School's out soon, too bad there's nothing to do around here

When was the last time you went on a field trip? I had the pleasure of joining my son Payton and the entire Perkins schools kindergarten class on a trip to the Country Lane Tree Farm in Genoa. I could have filled yesterday's Showcase page with photos of my cheeseball son, but his classmates and their parents would have probably written letters.Click HERE to see a gallery of more photosThe students learned a lot at the farm and also had a taste of summer while we walked the farm in 75+ degree temperatures and looked at everything from worms to bees to pot-bellied pigs. They were able to hold newly hatched chickens, ducks and turkeys and even had the chance to drink like baby birds when the temperatures rose and their teacher Ms. Rice gave her students a water break.In a couple weeks, school will be out for most of our area schools and a summer break for them results in their parents, us, seeing their smiling faces more often for the next three months. Keeping the children entertained can be difficult for some and when my kids say they're bored, I give them something to clean. They get "unbored" real quick.If you're looking for some ideas to keep the kids active and engaged this summer, here are a couple ideas... • The City of Sandusky Recreation Department has released this year's summer fun guide. It includes concerts, movies by the bay, summer camp schedules and many other activities for the youngest and oldest members in your nest. If you didn't get one in the mail, you can download a copy HERE The same goes for the city of Huron's programs as well. • Erie MetroParks has plenty of activities on their schedule throughout the summer. Anything from yoga to youth summer camps to root beer canoe floats can be found at www.eriemetroparks.org. The programs are usually free or have a very minimal fee attached. The Erie MetroParks programs and facilities are a valuable community resource that is underused. • Eat ice cream. There may be more ice cream places in our area than pizza places. Try a new one. And just once in your lifetime, order a large cone at Toft's dairy and bring a couple friends to help you with it. • Volunteer and get your kids involved. There are many local opportunities that can be found at www.thevolunteercenter.com and your kids learn by your example. • Get wet. The city of Sandusky now has two splash pads, one at Lions Park on the west side of town and one at Huron Park on the east side of town. There are also plenty of local spots to hit the beach. • Start now. The 2013-14 school starts in one week and three months from tomorrow. Yeah, bummer huh? Take advantage this summer of the later bedtimes and longer days. We'll have snow before you know it. We do live in Ohio.