Dear Reader,
First, a disclaimer: I’ve had no problems getting silly string out of my carpets or furniture, but I’m not guaranteeing said results. In the Summertime, we definitely do this outside.
We started a new year tradition with our preschooler last year. It’s a silly thing that she remembers, and it’s quiet(ish) so her little sisters sleep through it. As opposed to poppers or fireworks that let off a pop or a bang.
She definitely remembered it this year and got pretty excited when we told her it was “stay-up-party-day.” Granted, she can’t tell time, yet, so her “midnight” was really 10 pm. That is still way late for a preschooler, so we still let her sleep in this morning. Anyway, once it hits 9, we hand out the silly string (everyone gets their own color) and everyone gets to spray it at each other. We definitely have rules, like no face or hair shots (it is a pain to get out of hair if it’s shot too closely). Everyone enjoys seeing who got whom! While we peel the string off of ourselves, and collect the big strands from the floor, we let the little flecks in the carpet set for a minute or two, because I’ve learned it’s pretty sticky if fresh, but after a while, it is fairly dry and easy to pick up or vacuum.
It actually comes up pretty easily, especially if you stick it to itself. There are always a few crumbs leftover, but for the most part, we are able to pick it all up; and I always plan on vacuuming when the girls all wake up in the morning. Once again, I’m not all that concerned about my carpet or furniture, but if you are, wait until summertime when you can go outside! It’s a great stress reliever. Especially with moody pre-teens (BTDT). It’s bright and colorful, and it gets some good exercise if your space is big enough to run around each other.
If you’re looking for silly string, check out the dollar store first. I have seen it other places, but the dollar store stuff is usually cheaper. And it lasts long enough that even if the other stuff lasts longer, it wouldn’t make that much difference to me.
