With the end of school and the beginning of summer, you might be wondering what to do with your kids. The good news is that kids are really creative and with just a few basic tools, there’s no limit to what they can come up with. The bad news is that summer can be long and the constant refrain or, “I’m bored,” is every parent’s worst nightmare. Here are three essential summer experiences for children to help make summer a bit more interesting.

Build a tree fort

While most people lack a decent tree in their backyard to make a fort, you can use your creativity to find the perfect spot. The point of any tree fort is that kids have their own space outside to do what they please with. So, whether it’s actual wood pieces, or just some old cardboard boxes, let kids find an area to create a few walls and a door frame.

Old blankets and pillows will make the space comfy, and a bit of paint can personalize it. Kids will naturally want to decorate, and some drawings or even some leaves and flowers from the garden can quickly fill the space. The more ownership children have in a tree fort, the more they will want to use it.

Have a lemonade stand

The entrepreneurial spirit starts when children are young. If they’re eager to make a bit of extra money this summer, start with a lemonade stand. Have them involved in making the lemonade, and maybe even in baking some cookies to go along with them. An afternoon can include drawing the sign and decorating, and then it’s time to set up.

With a lemonade stand, kids are a part of the complete business model. From supplies and production, to advertising and collecting money, there is a lot that children can learn. A lemonade stand may seem simple, but will quickly become one of their essential summer experiences.

Camp out

Whether it’s in the forest, by the lake, or just in your backyard, camping is one of the most important essential summer experiences for children. Camping takes children and places them back in nature. They get to experience so much and learn so much. Sometimes it’s the importance of finding a source of clean water, or the agonizing wait for food being cooked over a campfire. However, it’s great to go back to basics.

One of the nicest parts of camping is that it re-connects families. Camping is a time to severely limit technology. With not many others around, you’re forced to talk and play games with other family members or friends. And this forced bonding time is important. You don’t need to spend forever in the forest. Just a bit of time camping can realign your relationships.