What are popular summer activities with kids

Last weekend I was going to take the girls to the local park where they have water fountains they can run through, but there was a concert going on so we went to plan B--Bruster's for ice cream and then to Barnes & Noble to play at the train table. I have two girls ages 14 mos...not just an activity for the boys...one of them cries every time I pull her away from Thomas the Train!

Here are some good ideas for you to do with your children.
Maybe this will help.
Meaningful Moments



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I'm Sending You My Love
Write your child a letter soon after they are born. Fill it with your thoughts, hopes, dreams and the experience of bringing a new life into the world. Place your note in an envelope and inscribe, "On the day you were born" on it, and tuck it in a journaling-type book. Each year on your child's birthday, write another letter to her—fill it with the memories, milestones, dreams, events, ideas and the life that you and your family have created throughout the year. When your child grows up and has a place of his or her own, present the book and continue to send the letters on your child's birthday. You will have written a book and told the story of two very special people: you and your child.

If we are really lucky, we have a lifetime with our children to help them grow and teach them and to love them. Sadly, some do not get that chance, but this story shares how we can touch a life in positive, deep ways, even if we are no longer here…

A mother dying of cancer gave a gift to her 7-year-old daughter. She took the time to map out and script letters for all of the future milestones she envisioned missing in her daughter's life—birthdays, graduations, her wedding day and the birth of her children. The idea was that her writings would be given to her daughter throughout her life from the most special woman in her life: her mother. Although she was about to physically say goodbye, this devoted mom was ensuring that she'd continue to live in her daughter's life through these precious expressions of love.

A good morning »


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A Good Morning
In soap or lipstick, write, "You're the best!" or "Have a great day!" on the bathroom mirror where your child will see it when brushing his or her teeth. And at breakfast, try spelling out, "I love you" with individual letters from alphabet cereal. Of course, you will have to pick through the box to find eight letters, but the message will then have your personal touch. Surprise your son with his favorite cookies in his lunch box—the sugary ones that he regularly begs for in the grocery aisle, but rarely receives.

Or reach for a banana, like my friend did to keep connected to her boys. "During elementary school, I'd pack their lunches every day and I'd always put a banana in each bag. One day I started writing little notes—jokes and riddles on the banana peel with a permanent pen. The boys loved it and looked forward to their lunchtime surprise. I loved it, too, knowing that as I was thinking about them at lunchtime, they would be thinking of me. Of course, by middle school, they asked me to stop sending notes on their bananas. They were 'too old.' The boys really did get a kick out of it!"

If bananas aren't your thing, simply write a note, a riddle or cut a comic that your child loves from the newspaper. Your child will enjoy getting that extra-special something from you and all his or her classmates will be waiting each day to see what's next.

Birthday pictures »


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Smile, It's Your Birthday
Every year on your child's birthday, take their picture while they hold a sign with the number of how old they are. Find a book or a place in your home to display these wonderful reminders of your child's growth. I recently heard from a 49-year-old man whose mom had done this all his life. Sadly, she had just passed away, but he decided to continue taking pictures to keep the tradition going as a way to honor his mother.

Meaningful Moments



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Walk the Dog
I know a woman who was tired of feeling rushed and frazzled in the mornings. She'd hurriedly walk her four sweet dogs, and then rush back to make sure her 9-year-old son had eaten breakfast. Then she'd race off to drive him to school, but get caught waiting in traffic lines. Then, she got creative. She decided to combine her two activities by walking her son to school with the four dogs in tow. All seven of them—she and her husband, one child and four dogs—became a "walking party." Each morning, they began a lively, new adventure. Cars slowed to view their parade, and they often saw tired-looking commuters glance over in surprise, then break out in wide grins and wave enthusiastically. Once in a while, someone would honk in appreciation.

Kids at the elementary school really loved seeing the family arrive at the drop-off area. After just a few weeks, as many as 40 children would be at the front gate for the arrival of their new furry friends—always telling the family about their own dog companions, waiting for them back at home. It was like a traveling petting zoo. The boy stopped hating mornings (so did his mother) and started looking forward to school. Even the dogs appeared to walk with a newfound pride and purpose.

