Some day when you need a cheap but fun activity, try squirrel fishing. It’s really simple. Get a long string or, if you have one, a fishing rod and reel, without the hook. For bait you can use peanuts in their shells, or bits of apples or whatever you think the local squirrels will go for.

You wind the string around the bait, then cast it out where you think there might be some squirrels. When a customer grabs the bait, start pulling in the line and be prepared to laugh as you watch the ensuing antics.

I used to spend endless hours with a friend of mine squirrel fishing. We invented variations like casting the bait over an open door so it would dangle in mid-air. The squirrels would jump up, grab the bait, and we would start reeling so the squirrels would be suspended really high. They just wouldn’t let go of their prize!

Contrary to what you might be thinking, squirrels LOVE the challenge. When it was time to stop and I would just put peanuts on the ground for my little friends, they would grab the nut and look at me like “Is that IT? No magic peanut?”