Ah, summer at last! So, what to do between trips to the pool and barbeques? Check out this page full of IDEAS to enrich your family’s summer.

Whether staying home or taking a trip, start your summertime search for ideas here. Find ways to connect with your community, like organizing a neighborhood party or investigating the origin of local place names.

Make family travel more enjoyable by bringing along this list of ideas that will keep kids busy and happy—they’ll learn map skills too.

There are also ideas for sunshine-y outdoor days and rainy indoor days. Outdoor family fun includes ideas like creating a backyard habitat and planting a “birthday garden.” Staying indoors is exciting too with ideas like creating a recipe using local food and making an experiment using potted plants.

If you live in, or are traveling to, a city, check out this list of ideas for finding urban nature. You’ll be amazed at how many plants and animals you can find once you start looking.

Let the summer begin!

By Jessica Shea, National Geographic Education Programs