It’s almost too hot to play outside, and the television can only keep a child occupied for so long. Maybe you work outside of the home and can’t be there with your kids during the summer months. So, how on earth can you keep them safe, occupied, and happy this summer?

Let’s begin with safety hints for children who stay at home by themselves. Latch Key Kids offers a series of questions for you to discuss with your child, as well as recommended answers.

The Internet itself can be a never-ending source of entertainment for children. However, before turning a child loose on the Internet, safety precautions need to be taken. The FBI Kid’s and Youth Educational Page offers a impressive listing of Internet safety tips for kids, as well as a Parent’s Guide to Internet Safety.

Another excellent website on child safety is the Technology Inventory, A Catalog of Tools that Support Parents' Ability to Choose Online Content Appropriate for their Children. Parents can learn what tools are available for choosing and filtering online content for their children.

Once you’ve discussed Internet safety with your child, send your kids to the Summer Fun website, where they can get ideas for outdoor as well as indoor activities and a multitude of craft suggestions.

If older children are watching their younger siblings, they’ll certainly appreciate an impressive website of activities for children ages 1-3. At 101 Activities to do with Your Toddler, you’re given an assortment of wonderful ideas, such as making an obstacle course out of cushions and furniture; making a car out of a box; and, putting on a puppet show.

Another site that younger children will enjoy is Coloring.com. Kids can choose which pictures to color from a wide variety of choices, such as clowns, piggy banks, dragons, and cheerleaders. Choose a picture, then a color, and watch as the black and white design becomes a work of art!

What child doesn’t like Dr. Seuss, with his crazy rhymes and silly looking people? At Dr. Seuss’s Seussville, kids can play online games such as Sylvester McBean's Sneetch Belly Game or The Cat's Concentration Game. Or, kids can print out games to play offline, like The Cat's Hat Maze.

Kid Web is an excellent jumping point into other safe sites for kids. Children can visit Disney.com, the Sailor Moon page, or surf over to Theodore Tugboat’s site.

We’ll continue our discussion of child friendly sites next week.

Robin Nobles is a freelance writer who can be reached at robinnobles@robinsnest.com.

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