Meaningful Moments



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Share What Matters
There is no end to the ways in which we can share what's in our hearts. Teach your children at a young age that what they think matters. This is a short and sweet example of a family that created a book for a special celebration. Their beautiful book, Love is, was made to celebrate a 45th wedding anniversary. The children and grandchildren of the love birds each thoughtfully described the lessons they'd learned about love from their mother and father (or grandmother and grandfather). Lessons like: "Love is: Even when Grandpa forgets to pick up Grandma at the hairdressers, she still loves him." And, "Love is: "When Dad sat up all night when Mom got the flu, just to be sure she didn't need anything." And, "Love is: When Grandma lets the dog up on the sofa and lets her lick out of the ice cream bowl, and Grandpa doesn't get mad." And, "Love is: When Mom tells Dad that her favorite room in the house is the one he is in." And, my personal favorite, "Love is: When Grandpa calls Grandma Sweat Pea."

Meaningful Moments



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Celebrate the Firsts, the Lasts and Everything in Between
Every September, sure as clockwork, summer comes to an end and the first morning of school arrives. Lazy days, swimming pools, flip-flops and vacations are exchanged for alarm clocks, book bags, school buses and schedules. In my house, we have a love/hate relationship with the beginning of school. We hate to see summer come to a close, but we love to start a new year, filled with possibilities and friendships.

The moment our daughter started school, we started a tradition. Dressed in her finest first-day outfit, Hannah is photographed with her book bag and gear. She is now in the 12th grade and we have 13 priceless photos (starting with kindergarten) of our baby as she has grown into a young woman. I wish I could say that I started organizing these memories into a photo album 13 years ago, but I did not. Until recently, the images were scattered among hundreds (honestly, thousands) of pictures that I, like many others, kept in shoeboxes. When I started searching to recover all 13 images, I was grateful to discover that some magically appeared in frames behind other pictures, while others rested patiently in their boxes. Excavating them was a wonderful journey through our life, and I was reminded of the people and events that have made it so special. Each of Hannah's pictures reflects a step in her life. The other photographs showed me the road we'd all taken together.

Other ways to stay connected »


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Other Artful Ways to Stay Connected

Make Friday nights game night—relax together with pizza, some healthy snacks and competition. Invite your children's best friends to join you.
Make a family history book using favorite words, photos and souvenirs.
I love a good game of black out: Turn off every light in the house (including night-lights and VCR lights) and play hide-and-seek. Prepare to have a blast tripping all over each other and even getting spooked a time or two.
Plant a garden with butterfly bushes and enjoy the visits of hundreds of butterflies.
Create a revolving art gallery of your kid's work in your home. Show them you think their art is a masterpiece. String wire between two hooks and hang the art with clothespins
Turn off the TV and put on your own plays and musicals, and share stories.
Turn on the soothing sounds of jazz and watch your family relax. Make a CD of your family's favorite tunes to be played on long car rides or rainy Sunday afternoons.
Create new everyday rituals: warm vanilla milk, a story or a kiss on the forehead before bedtime—special touches that will help your child drift off to a peaceful sleep.
Plant a garden together, and then watch as the seeds grow.
Make a video of your grandparents. Interview them about their lives and ask the funny questions that will brighten their faces and make them laugh. This project will become a cherished family heirloom.



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From B.- single mom of 2 boys in Taylors, SC

K.,

Jump rope is an activity that is great and can be done all summer with all kinds of variations.

Plan a dress-up tea for them and their friends, even if it's just teddy bears and dolls. Really plan it: what will we wear; what will we serve; how will we serve it; what do we need to buy for it; make the things together.

Make a different type of cookie, bread or biscuit each week. Make a different food each week. Girls are losing their ability to cook.

Have a neighborhood kids time once or twice a week, where the kids in the neighborhood come and you have stories, snacks, activities, etc. The girls can help you prepare and decide what their favorite stories are to go over.

Have a play. Write your own, or use a favorite story. Use dolls and stuffed critters for extras. You can turn this into a puppet show by standing behind the couch and using the top of the couch as a stage.

Give the girls blankets and chairs and clothes pins and let them build a fort in the living room.

Sleep out in the yard and look at the stars. If it gets rained out, sleep in the living room and tell stories you remember from your grandparents.

Have a sleep-over.

Have a "spend the day outside" day. And, spend the whole day outside, even if it rains. This is kind of like camping, but in your yard.

Write to missionaries or other people who live in foreign lands and make a book about that land.

Organize a bike parade for your neighborhood, church, or town. Or just a kids parade.

