If you are a parent (or a babysitting aunt or a kind cousin), you are probably wondering how to fill in the many long days of the kids’ summer vacation. Don’t be tempted to take them on an expensive out-of-town trip you can’t afford--or worse, lug them to the nearest mall. You don’t need to look far and wide to keep them busy. Your own home can be an exciting, fun place that can entertain them, teach them life lessons, and help you with the household chores.

For related articles, check out these links:

• Playtime: 5 Games You Can Play with Your Kids
• Larong Pambata: 10 Filipino Outdoor Games for Kids
• 40 Weekend Activities You Can Do with Your Kids
• Happy Homebody: 40 Fun Low-Cost Activities You Can Do without Leaving the House
• 25 Ways to Get Your Kids Interested in Art

(First published in Real Living Magazine, Decorating Section as "Home's Cool" in April 2009; selected photos in gallery by Miguel Nacianceno; adapted for use in Female Network. Above photo by Alec Courus via Flickr Creative Commons)