Summer.... A time to soak up some rays (don't forget the sunscreen!), enjoy a tall glass of iced tea and tackle some of those projects around the house. For the kids, it's a chance to stay up late, sleep until noon and forget the daily grind of school. Summer break is grand, it's fun and a chance to just vegetate. Then, the second week of summer break comes along and the inevitable, "I'm bored. There's nothing to do.", chant begins. Unfortunately, with the soaring price of gas and stagnant wages, summer getaways are becoming harder to accomplish. So, what can be done to help alleviate some of the general boredom that is bound to come up from time to time this summer? Here's a few ideas to get the ball rolling........

1. Reading to me is like food for your brain. The younger you can get your child interested in reading, the better. Check out your local library. Most libraries have summer reading programs for preschoolers all the way to teens. For that matter, some libraries offer summer reading programs for adults. Our local library has a swim party for the different age groups, movie nights for the 9 - 17 crowd and storytimes for the younger kids.

2. Compare a book and movie. There are so many movies based on books and the sad thing is, alot of people have seen the movies, yet never read the books. So, pick a book that has a movie based on it, read the book and then pop some popcorn and settle in for the movie. You can discuss with the kids the differences and such. A few ideas might include, Because of Winn Dixie, Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, The Bridge To Terabithia, Anne of Green Gables, The Cat in the Hat, Charlotte's Web and Curious George.

3. While I'm not one to advocate just sitting around on your tush all summer, this time of the year can be a great time to catch up on some movies you wanted to see and just never got the chance to yet. Once again, your local library can be a huge source for this. Alot of people aren't aware of the vast selection the library has when it comes to films. I'm not just talking about the old, outdated VHS tapes either. More and more libraries are acquiring quite an array of films on DVD.

4. Contact your local movie theatre. More and more of them are offering up a free showing of previously released kids movies once or twice a week. The doors open early, usually 9 am or 10 am, generally they are during the week, not on weekends and they are all either rated G or PG. Our nearest theatre is showing titles such as Happy Feet, Charlotte's Web, The Water Horse, Surf's Up, Shrek the Third and Alvin and the Chipmunks. In all, there will be 11 movies showing this summer for free that my kids can drag me to.

5. Many local parks have activities for the kids to enjoy. Simply give your local Parks and Recreation Department a call to see what's offered in your particular area. My children participated in this type of program for a few different summers. They've gone hiking, swimming and so on.

6. Visit the zoo. Yes, it does cost an admission fee, but if you really watch, you may just luck into some different activities to do while checking out the animals. All summer long, the zoo we go to has free concerts on the weekends. The cost of admission at our zoo is $6 for the kids and $8.50 for the adults. We purchase a yearly membership for $50 for the family. This gets us into special activities all year long and even if we only went to the zoo twice, we've still gotten off cheaper by purchasing the family membership.

7. Firetrucks seem to hold such a fascination for younger kids. Why not call up your local fire department and inquire about a tour. Larger departments have public relations people you'll need to contact and the smaller ones will usually just require a phone call. The kids can pick up safety tips and what kid doesn't love the ladder trucks and fire hoses?

8. Check out a local museum. Most museums are cost friendly and there are still a number of them that offer free admission. Children's museums, art museums and history museums have always been big hits with my kids.

9. Go camping. You don't have to even leave your own backyard if you don't want to. Simply set up the tent, fire up the grill, slap together some Smores and enjoy. You will even have the comforts of your own bathroom just feet away.

10. Head to the nearest park, lake, etc. Pack a picnic and spend the afternoon hiking, biking and playing together. Don't you remember how much fun you had as a kid running and playing? Get that back with your own kids this summer.

There's so much more you can do. Have a slumber party with your kids, wake them up for a midnight snack every once in awhile, play those board games that are sitting around collecting dust, do some crafts. Your imagination is the limit. Give it some thought and you'll have no problem adding your own ideas to this list. Your kids will be happy and you'll have the joy of not having to hear,"I'm Bored!"