Once you've become an expert at the game you can add your own rules to enhance it. Make it a rule that the Shark can only tag Minnows who have their head above water. It's fun to challenge yourself but never put your life in danger. Be cautious and make sure swimmers can make it from one side of the pool to the other in one breath. Add more Sharks so the Minnows have to swim faster and be more creative to get to the other side without being tagged. Instead of Sharks and Minnows, you can use Cat and Mouse, Cheetah and Gazelle, or Fox and Rabbit. If you don't have access to a pool, or if the pool is too crowded to play, move to a field or gym. This version is played year-round and can usually accommodate more players. Make sure to swap your swim trunks for sneakers. Cones, tape, or basketball court lines are used to mark the boundaries. These will be the spots where players will start and end. If you want to minimize contact, you can have players tuck a towel into their shorts, to act as a "tail." Instead of tagging players, the Shark will pull their tail. Have the Shark close their eyes or turn their back until they hear a Minnow swimming. They must tag players by following their sounds. In this version, Minnows can exit the pool and try to walk to the other end of the pool without being seen or heard. If the Shark does hear them then the Shark will yell, "fish out of water" and the Minnow must start over. Place pool floats around the pool. If a player bumps into one, send them back to the beginning or make them sit through a time out. In this version, instead of becoming Sharks when tagged, players become seaweed. They must stay still and can only reach as far as arm's length to tag other Minnows who then become seaweed as well. If a seaweed touches a Shark, it turns back into a Minnow and can continue swimming to the end of the pool.

Summary: Make new tagging rules. Have more than one Shark. Choose different animals. Play on dry land. Make your Shark blind. Add obstacles. Transform extra Sharks into seaweed.

Even expert cake decorators sometimes have dribbles of icing puddle or pool around the base of the cake. To create a clean edge between your cake and the surface it rests on, place the corners of four pieces of wax or parchment paper under your cake so the paper skirts the bottom edges of the cake. You should be able to easily remove any drips or messy frosting around the cake's base by pulling free the paper from underneath it. A crumb coat is a thin layer of frosting that you put on your cake before the main layer of frosting. When frosting your cake, crumbs can get stuck in your frosting, making it look less than great. Your crumb coat will trap these crumbs and keep your main layer of frosting looking clean and professional. Use a knife or offset spatula to apply your frosting, spreading it until you can see the cake underneath. Give your crumb coat a few minutes to set before you move on to your main layer of frosting. Vanilla buttercream frosting, as delicious as it may be, is fairly simple to make. For more complicated versions of icing or frosting, you may want to check out how to make icing or frosting. The following recipe only needs to be beaten together to a regular consistency in a mixing bowl: Softened butter ( cup)Confectioners' sugar (4 cups)Vanilla extract (1 teaspoons)2% milk (5 to 6 tablespoons) A few drops of food coloring in your icing can change plain white buttercream into whatever color best suits your cake design! To keep your frosting equally distributed, you should start from the top and spread small amounts frosting across your cake with your knife or offset spatula. As the frosting thins, you should scoop more of it from its container or mixing bowl with your knife of spatula, and continue to spread the frosting on you cake little by little until it is completely frosted. Try not to apply too much frosting at once. This can sometimes make it difficult to achieve an even look. Wait until the top of your cake is done before frosting the sides. This way you'll have a more consistent look for your entire cake. A piping bag is flexible plastic container that you can fill with frosting. After loading the bag with frosting, you should cut the end of the bag that comes to a point to create a nozzle. Then all you need to do is squeeze the bag to force your icing out in a controlled stream. If you have trouble finding a suitable piping bag at your local grocery, you can make a homemade piping bag with a zippered plastic bag. Put icing in your baggie and seal the top firmly. Cut off the tip of one corner of the baggie and voila! Your homemade piping bag is finished. Beginning pipers might not yet feel confident piping a message freehand onto a cake. If you're one such person, you may want to sketch out the message in your frosting with a toothpick. This way you can follow your sketch with your piping bag and limit mistakes. You can use the end of your piping bag to direct your stream of frosting, or you can buy special tips to create special effects with your frosting. Some special effect tips you can use with your piping bag include: Round tips, which are suited for lines, dots, and writing messages. Star tips, which are mostly used to create stars shapes, decorative shells, flowers, borders, and rosettes. Basket-weave tips, which are fitting for making lattices and lines that mimic ribbons, and other borders. You may need to wait until you graduate from beginner before you tackle any designs that are too complex, but with your piping bag you can create all sorts of shapes and designs. You can also make clever designs from a special, hardened sugar substance called fondant. You might even try: Icing flowers Icing roses

Summary: Prevent frosting splatter and runs with wax or parchment paper. Protect your frosting from crumbs with a crumb coat. Buy some icing, or make your own. Frost your cake evenly. Make or buy a piping bag. Model your messages before writing with frosting. Add details and a message with your piping bag. Border your cake, and add other edible designs.

This way, you'll see more stars, and you won't get wet from rain, or overly-hot due to humidity. A breeze can mean less pollution near a city, but strong wind can be chilly, so bring extra blankets and sweaters if it seems windy. Summer nights (during June, July, and August) can offer great stargazing conditions. You'll also be more comfortable than you would be in the winter, and can pack a bit lighter. You are most likely to see meteor showers in the summertime. The "Perseids" meteor shower is awe-inspiring, and visible from nearly everywhere in the Northern Hemisphere. It occurs every August. Some constellations that can be seen year-round (meaning they are "circumpolar") are: Cassiopeia, Ursa Major, and Cepheus. Try to avoid major cities and densely populated areas. Stargazing will be difficult in these areas because of the light pollution and noise they produce. For a relaxed stargazing experience, you'll want to find some peace and quiet, likely in a more rural area. If you are able to find a sparsely populated, rural area to stargaze in, chances are good that some wildlife will be around. Deer, bears, coyotes, raccoons, and possums are common camp-crashers. Research what animals are found in your area, and keep a sharp eye out while you are outside at night. Wherever you decide to stargaze, always bring bug spray. You certainly won't be comfortable if you're swatting at mosquitos all night! You can bring a bright floodlight or something to make loud noises with, to deter animals that may come near while you are stargazing.
Summary: Stargaze on a dry, clear night. Stargaze in the summertime. Get out of the city for the most relaxation. Watch out for wildlife.