On the last day of school, my children would sing, at the top of their lungs, the Chipmonk song, "School's Out for the Summer!" They looked forward to summertime nothingness.
Afraid my children would lose everything they learned, I filled the summer with educational activities. After several summers of visiting museums in Virginia, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina, writing essays (yes, I made them write essays), finishing the summer reading programs, and limiting TV, my daughter finally spoke up. "Mom, we're done with school!" Those probably weren't her exact words, but I got the message. I think she was 14 and Ryan was 11.
Both of my children look back and remember those trips. Yeah, they griped and complained when we went, but in the end, it gave them experiences that helped build their characters.
So, I offer you, 41 things to do in the summer. There are many more things you can do, but Jazzy cannot do all of them so we stopped at 41. Keli, at Three Boys and a Dog, has a website full of activities. (Here is a list of so many more things you can do.)
If you complete Jazzy's list of summertime activities, email her and let her know. You might just get something fun back.