Possibly the biggest question on your mind now that school is out: What will my kids do every day this summer??? Maybe you already have them signed up for a camp or activity, but we’ve put together a list of ideas to keep your kids busy (and you sane) for the next two months.

Look into local parks and recreation – City sponsored summer activities tend to be much more affordable than private camps. Look into local parks and recreation sites to see if they are offering any summer activities. We suggest looking into: Anchorage Parks and Rec Activity Guide, Anchorage Recreation Programs, and the Eagle River Summer Camp Handbook.  

Visit the Library – Especially if you have young kids. Going to the library is a great way to kill an hour or two of your day. The library also holds events every week for kids of all ages, so look at the library calendar and attend a few of the events. They have a whole page dedicated to kid , teen, and adult events!

Create an Activity Jar – Often, you have plenty of activities in the realms of your house, but they can be forgotten about. Create a list of activities and place them on pieces of paper and put them into a jar. When your kids aren’t sure what to do with their downtime have them take an activity out of the jar.

Incorporate a Chore Chart – With too much spare time on their hands, kids can benefit from having a routine of daily tasks to complete. Create a chore chart for each of your kids that they must complete every day. It gives them a purpose and helps the parents survive the summer.

Let Them Be Bored – Yup, that’s right. Don’t plan anything. Let your kids be bored for a while every day. Experts say boredom spurs creativity. Take away iPads and technology and let them fend for themselves for an hour. This will make them think creatively about what they want to do to entertain them.