool and rub it across the top of the top battery. After the steel wool sparks, place it next to the tinder and blow on it. This is a great way to get a fire going when the wind is blowing. You can touch the steel wool to both posts on a 9-volt battery and the fire will start instantly. Be sure to pack the steel wool and batteries in separate containers.

This fire starter tip, along with many more fun ideas, can be found in Roughing It Easy.

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My family loves to camp, but how do I keep my kids clean?

Water Spout

Take a large, plastic bleach bottle with an airtight lid and poke a small nail hole in the front near the bottom to make a spout. Fill the bottle with water. When you are ready to wash your hands, loosen the lid and the pressure from the top will force a small stream of water from the spout. To create a larger stream of water from the jug, poke the hole with a golf tee. Then tie the upper part of the tee to the jug handle to use as a stopper.

Attach a rope to the handle and tie the jug to a tree limb. Place a bar of biodegradable soap in a nylon stocking, and hang it from the handle of the jug. Paint a face on it with the mouth over the spout area and you'll smile every time you use it!

Grooming Apron

If you have trouble finding a convenient place in camp to put grooming items for brushing your teeth and combing your hair, make a handy apron for personal items. Not only will your gear be more organized, but you'll be less likely to drop your toothbrush in the dirt!

Take a bath towel, fold up the lower edge about 5 inches, and sew pockets to hold items such as toothpaste, soap, razor, comb, mirror and washcloth. Sew a casing about 2 inches above the pockets and thread a drawstring through it, making it long enough to tie around your waist.

The excess material at the top of the towel becomes a flap to keep the items from falling out of their pockets, and can also serve as a towel for drying your hands and face.

Outdoor Shower

If you hesitate to go camping because you're afraid you'll have to do without your daily shower, fear no more. This one is quick and simple to put together, and it works beautifully.

To make a shower room, you'll need an umbrella (without a sharp point), two shower curtains and some rope. Open the umbrella and turn it upside down, then tie one end of the rope to the umbrella handle. Throw the other end over a tree limb and loosely tie it to the tree trunk so that the umbrella is at eye level.

Hook the holes in the curtains on to the prongs of the umbrella, and raise the umbrella so that when a camper is standing under it, the bottom of the shower curtain is off the ground. Now tie the rope securely to the tree.

For water, purchase a new insecticide sprayer and mark the outside to read "CAMPING ONLY." Never use anything that once contained chemicals. If possible, buy a black can or paint it black.

Another option is a "Sun Shower" (made by Basic Designs), a flat plastic bag, clear on one side and black on the other with a handle, sprinkler head and shut-off valve.

Plan ahead. Leave your water in the sun during the day for a heated afternoon shower. The shower room is also a good place to change clothes.

These camping tips, along with many other fun ideas, can be found in Roughing It Easy.

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I would like a fun activity that I can use at a family party. Do you have any ideas?

I can think of a lot of fun things to do at a family party, but at this time of year, nothing will beat ball-toss ice cream. It is a fun game that will create dessert for the entire group.

Ball-Toss Ice Cream Equipment: 2 (1-quart) zip-top bags 2 (1-gallon) zip-top bags 1 (8-pound) bag of ice, crushed or in cubes ½ cup rock salt newspaper heavy-duty strapping or packaging tape Ingredients: ¾ cup whole milk or flavored milk 1 cup whipping cream 1/3 cup sugar ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Place all ingredients in a 1-quart bag. Squeeze out all the air and seal the bag. Place this bag inside the other quart bag and seal. Place the double-bagged ice cream mix inside a gallon zip-top bag. Fill the gallon-size bag with ice, sprinkle the ice with the rock salt and seal the bag. Place this bag inside the other gallon bag and seal. Wrap the filled bags in several layers of newspaper. Secure the newspaper by wrapping it with heavy-duty tape. Tape the "ball" on all sides so that it will hold its shape. Now, toss the "ice cream ball" back and forth for 15 to 20 minutes. Unwrap the ball, remove the ice and enjoy the ice cream! Makes about 3 cups.

Ball-Toss Ice Cream, along with many other fun ideas, can be found in Backyard Roughing it Easy.

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