Hope this helps,
D. S
Mom to five, but just one little one at home now. Sure miss the crowd. :D

K., you didn't mention the age of your children, and that makes some difference in the types of activities they might enjoy. Since they are girls, I would suggest watercolor painting for younger or paint by number for older. Most all children love to paint. Puzzles are fun. Books are, too. You can visit your library for free. Take turns letting them read or you can choose a book and read to them. There are excellent chapter books for various ages. Most girls like games, too. You can make your own, if funds are limited. Bingo or memory games can easily be made. Remember the game "I Spy" or...make up silly rhymes together... If you have old magazines or newspapers, you can think of activities using those--search for particular words and circle them or search for pictures of certain things, cut out and glue on paper. Have an indoor treasure hunt. Hide little treasures and let them find them--maybe little individually wrapped candies... The most important thing to remember is- any activity will be fun if you take part with them and show your excitement in doing so. Good luck!

I know you were requesting indoor activities, but I have an out door activity that is really cheap and fun. So when you and the girls get cabin fever and are ready to get out of the house consider this.

My family enjoys going to Helen Ga and tubing down the chattahoochie river on an inner tube. The cost to rent a tube is $5 a person. Any outfitter you use will pick you up from the exit point and take you back to your car and their post. It is really relaxing just floating through the trees and at some point downtown Helen. The adventure usually last 2-3 hours.

You can take little children because they have tubes with bottoms and you can either rest a small child on your chest or lap or tether them with a cord that they provide. When my daughter was less than a year old or used the tubes with bottoms, we didn't have to pay for her. That was 7 years ago.

It was great fun!! Enjoy your summer!

If you're trying to come up with craft ideas then there are some great websites:
www.crayola.com
www.dltk.com (I think)
You can also google "craft ideas" or "crafts for kids" (or something of that sort) and find some great ideas that way.

Another thing is let them "scrapbook" with pictures from the past year. They may enjoy coloring and decorating the pages with glitter, etc.

Also... I know dltk has BINGO cards you can print out - that may be a fun game for y'all to play (I'm sure you have a wealth of board games to choose from).

I've also enjoyed painting small terra cota pots with kids and then allowing them to plant some seeds to watch their flowers grow.

Can you gals set up some outside activities like:

How about a dinosaur dig! Well, really it doesn't have to be dinosaurs.. anything can be fun to find! You or someone else could bury some "artifacts" around the yard. Then the girls could spend the afternoon digging up treasures!

Make a treasure map and then send them out to find whatever it is you have left for them. A new story, or a picnic lunch, or ????

Picnics are always nice! The kids can help make the food which makes it even more special!

How about a slumber party in the back yard with a tent...Well, that is if you have one! You could cook hotdogs and marshmallows over a firepit (our family uses the old one we bought from Home Depot for this all the time) and then tell stories and make shadow puppets. If you are lucky you might live in an area with firefly's!!

I know you said no movies but.... We have an old sears reel-to-reel projector and some times we pull it out and watch old old super 8 movies of us when we were litte!
You can set this up outside really easy with a sheet or onto the side of the house. Again, like the tent, this only works if you already have it!

Best wishes for a great summer!

Here are a few things we love to do (my girls are almost 2 and 3)

-Build forts
-Play catch with beach balls
-Have a marching band
-Bubbles
-Wanamaker - the little kid side stays in the shade all day.
-Bike rides
-Make cookies
-Read books
-Go to Boone Farm and pick strawberries. Then eat at the hot dog stand up the road.
-Celebration Town or a jump house of your liking
-The play place at Chick-fil-a
-Cut paper (my 3 year old is learning to use scissors)
-Finger pait or paint with watercolors (very cheap so you don't care when they all end up looking like the same color) Then mail the pictures to family and friends.
-Have playdates at friends houses
-Parents.com has coloring book pages you can print for something new to color
-Chuck-E-Cheese offers good coupons if you sign up on their website and the kids love it.
-Cypress Gardens is great for the kids. They love the butterflies and other animals. You could also have a picnic there.

Have a fun summer and try to stay cool!

How about a dress up day for all of you?Little girls love to dress up.They maybe a baking day of some sort ,make some clay you can look up the recipe on the pc,then let them make what they want.Play some bingo and get to the dollar store and by some cheap toys.Take them to a park with a small lunch.

