Are you ready for summer?

Everyone looks forward to the summer with its long, lazy hot days, picnics on the beach, and family vacations. But sometimes reality doesn’t live up to your imagination. If you have kids, a long summer break can turn into a lot of work for parents and caretakers. After all, “bored” kids can get whiny quickly and keeping them busy can feel like an endless task. So why not ask a Parenting Expert on JustAnswer for some ideas?

You can find parenting coaches, teachers, pediatricians, and more to answer all of your questions, no matter how big (summer reading list for my 10 year-old?) or small (how much pool water is too much to swallow?).

We also rounded up some of our favorite tips for entertaining your kids – without breaking the bank.

1.  Mix things up with lots of days out. Even if you don’t have much wiggle room in your budget there are tons of free local events during summer. Your town council or library will have useful information on how to entertain the kids.
2.  Make your own fun! You can shake things up by having a dress-up day using things kids aren’t often allowed to play with. Movie days, gardening days, cooking days – the possibilities are endless.
3.  Go back to the past – remember the games you played as a child? Share with your kids and add some novelty to their summer.
4.  Get creative – jewelry making, painting, drawing, model-building – kids love crafts and you find supplies at the local dollar store or Target.
5.  Plan a special day – such as a trip to a theme park, so the kids have something to look forward to at the start of summer. Make it affordable by looking for bargain deals, discount coupons, or 2-for-1 or kids-go-free vouchers.

Let JustAnswer take the stress out of summer – ask your question today.