There are a lot of things to look forward to with the coming of summer, but having your kids out of school probably isn’t one of them. How are you supposed to keep them occupied when they’re stuck at home all day? Rather than let television and videogames turn your kids’ brains to mush over summer break, consider going with something a little more creative. With a little bit of finesse, you can get your kids involved in activities that are interesting, educational, and even a little self-directed.

Set Up a Summer Project

What are your kids interested in? Do they harbor artistic qualities? Are they computer geeks? Or really into dinosaurs? Wherever your kids’ passions may lie, embrace and encourage these interests by setting up a summer project with them. Have a realistic goal in mind that they should try to accomplish by the end of the summer. This could be anything from a holding a book club to working on a toy model.

Having your kids work on summer-long projects can be a great educational tool. It can teach them how to manage their time and set goals, and it lets them dig deep into the things they are truly passionate about. Keep in mind, however, that children’s attention spans can only handle so much. As hard as it is for us adults to keep plugging away at a task, it’s magnitudes more difficult for kids. You’ll want to have some backup plans lined up if they get too bored!

Enroll Them in Sports, Camp, or a Club

If the young ones can’t be left on their own and you need to go off to work, you might need to find a little outside help. Getting your kids enrolled in a sport or sending them to a camp or a club might be just to the trick to keep them both supervised and occupied.

Just as you would while planning other activities for your kids, see what interests them and let them have a voice in the decision. Nowadays, there are many summer programs that cater to just about every interest, and your child is sure to find at least one of them interesting. Getting out of the house and socializing can be a wonderful thing for children, especially at such an impressionable age. While enrolling your kids in such a group may cost some money, it will give them a summer they’ll never forget it.

Have Smaller Activities Ready to Go

As the Boy Scouts say, “Always be prepared.” There will be times when your kids need something new, something different to do, and as soon as possible. In this case, you’re going to need a Plan B… and a Plan C, and probably even a Plan D. Think about keeping an activity book handy with a creative mix of outdoor activities, creative projects, and relaxing ideas.

If you’re at a loss of what you and the kids could do, check out this list of creative arts and crafts projects. If that’s not enough, try out some of this list of 75 summer-friendly activities. You’ll have enough to do to last you the entire summer – and more summers to come!

The main takeaway here should be that some of the best activities you can plan for your kids are ones that they’ll actually be interested in. Lack of interest turns to boredom, and boredom turns to a big mess on your hands. Keeping your kids interested throughout the summer will keep everyone happy. Before you know it, school will be in session once again, and you’ll have another successful summer under your belt.