It’s summer! We’ve been waiting for this season all year long! As parents, we can finally leave behind the regimented schedule of school and all of its demands. We can finally breathe a sign of relief…. until we hear the dreaded phrase “I’m bored!”

Don’t worry — we’re way ahead of you! Before you give up and hand them something digital, check out these summer activity ideas, designed to keep them active and challenged during our summer break.

Go berry picking. Look for local places. Repeat in the fall with apples and pumpkins.

Plant a garden. Plan out, buy seeds or seedlings, and consider pumpkins for next season. It’s fun to see what ends up growing and what you can eat throughout the summer and into the fall!

Street games. Pick games you’ve never played before and learn them with your friends. Some of the best and the ones you make up as you go along!

Plan and prepare meals together. We would let each one of our kids decide what was for dinner. They would help do the shopping, cooking and cleanup. It was a ton of fun to see what each one would choose!

Think community involvement. Children of today are the entrepreneurs and leaders of tomorrow. Get them thinking beyond themselves by volunteering at places of worship, helping people in need such as the elderly, disabled, child care facilities and individuals with learning disabilities.

Remember, summer is supposed to be a little lazy. Try to enjoy this downtime and don’t over-schedule your kids or yourself. Sometimes the best summer memories are just relaxing and doing a little bit of nothing!