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Most parents don’t fully grasp that during the summer months they basically take on the role of cruise director for their family. Many kids have a short attention span and can get bored very quickly. That’s why parents need to be armed with a wide variety of options that are both fun and interesting. Whether the kids prefer outdoor recreation such as Cincinnati kayaking and Little Miami canoeing or more structured activities like an art class, a little planning will keep the peace between parents and kids. Here are lots of great ideas to help parents begin to plan a memorable and less stressful summer.

A really helpful resource for finding summer activities is the local department of parks and recreation. Every season is set up to help meet the recreational and educational needs of families. They offer day camps where kids are kept occupied from the time mom or dad drop them off on their way to work until dinnertime. Or, your family might opt for only a half-day camp experience. Daily activities might include board games, relay races, obstacle courses, lunch, arts and crafts, basketball, baseball, kickball, dodge ball and water fun.

There are programs aside from camps offered by the parks and recreation department. Kids can participate in theater workshops where they perform a play for the families at the end of the experience. Boys and girls alike can choose from just about every sport to improve upon or learn new skills. There are beading and knitting classes as well as cooking and golfing. They also offer a wide selection of nature hikes that focus on looking for and learning about plants and animals that can be found in the local woods, lakes, ponds and streams.

The more adventurous types, a perennial favorite has always been sleep away camp. Camps can last anywhere from one night to one week or more. Kids cant resist the traditional camping activities such as boating, fishing, swimming, hiking, cooking over a campfire, archery, arts and crafts, and other fun games and sing-a-longs. A different sort of camp that seems to be very popular with girls is horseback riding camp. Some offer overnight accommodations while others offer daily camp sessions. Campers learn how to properly mount and ride horses at their own skill level as well as take part in helping to groom and care for the animals.

If there is a zoo in the area, it would be crazy not to look into what summer programs they offer. Kids love being able to get a look behind the scenes at the zoo. The experience gives kids the opportunity to visit all the zoos regions and get an in-depth opportunity to learn about the natural world. Kids participate in a variety of fun activities and lessons designed to promote awareness about our environment. Campers will also learn and have fun when doing arts and crafts, songs, games, hands on animal experiences and group play.

Some kids are perfectly content hanging out at the pool. But if you need an action plan, then be sure to investigate some of the suggestions outlined here. You wont be sorry.