Readers' Tips for a Simple Summer with Kids

I've received some great tips and ideas from readers for fun, simple activities to do with the kiddos during summer vacation, and I just had to share them. Please feel free to add your own in the comments section!

We are starting a mom's group and plan to do some gardening activities. We are going to try and make a bean teepee. I'll keep you posted! ~Jamie, California

It doesn't get too terribly sweltering hot here and when it does we spend that time in the pool. We laze around in the mornings, and we usually try to leave the house around noon time. We take a packed lunch with us, eat at a park and then the kids can run around and play while mom reads a book. Because of our generally temperate climate, we can spend a good 6 hours at the park and come home in time for dinner, which is often either sandwiches/cold food or something that's been going in the crockpot or something we can cook on the grill. We take activities with us to the park too. The kids bring balls, jump ropes, sidewalk chalk, books, etc. to keep them occupied if they get bored or crowded on the playgrounds. Also, a family membership to a local zoo is usually fairly cheap and totally worth it. Many zoos offer reciprocal benefits. ~Christi, Indiana

One of the things I used to do with the kids when they were toddlers is draw the alphabet in chalk in the driveway in a square, real big and ask your child to find the R, then find the E, etc, etc. It would kill a good half hour or more, then they could play with the chalk and whatnot, and if it's hot, once everyone was done playing, bring out the hose to wash away the chalk from both the driveway AND the kids! Make the letters big enough and spaced out enough for them to stand on one letter at a time. My kids always loved doing it. ~Michelle, New Jersey

We schedule play dates at the local splash park, which our city runs for no-cost to residents throughout the summer. Great way to cool off without wasting water at home -- the city's splash parks are far more efficient since there are lots of kids and the water usage is well-managed. Also, I schedule play dates with neighborhood kiddos that will go to the same school/same grade as my young kids so that there will always be friendly faces when school starts in the fall. ~Kim, Texas

And finally, here are a few summertime tips from Gretchen at Adventures~With~Gretchen:

1. Have a (non-rigid) schedule. If your time is broken into chunks and each chunk of time has a focus, it helps avoid the whining boredom. It also helps you get to those things you always mean to do, but never get around to, like crafts or keeping up with your reading.
2. Plan things for the mornings. I know that it's all to easy to have a lazy morning with cereal in front of the TV and playing video games, but by 2 p.m. everyone is cranky and it's now too hot to go do anything. We like to get up and out the door by 9 a.m. We go do whatever we're doing that day and come home for lunch and lazing around during the hottest part of the day.
3. Summer workbooks. Avoid summer brain drain by doing a few pages of math, science and writing one or two days a week. Read a book each day. Most local libraries have a summer reading program that's good for a small reward.
4. Have several boxes of tricks! One box is full of craft supplies. I'll pull it out twice a week for a chunk of time. We'll paint, draw, make sun catchers, use clay, string beads...something to keep your creativity going. A game box can also be a great way to keep the family happy on a long, hot afternoon. I use another box to hide away some of the best toys. When everyone's ready to scream, I'll pull out the marble maze or Polly Pocket set that they don't see very often.
5. Visit your city's visitor center. No matter how long you've lived somewhere, there are always things to do that you never knew existed. Not only can you learn about camps and events, there are also free things that you might have never thought to do. My city's college mascot is the Rams and there are 30 ram statues all over town that various organizations have painted. Our vistor's center has a map showing where they are all located, and one of our summer plans is to find every ram and take a picture of our family with it. This will take at least five or six mornings and the only cost is gas.

Do you have any simple solutions for keeping the kids occupied this summer? Please share them in the comments!