When the school year comes to an end and summer vacation begins, it is important to have ideas on how to keep children occupied. There are many great summer activities and most of them can be done as a family. Water activities and sports, like swimming, surfing, boating and fishing, are among the best for the summer months, because it is refreshing and for many these things can only be done when it is warm outside. Other things to do in the summer include camping, hiking and visiting amusement parks. There are also often many local events that take place, like fairs or exhibitions, but the times for these have to be looked up and advertisements for them can often be found in malls, local papers or restaurants.