Pull the Plug

With three children, ages nine, five, and one, we spend the school year running to baseball games, soccer practices, piano lessons — you name it. I make time for summer fun by not overscheduling our lives. I don't send my kids to summer camp, and I enjoy letting them sleep a little later, watch a morning cartoon, or just hang out at the local pool. I'm convinced these are the things the kids will remember, because they're what I recall from my carefree childhood summers.
Amy Lippi Ricciardi
Morganville, New Jersey

Summer in Minnesota is too short to waste staying in and watching television, so we suspend our cable-television service during the season and use the savings for fun activities, like going to museums and water parks. This also encourages us to get outdoors and find more time to read, talk, barbecue, take long walks, and play outside.
Ann Kotama-Ettel
Woodbury, Minnesota

Incorporate Fun

The hardest part about hot summer nights is getting the kids in from the backyard and ready for bed. When my son and daughter are in the wading pool, we add soap and shampoo to create an instant bath. The kids think it's great to have those few extra minutes of playtime, and I get them bathed without a struggle.
Kristen Rabourdin
Middletown, New Jersey

For the working parents of an 18-month-old, it's definitely a challenge to make time for fun, but we've learned that life often provides hidden opportunities. A walk in the evening is great exercise and also an excuse to head to our favorite ice cream spot. Pulling the clean sheets out of the dryer becomes a fort-building opportunity, and an empty laundry basket turns into a race car running up and down our hallway. Having fun together is not about making time — it's about making the most of the time we have.
Trish Wethman
Chester Springs, Pennsylvania