Hi K.! The library has great summer story times and extra reading programs with prizes that have gotten my kids (ages 4 and 6) the most excited about reading ever!

As for at home, we do LOTS of drawing. Recently we have tried to duplicate pictures we see in books we like. This has been fun and has amazed me that the kids could do the replication SO well!

Playdough, leggos, lincoln logs, and riding bikes or scooters (even in the garage if I am needing to hold the baby and can't go out in the driveway/outside with them) are big hits too!

Dearly,
G.

Not sure where you are located (I'm in Myrtle Beach). But, I got a discounted pass for the state parks at the Socastee Library. It only cost me about $35 and it's good for an entire year. I can take my son to any of the state parks. They have great beach access, trails, bathrooms, and playgrounds. Also, I've bought some activity books, items at Teacher's Touch. Good luck!

I don't know what area you are in but if your kids want to cool off in the water, Suwanee Town Center has the fountain kids can play in. I believe Duluth also has one.

I like creative movement activities, which my daughter loves. We play dress up and have a "Royal Ball" or a "Ballet" or just a crazy Dance Party while we shake and shake to whatever is on the radio (XM Kids or Napster Kids). You can also do aerobics videos with your children -- mine loves kickboxing! Depending on their age, you can put on a recital or a talent show, learn to play instruments, make puppets and a stage and put on a show, grab a camera and take pictures together, then print them and make a collage, or get the video camera make your own movies! If they are old enough, and you sell them on the talent show, giving them each time to themselves to work on their talent also means you get some time to yourself!

Also, it is a good idea to make a schedule with your daughters, if they are old enough to participate in the planning. Give them a list of all of the suggestions and let each one choose their top ten preferred activities. You choose yours too! Then help them with a calendar to schedule what activities will be on which day -- you can even have theme weeks. This will help them take responsibility for their fun, while allowing them to practice planning and organization skills. You might even designate one or two days per week that are the "get out of the house days." For that, I recommend going to the Wannamaker sprinklers - $1 each, can't be beat!

Best Wishes!

Not sure where you live, but there are many great public pools. One is the South Cobb Aquatic center. Lots of fun! Also there are many "bouncy" places like Jump U and Gorga Monkeys. There are also some YMCA camps that are relatively inexpensive that you can sign up for week to week. Good luck!

Hi K.. I live in Cumming and get the magazine the city puts out called Up In Cumming. They had a great list of activities for summer and there are some really good ones too! I just saw that you were looking for things to do at home, but I figured I'd send you the highlights on the list anyway. Botanical Gardens, Atlanta History Center, Centennial Olympic Park, Cumming Playhouse, Comsolidated Goldmine of Dahlonega, CNN Studio Tour, Center for Puppetry Arts, Fernback Museum, Atlanta Aquarium, Imagine It! Childrens Museum of Atlanta, The World of Coke, Stone Mountain, Mary Mac's Tea Room and Amicalola Falls.

Hi K.-
My little girl really loves to pick an upcoming date for her babydolls birthday. We spend lots of time making homemade decorations, cards, calling grandparent/friends and telling them of the celebration. They don't actually come to the party but it's great phone skills!
Another fun idea is to wash all outside toys(bikes,scooters) Since you're on water rest. give them only a bucket full of water and watch the fun begin!
Finally, kids love shaving cream!! Put it on a surface and encourage them to write their names or letters-whatever their ability! Good luck!

I dont know how old your girls are but tye-dye would be fun. Me and my hubby did it with onsies. And even he had fun. I am sure you can find plenty of arts and crafts just by going to the craft store. And its usually not expensive.

Wow - great ideas here. But I need to tell you about the most AMAZING pool at Best Friends Park. It's more like an aquatic playground, and there's a HUGE waterslide for bigger kids. It's a public pool, so it's very inexpensive, but has the kind of stuff you could only get at an expensive water park like Wet N Wild.

