Summer Fun Checklist

Music, Dance, Karate, Art and other types of instructive classes are available - often at summer discounted prices - to keep kids occupied.

Check out your local town website or supplemental newspaper to learn about classes, activities, and festivals happening in the summer months that cater to kids.

Take the kids to the beach, pool, or waterpark.

Add a picnic at your local park for a full day of fun.

Plan a family camping trip.

Escape the heat by taking the kids to a fun movie, storytime at the library or a ;kid-friendly museum.

Baseball and Soccer games are often discounted in the summer, so this is a great option for your mini-sports fans.

Explore the animal kingdom with a day at the zoo or butterfly park, or petting farm.

Farmer's Markets can be a great place to learn, especially during summer months when there are festivals and craft tables targeted towards families and children.

Bring the kids to the kitchen to make and bake their favorite foods.

Kids can make puppets from paper bags or cardboard rolls, and put on a production. Or they can dress up and star in their own show.

Give kids their own patch of earth to plant their own vegetable or flower garden. Make crowns from leaves to commemorate the planting.

Have a water fight with squirt guns and water balloons. Turn on the sprinklers to make the battlefield more fun and water the lawn at the same time!

Read favorite books outloud, then have kids make up, create, and illustrate their own.

Kids can make friendship bracelets or beaded necklaces, or color on plain t-shirts or hats. Then have a fashion show for the budding designers to model their creations.

Draw a puzzle design on a piece of blank paper, then have kids draw a picture on the blank side. Cut out the puzzle pieces and have kids reassemble their art.

Make up a scavenger hunt and send kids from clue to clue on a fun wild goose chase. Make sure to have a reward at the end, like a batch of freshly baked cookies or a box full of their favorite treasures.