For some the summer offers time to bond with their kids and for other's there's nothing but time to fill. No matter which category you fit into let try to do some brainstorming with opportunities - both fun and educational - that will keep the kidlets entertained and keep you sane.

For outside entertainment, Comfort and Joy love sidewalk chalk. This is closely followed by waterpainting.  Yep, nothing technical here. I bought cheap paintbrushes at the dollar store and they paint the sidewalk with water. Oh, and bubbles. That's a good one, too.

But weather in Virginia is unpredictable and can get H-O-T so outside fun is often limited to early mornings or very short timeslots when there's a nice breeze. For inside fun, a big favorite is our local library because this also involves a short walk through our neighborhood. Our library runs a summer reading program for kids and adults with the opportunity to win stickers and prizes.

Regal Cinemas will be offering their Free Family Film Festival again this summer. Here's the information from their website: Selected G or PG movies start at 10:00am every Tuesday and Wednesday during the festival. Tickets and seating are first-come, first-served and are limited to theatre capacity.


And for more ideas you can look back to the posts I wrote on this topic last year. 

The kids have been home from school for a few weeks and it's getting hot outside. We've already bought a 32 oz. refill bottle of bubbles and more sidewalk chalk so it's time to begin to expand our repetoire. Summer Reading at our library begins this week so that will begin to take some of our time but here are some more ideas to keep us busy as the summer goes on.

Regal Cinemas begins their Free Family Film Festival this week - or next week - depending on your location and going for the next nine weeks. Each Tuesday and Wednesday at 10AM kids and parents can enjoy free admission for G and PG movies. Check the listings for your state/ area.

Barnes and Noble Summer Reading Program will award kids [grade 1-6] a free book after they read any eight books and write in their journal about these books. Go to the site and download the journal and activities. Bring the completed journal to any B&N before September 7 to receive your free book.

Pottery Barn Kids stores have story time each week. Check with your local store to find out when they occur.

And if you want some great ideas for how to pair out of the house Adventures with some indoor ones log onto Kids off the Couch. Usually, there is an idea for a video paired with a learning activity. You can register for their emails and look back over the archives. There are some wonderful ideas for kids of all ages.

To check last week's staycation post Click Here.

So, here we go - some great ideas for reading, shows and additional Adventures for the summer months. I hope that everyone has a great time with their kids this summer. If you have other Cool Ideas, I'd love to hear them!

So much for our plans to go to the playground this morning. It's 69 degrees, the ground is saturated and the rain is still coming down. While this is great for our local farmers it's not so great when trying to entertain two toddlers. What's a parent to do?

Here are some ideas:

Bank of America Museum access - there are museums in 27 states that offer free access to Bank of America card holders. Check out the site to find one in your area and learn about this offer.

Target Museums - there are museums around the country that offer free days or free exhibits

Our local nature center at Maymont offers members only time on Mondays. We might wander around and see the otters. There's nothing that makes Comfort and Joy happier than seeing those funny guys squirm and swim around.

And if there isn't anything on any of these lists near you search the Local Events on the Yahoo Calendar for your area. You never know what you'll find. I bet it'll surprise you!