You didn't mention your location, but we drive 25 minutes (from Roswell) to get to this pool that's in Gwinnett! There's a playground just outside the pool so you can let the kids run around until they're really hot and walk over to the pool.

http://www.gwinnettforum.com/2005issues/05.0607.htm - scroll down to the bit about the pools. They say they've been upgrading all the pools in Gwinnett, but that's the only one I've seen.
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Also, check out your local parks and recreation services. I've found classes and camps at the Roswell Area Park that are very affordable. Most of them you can sign up for 1 week at a time, and they have some that are one hour in the morning M-F, others are 9am-noon, and still others are all-day. I've signed up my kid for swim lessons, and it's only $46 for 8 45-minute lessons. (It's always cheaper for residents, so look for something in your area.)
(If you are in Roswell, go here and click on "Summer Program Brochure")
http://www.roswellgov.com/index.php/p/26/t/Recreation%20a...
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New puppet shows every week - at least in Roswell at the Cultural Arts center. (good for young children)

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Places like Piedmont park have things like "Symphony in the Park" - free outdoor concerts. Pack a picnic, from PBJs to french bread, wine and cheese and enjoy an evening under the stars.
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The Chattahoochee Nature Center has lots of activities for the kids, although right now they are doing a huge renovation, so there isn't as much to see as you normally can. On June 28, they are having a campout event as part of the "Great American Backyard Campout" - we went last year and the kids had a lot of fun.

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The planetarium at the Fernbank Science Center has inexpensive shows (I think $3, free for Fernbank members) and admission to the science center is free for everyone. Fernbank museum and Fernbank Science Center are different places - about a mile apart. And of course the Fernbank museum, although it's more expensive unless you get a membership.
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The ImagineIt museum downtown is fun for young children, but it's $11 per person, expensive for me, but we go occasionally and try to make a full day of it. We can usually get about 4 hours of entertainment out of it.
I think one day a month, admission is free (sponsored by Target).
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Also the High Museum has one Saturday a month that's free admission for Fulton residents. And they have kids art studio activities, too. Check out their calendar.
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I also don't do lots of TV and movies, but when it's a special venue (like an outdoor park where you can have a picnic on the lawn, or at the local pool, where it's more splashing than watching, I make an exception)
Lots of the local pools are having a "Dive In" movie one night this summer, or themed pool parties. And some parks have free movies out on the lawn after dark.
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The Fox Theater downtown has a film festival, although there's usually only a couple of kids movies each year. "Enchanted" will be playing there in a few weeks. We just went Sunday to see "Horton Hears a Who" and it was great. Show up early, though, because they have an old-fashioned sing-a-long with a man playing a huge organ that looks like something out of the Wizard of Oz. And they have cartoons and an old newsreel before the movie, too. Very nostalgic, and it's only once a year. Just going to the Fox is a treat - my kid enjoyed wandering around the hallways on very level, checking out the "castle" walls, and he LOVED the "enchanted ceiling" that looked like the nighttime sky, with stars and clouds floating by.
It's definitely the cheapest way to get into the Fox Theater - most concerts and operas there are quite expensive. (Oh - and check out the website for the Fox, you can take a daytime tour of the place, and I think they even take you backstage!)
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Did you know that Atlanta has a real drive-in movie theater? Check out the Starlight Six. It's a trek for us, since it's near Little Five Points, but lots of fun. Get there early, and you can have a picnic with the kids and lt them play catch or tag or hula hoop or light sabers while waiting for it to get dark enough for the movie to start.
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I just realized I've given you a huge list of places to go, not things to do at home, and that a number of them are places to see movies. (Granted, not typical places, but still) I'm so sorry - we kinda get up and get out of the house a lot.

I know that there's a water restriction in affect but we went ahead and set up a pool during the time we were allowed to water in the morning. I will also run the sprinklers in the backyard in the morning and my kids will go running through it. I don't know what your restrictions are but our is midnight to 10 am on designated days and that's good because it's not a dangerous time of the day to be out. Afterwards we're in the house playing board games and other games like hide-n-seek and scavenger hunts. I don't know where you are but if you get a season pass for the Columbia zoo... you can get into other zoos in Georgia for free and get half off for the aquarium and other places. Just remember sun block and plenty of water!

Outside chaulk "painting" pictures. Toys r us just started carrying 3D sidewalk chaulk, Teach them to sew or knit or crochet, then go give them to the elderly in nursing homes or babies in the NICU. Bubbles, read books. If you children are old enough to read let them pick them out and read to you. Waterpark in Auburn, AL or here in columbus, Monkey Joes, Park picnic, Boones Farm pick strawberries and peaches, ( they have the BEST homemade icecream)

Most of the malls have kids programs that are free (or cheap). Also, the local libraries have programs--story times, puppet shows, crafts, etc. Churchs are holding VBS during the summer. Our kids did a tour of a local firestation with mom's group. And then there is always McD's where they love to eat and play!

