Question: Our children are out of school and child care for the summer. What are some things I can do with them to fill these long summer days without losing my mind? Answer: Ah, Summer days! In our minds, we envision tropical beach vacations, Pinterest-style picnics with those cute bento box lunches, and our content children, merrily catching fireflies well into dusk with their friends and siblings while we gaze at them lovingly from the porch. Wait—what? This is not a reality? Oh, your summer looks more like an endlessly empty fridge (“Didn’t I just buy groceries yesterday?!”), finding dirt and wet socks in every crevasse of your household furniture, and a lot of vocalizing from children about boredom? Well, at least we are all in this together, right? While we can’t guarantee a perfect summer, we hope these tips and ideas will help you enjoy this time of year with the children in your lives!

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