There are many great summer activities for kids.

For many, the end of the school year is quickly arriving. Yellow school buses will be filled with day campers, teachers will be closing their doors, and the smell of sun-tan lotion and chlorine quickly fill our lives.

A new school year will begin before we know it. However, during the interim of summer, many kids are at high risk for various negative conditions. Some of these setbacks include knowledge and skills lost, gang activity and simply getting into trouble due to the loss of structured time.

During the summer, it is most likely that all parents will hear the phrase “I’m bored.”

There are many summer activities for kids throughout local communities that include public pools, library reading programs, plays and more. Parents can check into their community summer offerings by visiting their town’s local website for resources.

For the next 3 months, as we begin summer, for those kids who are not in school or do not attend day camp, below are some fun ideas and (mostly) free activities to help keep kids busy while encouraging their love for learning.

Summer activities for kids include some of the following websites, classes and workshops:

Learn how to write a song: http://www.robinfrederick.com/write.html

Brain teasers: http://brainconnection.positscience.com/brain-teasers/

Become a photographer: http://www.betterphoto.com/photography-for-kids.asp

Visit a virtual farm: http://www.sites.ext.vt.edu/virtualfarm/

Create a website (yes, this is HTML for kids): http://www.lissaexplains.com/

Take a free class about anything interesting: https://www.khanacademy.org/

Learn about new sports: http://www.sikids.com/

Learn new outdoor games: http://www.gameskidsplay.net/

Write a fairy tale: http://teacher.scholastic.com/writewit/mff/fractured_fairy.htm

Create your own holiday: http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/lesson/lesson018.shtml

Free summer activities for kids at local stores:

Home Depot’s Free Workshops (free tickets to events here too): http://workshops.homedepot.com/workshops/?pn=HT_WS_KidsWorkshops

Pottery Barn Kids’ Workshops: http://www.potterybarnkids.com/customer-service/store-events.html

Apple Store: Kids Learn How To Make A Movie: http://www.apple.com/retail/camp/notify.html

Free Museum Ticket: http://museums.bankofamerica.com/

Barnes and Noble Online Storytime: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/u/online-storytime-books-toys/379003588

Kids Bowl Free: http://www.kidsbowlfree.com/

Last, but not least, summer is a time for kids to play outside, discover nature, and spend time with friends. Kids should have a great amount of free play-time, while enjoying the natural wonders of childhood, playing games and making memories.

Please share any summer activities for kids, resources and/or ideas you may have. I will be happy to post them!

Summer activities for kids.