T.

Hi Kelly!!

One thing I'm trying to do with my daughter this summer is work on some arts and craft activities. At her preschool this past year they had an art teacher come in and the kids actually did their own versions of famous works of art. So I went online and printed out copies of some artwork I thought she could try to copy and we're working on that together. There are several paintings by Monet (Waterlilies or Field of Poppies) that would be easy. Or VanGogh's Starry Night could be done on black construction paper with chalk. Hope that helps you come up with some ideas. Good Luck!!

T.

[Not only water restrictions, but super-expensive GAS! so my ideas revolve around regular errands or simply staying at home.] I don't know the ages of your girls, but I have the books 365 Games Smart Toddlers Play and More Primetime Activities with Kids. I love both of them - they are great go-to resources for inspiration. We also have some of that Moon Sand stuff, so my daughter can have some sand play inside when it is just too hot to be out in the sand box. I just found another book on Amazon called The Family Manager's Guide to Summer Survival. We bake a lot of cookies and cupcakes - i try to find organic, healthy mixes at the grocery store during my regular trip, and then we share them with family and friends so that we are not just eating them constantly. My daughter loves to make her own play-dough. I can't seem to put my finger right now on the recipe we use, but i found this website http://babyparenting.about.com/cs/activities/a/playdough.htm
some of these recipes have difficult ingredients, but if you just search on the web you can find lots of options. In fact, the web is just a great source of fun ideas period. I know you'll have a great summer! :)

K.-
Hey, not sure how old your girls are- but I have a two year old and an 8 month old. I like to do educational activites with mine. Recent things we have done that is inexpensive is paint with pudding. I made a batch of choc. pudding and gave them each a little bit and drew clouds on paper and let them paint with it- and the nice thing is they can eat it too. We also glue things down- using a flour and water mixture-as our glue. Other things I have done is bought those magnetic letters and numbers and we make words or just do ABC's on cookie sheets. I will also pull out some of my clothes and hats etc. and we play "dress up". Hope this helps with some ideas. If I think of anymore I will let you know.
Today we also went to Monkey Joes- it was pretty cheap and my 2 year old had a blast!!!

you didnt say how old your girls were. And yes you said no video games but there are some active video games. Theres a couple of dance pad games that you can just plug right into the TV , we have a disney one we got at target , wears out my 6 yr old , now she dosnt always hit the right buttons with her feet but hey she loves jumping up and down on it. and its a great indoor energy get er outer. If you have younger kiddos I'd get a kiddy pool and just blow it up and on your watering day fill it up and just leave it up scoop out the leaves and stuff every day before they get in and let um cool off in it. and actually you can get a bigger one that even you can sit in and cool off at again Target , it even has drink holders, for like 30$. knowing the ages of your girls will help with suggestions.

http://gocitykids.parentsconnect.com/region/atlanta-ga-usa

Check with your local library. I know most of the libraries do story time or weekly events. My kids love going to the weekly story hour at our library, which often includes guest appearances doing puppet shows, teaching dances, or playing instruments that we wouldn't normally get to see a lot of. Many libraries also offer rewards for reading over the summer (younger children can have parents read to them to earn the rewards).

Simple arts and craft activities can be fun and inexpensive. Depending on your children's ages, they can be as simple as coloring or as involved as putting together a finished project and painting it (or making jewelry, etc). Michael's offers some neat little craft ideas for as low as $1 each.

If you are near Suwanee, there is a fountain where the kids can run around and have fun. It is in Suwanee Town Center, and I think it is open everyday now. My 3 year old loves it, and it is a great activity that helps them stay cool too.

Well, my suggestions actually involve going places, but there are some free and really cheap fun places for kids. Check out state parks around the metro area -lots of chances for shady hikes and many have lakes and beaches (Red Top Mountain park on Lake Allatoona is great). Most only charge a $3 parking fee and some have extra activities for kids planned in the summer. Just google GA State Parks -the website will take you to areas and parks. Peachtree/Dekalb airport on
Clairmont Road has a playground beside the landing/taxiing strips where you can watch the small planes take off and land while you swing and play. Look for city/county pools in your area -most charge a buck or two and you can swim all day! Also, inflatable jumping places are great like The Jumping Bean and Monkey Joes. The Jumping Bean charges $5 per jumper and you can buy discount books if you plan to go a lot. Almost all libraries have a weekly story time and they're great places to take your kids just to hang out and look at books and check some out. Barnes and Noble locations usually sponsor one or two story times per week and sometimes also have a craft -all free. At home -I don't know how old your kids are, but get into craft projects -anything from coloring large scale sheets of paper, painting, using recyclables to make art and yard art, sewing/needlepoint/crosstitch/pot holders, clay, bead art -lots of stuff there.

