Before Summer ends try one of these fun and inexspensive activities with your kids.

1. Water painting

This is one of my favorite hot summer day activities. I set the kids loose on the patio (or in the driveway) with a bowl of ice cubes. They paint, draw and splash their art onto the concrete. It evaporates in minutes and they can start again. The cold water keeps them cool and happy. It’s creative and fun. You can snap digital pics of their creations and view them later. Best of all? No mess!

2. Scavenger hunt

This can be done in the yard, at the park, in the neighborhood or even inside on a rainy day. My outside scavenger hunt list might be:

• Maple leaf
• Oak leaf
• Dandelion
• Clover leaf
• Acorn
• Pine cone
• Cicada
• Ant hill (they should point this out, not bring it to you!)
• Piece of litter
• Smooth sided rock

3. Picnic

Be creative with this one, choose a new destination, perhaps a park you haven’t visited, or the grounds of the elementary school your child will someday attend. I like parks without play equipment because you notice new things and new places, the visit isn’t all about the swing set.

4. The Library

You’re probably thinking, yeah, right, we go to the library all the time, ~yawn~. Time to try a new one! There are several libraries within 10 miles of my house that have an amazing children’s section. Check out the library on the web, most of them post pictures of their kids area. Choose a new one to visit each week and voila! Something new in the activity repertoire.

5. The Garden

This is not a free activity, but with some careful planning, it can pay for itself! We are lucky enough to have the community garden to tend to, but a sunny spot and a pot of dirt paired with seeds of your choosing can provide hours of entertainment over the course of the summer. Grow food, herbs or flowers. Your kids will love to see the changes that happen. Older kids can keep a garden journal using a notebook and camera to show the progression from seed to plant!

We have a few weeks left until the new school semester. Make the most of them!