It is a rite of summer, one by which parents likely could set their clocks: “I’m bored!”
Oh, if they haven’t heard it yet from their children as the calendar transitions into summer vacation, they soon will; trying to keep kids occupied and engaged through the summer months is one of parenting’s inherent challenges. Students have spent the past nine months longing for the start of vacation, and now that it is arriving, they often don’t know what to do with themselves. Family vacations and summer camps and get-togethers with friends likely are scheduled, but those can’t account for the seemingly interminable hours that fill the typical weekday.
Author Regina Brett once wrote, “Summer is the annual permission slip to be lazy. To do nothing and have it count for something. To lie in the grass and count the stars. To sit on a branch and study the clouds.” All of which sounds pastoral and idyllic, but as many a parent will tell you, laziness for school children can be the devil’s workshop — or something like that.
Now, we could use this forum to question why the United States clings to the outdated nine-month school year, which is a leftover from a long-gone agrarian age. We could ask whether year-round schooling would provide a more effective platform for learning. But, considering that frazzled students and teachers and administrators are just now thinking about catching their breath from the school year, we’ll save that argument for another time. Instead, let us consider some ways to keep the kids occupied this summer:
• Vancouver has plenty of options that are free and are engaging for school children. The award-winning main branch of the Fort Vancouver Regional Library offers myriad areas that are entertaining and educational — for both teenagers and younger children. Plus, you can check out books or videos that will keep them engaged and learning when they return home.
• Clark County offers several opportunities for short, easy hikes that can be accomplished by even young children. A tour around Lacamas Lake or a visit to the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge — or any one of numerous other locales — can fill an afternoon and provide a connection with the wondrous nature that surrounds the region.
• A visit to Esther Short Park in downtown Vancouver provides a chance to enjoy a large playground, have a picnic, rest on the grass, or splash in the fountain. Travel just a few blocks from there and you can walk or bike the Renaissance Trail along the Columbia River — or cross the footbridge over Highway 14 and explore the grounds surrounding Fort Vancouver. Entrance to the fort costs $3 (free for ages 15 and under), but there is no fee for wandering the grounds or the heirloom garden.
• The Water Resources Education Center offers free admission and interactive, educational exhibits about water ecology. Exhibits are focused upon salmon, sturgeon, wetlands, and other items that are endemic to the Northwest and play a role in our heritage and culture.
Of course, there are many other ways to explore Clark County, and VisitVancouverUSA.com is among the Web sites that offer suggestions. Plus, it is possible to keep children entertained throughout summer without leaving the house and without turning on the video games. With that in mind, we particularly like this suggestion from WorkAtHomeMoms.about.com: “Take family naps. Parents nap too!”
Sounds like the best suggestion of the summer.
