Friday will mark the last day of my kid’s 2010-11 school year. While my car is sure to have the stereo blasting “schools out for summer” at pickup on Friday. A little planning ahead can help sustain this anthem and keep any of us from singing or thinking, “we ‘re on a highway to hell” by summers end. Now don’t get me wrong I am not one to make an itinerary for the summer. However I do like to have a few tricks up my sleeve if for no other reason than to keep my kids on their toes. It may be as simple as Sonic fountain drink happy hour just to mix up the day or as complex as a surprise GEOCACHING adventure. Here are just a few thoughts that keep our family’s summer fun.

Be cool: neighborhood sprinkler parks or pools or the beauty of Barton Springs water is one way to please all the whole family. Another cool place for our gang is the movie theater. This summer will offer a variety of blockbusters. There are also great alternatives as well, like Alamo Draft House’s family friendly movie day.

Get outa here: Riding bikes, renting a canoe at the lake, hiking or our new adventure of geocaching all make for a great adventure. Any adventure pleases the heart of my son. Additionally we enjoy movies in the park as well as Round Rock Express games followed by fireworks on Friday nights.

Life is art: Zilker Hillside Theater host performances of dance, theater, and music. Austin has an abundance of local museums, and Zed’s or Shady Grove offer summer concert series not to mention the Austin Symphony concerts at Auditorium shores.

Use it our loose it: We‘ve worked hard during the school year for our children to achieve there goals so the library and half price books are frequent summer stops for our family. We’ve also worked hard for our marriage. So dates are a must. Taking a salsa class or just stealing an hour for coffee we make it happen. After all our time with each other is how we got our family in the first place.

Keeping these in mind I’m sure my family will be singing “unforgettable” as summer ends.