By Dr. Karen Schulz-Perez

The building blocks of a cool summer are safety, structure, fun, learning, and autonomy.

I.  Safety first

Keep on hand plenty of drinking water, snacks, band-aids, antiseptic wipes, sunscreen, hats and bug repellant.

Have your children wear a helmet and other safety gear when biking, skating and skateboarding, and when riding scooters, all-terrain vehicles, and horses. Studies have shown that bicycle helmets reduce the risk of head injury by 85 percent.

Teach your children water safety rules, but never let them our of site around water. Place barriers around your pool, use door and pool alarms, and be prepared in case of an emergency.

Always know where your children are, and make yourself accessible to them at all times.

Install window guards or window stops to prevent children from falling out of open windows. Keep furniture away from windows.

Safe proof your home playground. Replace concrete, asphalt or packed dirt surfaces with at least 9 inches of wood chips or mulch.

Keep children and lawn mowers far from each other. Never carry children on a riding mower.

Limit trampoline jumping to one person at a time. Use a shock-absorbing pad completely covering the springs, and place the trampoline away from structures and other play areas. Kids under 6-years-old should not use full-size trampolines.

II. Routine

Children need structure to feel safe and secure.  Try ho have them go to bed and get up at the same time. 

Schedule a time for your children to do quiet activities by themselves, like reading or drawing.

Plan indoor activities for the rainy days, such as writing a book about themselves, pressing flowers, making designs from the shells your child has collected, special coloring books, etc.

Avoid cramming too many activities in one day; children tend to tire easily on hot and muggy days.

Allow your children to have lazy days, play unstructured games with their friends, and leave them to their imagination.

III.  Play and Fun

Hold a family meeting to discuss summer plans. Ask for ideas from the children for family activities that appeal to them. Write all possibilities on individual slips of brightly colored paper and place them in a “Summer Fun Jar”; reward your children’s good behavior by allowing them to choose a slip of paper from the jar.

Swing in a Hammock -- Snuggle close to your child, and sway the afternoon away. Look for pictures in the clouds and watch them change, or read books to each other.

Play Dress-Up; have a tea party -- Collect funny hats, gloves, purses, flowing gowns, and "superhero capes" at a garage sale or thrift store. Slip into your new finery, and have a make-believe garden party, Spider-Man adventure, or masquerade ball.

Build a Secret Fort -- Drape old sheets over lower tree limbs and clotheslines. Eat dinner there. Stay up chasing fireflies and listening to "night sounds."

Hold a Car Wash -- Line up toy cars and trucks (or any waterproof playthings), and let your child give them a good scrub in a pot of water or with the garden hose. Rinse and let dry in the sun.

Go on a Bug Safari -- Dig for worms, scout for lizards, and hunt for frogs and tadpoles. Marvel at an ant carrying an oversize crumb.

Chalk it Up -- Everyone loves sidewalk chalk. Use the glow-in-the-dark kind so you and your child can glimpse your artwork from the window at bedtime.

Make Beautiful Music -- Spread a blanket in the backyard for a stage. Ask preschoolers to create (and collect) "tickets" to the big event. Invite kids to bring their instruments and perform -- even your littlest musicians can join in using pots, wooden spoons, and shakers. Set up lawn chairs for the audience, and cheer your little stars.

Dance in the Rain -- Surprise your kids by taking them outside during a gentle summer shower (no thunder or lightening). Dance around in swimsuits, catch raindrops in your mouth, and jump in all the puddles.

Start a collection -- Collect properly dried bugs, marbles of every color and shape, coins or whatever interest them.

Visit the Zoo -- Sit and draw the animals, figure out what they're doing. Research where the animals came from and what do they eat. Have each child pick an animal to research and go back and visit the animal that their interested in several times. Try to come up with ways to raise money for that animal.

Go to the park -- Pack a picnic lunch, invite some friends and have fun.

Go fishing -- Dust off that old fishing pole and take them fishing. Learn the different types of fish that they could catch. What types of bait to use. Don't forget that fishing license.

Go biking -- Pack a small backpack with water, snacks, and drinks.

Go hiking -- Hit those trails and start walking. Find some trails that you've never been on before.

Study the architecture of buildings around town -- Take photos or draw the different designs. Research who came up with those ideas and are those designs still used today.

Go to your Public Library -- They have many great things going on all summer long. Summer reading clubs and a great place for resources and research. And they usually have Air Conditioning on those very hot summer days.

Work on a skit or play with your neighborhood kids -- Plan out a stage and costumes and invite the rest of the neighborhood for the production.

Go to the farmers market to see all the vendors and fresh produce – have your children plan the menu for dinner or lunch for a few days. You can't go wrong with fresh vegetables and fresh fruits!

Write letters to friends and family

IV. Learning

Reading - Read with and to your children, discuss what they have read during the day.

Journals -- Encourage your children to write down their thoughts, feelings, and experiences. Read and admire their writing.

Record and catalog birds, wild flowers or animals you come in contact with.

Teach them how to cook and bake -- Great learning experience is measuring and following the instruction on a recipe. The greatest reward is eating what you made!

Visit the Museum --

Art museum - Have them pick one of their favorite pieces of art and research the artist. Where did they come from and what other works of art are they known for?

History museum - Research their favorite part of history and share what information they have learned. Build a model of that part of history.

Science Museum - Find something that interest them in this area and have them research it. Build a machine or model of their interest.

Research your city – Many cities offer a lot of interesting programs during the summer, some of them free.

V.  Autonomy and Responsibility

Assign age appropriate chores for your children to accomplish during the day. Remember to prize them for carrying them out.

Do Yard Work Together -- Toddlers can help pull weeds and sprinkle the flowers with a tiny watering can. Have a kid-size rake and a bubble-blowing lawn mower on hand.