Hi K.,

Check out Family Fun magazine or look it up on the internet. It always has good ideas. Also, the library has a good summer program for kids.

B.

My son is almost three and we spend a lot of time outside. He'll ride his car around in the driveway, play with his cars, draw w/ sidewalk chalk, play w/ bubbles, or play in the little inflatable pool. He also likes to play on our playset. I plan to get some cheap white sheets and some paint and let him play with that outside in the grass. Once he's done, I'll just spray him down :).

Inside, we build tents, play with playdoh (his new favorite thing), puzzles, read books, play cars, etc.

Things my mom did with us (four kids) when I was younger was to get an old sheet and some tube socks and buttons and yarn, make puppets out of the socks and string the sheet across the hallway and we entertained her with plays we made up for the sock puppets, she helped us decorate them. It used our imagination and kept us busy for hours. She also went and got some refrigerator boxes and we decorated those as cars and buildings etc and played in our own town, she would push all the living room furniture to the walls so there was room inside as it was so hot outside (grew up in West Texas) also she taught us to play card games, go fish, old maid etc...but the best was the imagination games. I remember once we used a box from a dishwasher and made it into a tv with knobs and everything and acted out tv shows for her she had a remote and would change the channel so we had to be on our toes for what she was wanting to watch. I hope this gives you some ideas.

It all depends on your kids' ages. I have a 3 1/2 year old and we play chase, freeze tag, hide and go seek, treasure hunt, board games like Candyland. I also have a 10 1/2 year old and she gets in on the fun also. With her we play Phase 10 and cards games. There are lots of websites for games. Some things people think you can only do when you are having parties or special occasions. We play pin the tail on the donkey, make arts and crafts, color, paint, read. The sky's the limit. Hope some of these things helped. And all of these things can be done inside in the air conditioning or outside. Of course outside make sure you take a break from the heat and have a picnic in the shade. Good luck!

MOnkey Joes, Pottery place,Barnes and Noble has story hour and so does Borders. Don't forget about the library. Center for puppetery arts, Children's museum

Sidewalk chalk, bubbles and kites can all be purchased at any dollar store. I don't know how old your girls are, but my 2 1/2 year old loves all 3 of them. Picnics can be fun, too-especially if you let the girls help prepare the food or even take them to the dollar store and let them pick out some plates/cups and containers. Plus, if you have it at a park, then they can play before or after you eat and before you know it, the day is almost over. I have to say that the white sheet idea that Amy F posted sounds like a great idea that I'm going to try, too. Plus I am sure they have paints at the dollar store, too. (Can you tell I love the Dollar Store?)lol. If you would rather stay indoors(can't imagine why since it is so cool and not humid outside), what about arts and crafts? You could always make a pinata or even make a Mommy and Me summer scrap book(if the girls are old enough). You could use pics you already have and even buy some disposable cameras and let the girls take pictures around the house or while you are out and about and then when they are developed you could design a scrap book together. Again, Dollar Store has a lot of what you would need and Michael's has everything you would need. Michael's is a great place to browse for more indoor arts and crafts ideas, too. Good luck and have fun!

I don't know how old your girls are but here is...

1. Children Museum
2. Zoo
3. Library to pick out to read a book
4. Children Gymnastic
5. Water Park
6. Beach
7. Six Flags
8. Disney World
9. Sea World
10. Theme Park

There are so many lists.

Im a Mother of 2 and Im looking for some ideas too but here are my plans for the suummer.
I have one camp planned each month for my 6 year old and my baby will just hang with me.
We are going to the library once a week
We will go to the beach whenever its not too hot (which is probably never)
I have a whole bunch of craft ideas
We will have one day a week where we will practice his summer reading and other things to prepare him for 1st grade
We will be going on one vacation.
We will visit t he museums
Try the parks early in the morning
Get together with other Moms
Im always up for more ideas so I plan on checking the other Mothers ideas out too.
Good luck