The ABC's of Summer.

My MIL(mother in law) Luan sent me this fun list for ideas for the summer. After reading them, I just had to share them. Thanks for these great ideas.
A
American Idol
Let your kids spend hours performing their own songs and routines to their favorite tunes. Really it’s just karaoke with a new twist, but your kids will love to pretend they’re the latest American Idol.

B
Bug Olympics
Have your own Olympic competition featuring those guys in your own backyard. Have each child collect a nonfl ying contestant, such as a millipede, pill bug, or other harmless insect, from the backyard. Draw two circles on a piece of cardboard, and then put the racers inside the inner circle. The fi rst contestant to exit the outside circle wins. Remind players to return their contestants to the wild when the games are over. Use cups for safe transport, or use vacuum-style collectors.

C
Collections
Start a collection this summer. Find something you have an interest in, research it, and begin collecting. Stamps, coins, rocks, seashells— the sky’s the limit!

D
Disposable Cameras
Give your children a disposable camera and let them take pictures of all of their new discoveries and activities. Then, at the end of the summer have a family friend decide which picture is best without knowing who took it. Award a prize to the winner.

E
Everything for lunch!
For just one day, invite your family to have anything and everything they want for lunch. From Oreos to fruit snacks to potato chips and Popsicles, they’ll think you’re the coolest parent in the neighborhood!

F
Fishing
Grab some fishing poles and head for the nearest lake or stream. This is a great activity to do as a family. It can also help some of your Scout-age boys with a merit badge or two. Even if you don’t catch anything, you can still enjoy some time in the great outdoors.

G
Gifts
Let your family make a gift for someone else. Whether it’s a friend who’s sick or a parent or grandparent they don’t get to see often enough, taking an afternoon to make a homemade gift is a thoughtful way to spend the day!

H
Homemade Salsa
With so many vegetables in season, why not make an easy snack all the family will enjoy. Choose your favorite salsa veggies, add some seasonings, mix it all up, and you’ve got a great, healthy treat.

I
Indoor Campout
Whether it’s rainy outside or not, let the kids go camping—inside. If you have a room large enough, set up the tent inside. Let the kids put chairs in a “campfire” circle, eat their meals in the tent, and tell scary stories at night! They can have all the fun of camping, without having to pack up your house. And best of all: no mosquitoes.

J
Jewelry Design
What girl doesn’t like to make jewelry? Beads, clasps, and strings are fairly inexpensive and can provide hours of creative fun. Boys can also get involved and will enjoy being able to make presents for Mom or Grandma.

K
Kool-Aid Slushies
Put 1 cup water, ½ cup cherry flavor (already sweetened) drink powder, and 1 cup ice cubes in blender. Blend on high until smooth. Add 2 more cups ice cubes. Blend until smooth.

L
Litter Pick-up
Build civic pride with your family. Help make the neighborhood look better by picking up trash that others have left behind. (Don’t forget to wear heavy-duty gloves.)

M
Museums
Going on tours of local museums is fun, educational, and a welcome change of pace. Whether it’s an art museum or a dinosaur museum, kids will love to get out of the neighborhood and will be amazed at all of the different things museums have to offer.

N
Neighborhood Olympics
Get together with other parents and create a Summer Olympics for all the kids on your block. The kids can help create different races and events; let them spend a few days “training” and then let the games begin!

O
Outdoor Painting
Tie up large canvases or old bed sheets, buy some nontoxic paint, and let the kids express their creativity with paintbrushes or their hands.

P
Puppet Show
This activity will keep the kids busy for hours, if not days. They’ll love to make the puppets, rehearse, make programs for the show, and then perform it for family home evening or for their friends.

Q
Queen for a Day
Have your kids take turns electing a member of the family to be queen (or king) for a day. On that day, the chosen person will have his or her choice of meal, will not have to do daily chores, and will be able to choose an activity to do together as a family.

R
River Wading
Kids young and old will love making a trip to a local river or stream. If the river isn’t too fast and if there’s plenty of adult supervision, floating on tubes or even just wading and splashing will make for hours of outdoor fun.

S
Sandbox Fun
Make it large and fill it with toys. For older kids you could coordinate a sand castle contest and award a prize to the most elaborate design.

T
Tie-dyeing
Use nontoxic dyes and let the kids create their own designs. This is a great activity for the backyard and for several kids. Let them make a couple of shirts and then they will have a choice of unique creations that they can wear all summer long.

U
Uno
Make this classic card game a family event. Start a family Uno tournament that goes all week, month, or summer. The kids will have fun playing with Mom and Dad, and even more fun beating them every now and then.

W
Weekly Library Trips
This is a good activity for kids old and young. Local libraries almost always offer summer reading programs or different activities during the week that are fun for kids as young as three.

X
Xtreme Sports
Most energetic kids would love to take a crack at rock climbing, mountain biking, skateboarding, or other sports that require a little spunk, and summer is the perfect opportunity.

Y
YMCA
Older kids will love summer passes that allow them to use pools or workout rooms. The younger kids will also enjoy attending one of their many day camps. This will also give you a little bit of free time to relax and enjoy your summer, too.

Z
Zoo
Going to the zoo is always educational. Take a day to appreciate and learn about some of the unique animals you don’t get to see in everyday life.