Kids anticipate summer vacation throughout the entire school year. Inevitably, once summer arrives, finding activities to keep them busy and mentally engaged can be daunting. With a little effort and creativity, summer can become a time for imagination and adventure. Here are a few suggestions for beating the summer boredom, in rain or shine.

On Sunny Days

1. Hold a water Olympics day: Invite a few neighbors or friends over and enjoy an afternoon or evening of water games. This is your chance to be creative, or have your kids come up with some games. Some favorites are the water balloon toss, filling buckets with water from wet sponges, and a game of tag with a sprinkler in the middle. You can have a prize for the winning team or have ice pops for all. Everyone is sure to have a blast, just make sure to lather on the sunscreen and drink lots of water.

2. Have a garage sale: Planning a sale could be a very teachable moment for younger kids. Teaching them about pricing, making change, and advertizing are all good things for kids to learn about. Let them be involved in choosing which of their belongings they are ready to sell, pricing items, and displaying them neatly. They could even make posters. A garage sale could also bring more traffic to the classic lemonade or baked goods sale.

3. Take an adventure walk: This late evening activity could be the perfect end to a day, especially once the temperature starts to cool off. Start from your home, and at each corner let a different child decide which way your family will go. The destination is a mystery as no one knows where this walk will take you. You could count different types of plants or animals, or pick your favorite street names, or even do an alphabet search (looking for each letter of the alphabet in order).

On Rainy Days

1. Do something with crafts: Have the kids make puppets out of old socks, or get materials to make t-shirts. Creating something tangible will be great for your kids to remember that summer by, and also gets their creative juices flowing. And, what better way to use sock puppets or t-shirts than implementing them into a puppet show or play? This will be even more fun and let the kids get some energy out on a rainy day.

2. Bring the outside in: Set up your kitchen like a restaurant for lunch, and let your kids be the chefs, hosts, and waiters; they'll have a great time. Or, camp or have a picnic on the living room floor. Anything out of the ordinary will be fun for your kids, and these scenarios are great for their imaginations.

3. Visit local museums: Most areas will have at least one or two local museums or touristy things that many residents never visit. Spending a rainy day visiting some of these local historical sites can be a lot of fun. Search your town online or get a newspaper and see what your town or region has to offer.

4. Get your exercise: If your kids need to get rid of some active energy, put in an awesome '80s workout video. They'll think it's hilarious, but they'll also have fun jumping around in the living room.

Hopefully, these ideas will get you started on a summer of interesting and entertaining activities to keep you and your kids busy. They'll have a great time coming up with more ideas, and their minds will be engaged and ready for more learning in the fall.