Most children may have visited a petting zoo, but many haven't had the opportunity to visit an animal shelter. Schedule a visit to your local no-kill shelter by contacting the volunteer coordinator at the location you'd like to visit. Ask if the students can assist the veterinarian technicians with activities such as bathing the animals or administering oral medications. Or organize a tour of the shelter itself, with perhaps the opportunity to watch a surgery or rescue mission take place.
Best if you live in a large, diverse city, organize a food-tasting tour on any theme that comes to mind. It could be a tour of old hamburger establishments. It could even be a tour of specialty restaurants in your town such as vegan, vegetarian, or kosher cafes.
Festivals in celebration of different cultures are popping up all everywhere. From small towns to big cities, celebrating cultural differences and similarities through art, food and music is common. If you're in a bigger city try www.citysearch.com for happenings in your area. The festivals boast a variety of shows and events bound to keep the attention of even the most distracted of kids.
It's typical to go to an indoor theater show, but an outdoor show can be even more engaging. Bring picnic baskets and plenty of blankets to enjoy the show. Most outdoor theaters are free and some even have sing-a-longs and dancing to further engage the viewers.
Even if your kids aren't tree-hugging environmentalists, try organizing a trip to an organic farm or garden. Many cities have organic community gardens that are open to the public. And if an organic garden isn't an option, try to schedule a tour of a solid waste treatment facility or a composting center, where the students can learn about organic versus inorganic waste, and a little about composting.
No matter the activity you choose, just be sure it will ultimately be fun and memorable for your kids. After all, kids prize the summertime so take a chance and do something different to ensure this summer becomes a favorite out of the many more to come.