I love summer until the reality of, ” what are my kids going to do for the next 3 months sobers me up.” I have a few suggestions about great kids activities that will make the stress on the pocket book not so harsh.

1. Read the your local paper to see what activities are going on in our neighborhood for little to no money each week. Many parents own small businesses and create activities to keep their own kids busy. At Garden Gate, we have a kids class once a month which was started because I needed something for my kids to do.

2. Plan bicycle rides to your local park and pack a lunch. Once you arrive at your destination, set up your picnic near a playground area and let them run wild. This will surely wear them out and make for a calm afternoon.

3. Plan a trip to the pool at least once a week with friends and school mates. This make it possible to trade off the trip with other parents to give you a break every once in a while.

4. Plan sleepovers for the kids and set up a tent in the backyard so they feel like they are camping out under the stars. This may not be Jellystone but it will make them feel like big kids.

5. Last but not least, keep the kids reading and working on school work during the summer to make sure they remember what they have learned all year. This will give them a jump start on the up coming school year and make the transition back to school much easier.

Hope this makes your life a little less stressful this summer season.

The Garden Gate Guy.

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