What do we do with our kids at holiday time? There is no school and the house seems full of kids all bored and looking for something to do to keep out of mischief.
We take them to the mall, to the park, to the lake, to the theme park and anywhere we can think of to try and keep them amused.
If you live near the beach you can count yourself lucky because every and any kid can amuse himself at the beach all day long.
It doesn't matter what age they are they simply love the beach.
The little ones will sit and build sand castles all day while the bigger ones will spend most of the time in the water swimming or body boarding etc.
After all that there is always the game of beach baseball or cricket and a multitude of ball games.
Your kids will run all day with never a complaint.
You may have to stop at lunch time for a quick sandwich or a bag of fries but otherwise they will go no stop.
Once you finally get them home and feed them again, fresh salt air is good for the appetite, they will soon be asleep completely worn out.
And what is the best thing about the beach.
It is completely free, in most countries anyway.
We went to the beach in the Philippines once and it was all fenced off.
We had to pay to get in and pay again to rent one of those little cabin things for shade.
If you are running your kids all over the country chasing interesting things for them to do you are spending a fortune.
Everything costs money these days just to get in and then snacks and drinks plus all the extras that they can think up.
So the beach is the best and cheapest option.
The kids will never get tired of it and so you can go day after day and they will still come back for more.
The alternative if you are too far away from the beach is to have your own backyard swimming pool.
What is it about water that kids love.
They can get into the pool first thing in the morning and run till they drop.
No pool? We are running out of options now.
However, there is one one way to give them some inexpensive summer fun.
Get them a big water slide for the backyard.
That will keep them occupied for hours and hours.
There is a multitude of styles and designs available now and some with two lanes so the kids can race each other.
Some of these are really cheap costing only $20 or so but just watch the quality.
If you are going to get a big water slide you may as well invest in something a bit heavier duty so it will last past the first summer.
Remember, the kids are going to give it a fair pounding but not only yours but half the neighbors kids too.
Well once they learn that you have one they will all be there having fun.
Check out the many water slides that are available and read the shopping reviews.
If you really want to spoil the kids why don't you go for a really big water slide.
Something that they actually climb up and slide down with water jets and sprays.
Some of these are more expensive but you have something that will last for a long time and the kids are really going to get spoiled.
They will love it and isn't that what kids are for.
To be spoiled I mean.
Especially if they are grand kids.
It is so good to see kids having fun.
That spontaneous laughter is worth every penny that you may spend.