Keeping kids entertained isn't so hard!

If you have kids, grandkids or nieces and nephews, you no doubt know that they're off for the summer. You are also expecting to hear at any given moment: "I'm bored!". Now's the time to take the child in your life by the hand, and foster a love of nature in them. Here are some ways to get your kids outside - and enjoying every second of it:

• head to a farm and pick strawberries or blueberries

• take them to a butterfly conservatory

• go to a park with a pair of binoculars and look for birds

• plan a weekend camping trip (learn about being a green camper here!)

• take them for a hike

• teach them about local plants and bring them to a park and help them identify some of the more common ones (the same can be done with animals)

• The Perseids Meteor Shower takes place in August, so grab a blanket and some refreshments and spend some time watching our aw-inspiring sky

How do you keep the kid in your life entertained all summer long?

Need some more ideas? Check out our article 30 fun things to do with your kids this summer for more great ideas.

Don't forget to enter my President’s Choice Green Stow Away Shopping Bag contest!

Is a child in your life making an effort to go green? If so, encourage them to enter the Sunlight Green Clean Kid contest. Starting June 15, 2009, kids can apply for the opportunity to be a Sunlight Green Clean Kid – one of a group of 10 kids dedicated to help develop ongoing eco-programs that encourage and inspire other kids to go green.

Kids between the ages of six and 13 can submit a 150-word essay about how they're helping preserve the environment or inspiring others to go green. Eco-experts will review the submissions and pick 10 kids from across the country to be a part of the Sunlight Green Clean Kids. Each kid will receive a $2,000 honourarium and an opportunity to develop national environmental programs for other children.

Submission deadline is July 24, 2009. To download the application and learn about submissions rules, visit www.sunlightgreencleankids.ca.

What's the most valuable green lesson you've taught someone in your life? Leave a reply here by Friday, July 10 and you could win a:

I love PC Green - affordable AND eco-friendly.

President’s Choice Green Stow Away Shopping Bag overflowing with PC GREEN products. That's right! I have another one to give away. Your stylish new shopping bag (with wheels!) contains:

• 8 jumbo rolls of PC Green paper towels
• 1 kg box of PC Green Baking Soda
• PC Green All Purpose Cleaner
• PC Green Coldwater Laundry Detergent
• PC Green Phosphate-free Dishwasher Detergent
• PC Green Floor Cleaner
• PC Green Multi-Purpose Cleaning Putty

Don’t forget, you have to be a subscriber to my blog to be eligible to win. Subscribe today!

I just read about Wild Dill on the blog Green Your Decor and thought I'd share the information with you. Wild Dill is an online store specializing in fair trade, sweatshop-free, natural and/or recycled product for your tots. They have really cute products - ranging from clothing to bedding to organic art kits.

My favourite item is the Roebuck Studio Chick Chair. It is made from local Baltic birch plywood, is painted with water based non-toxic paint and is complete with rounded edges for your child's safety.

I wish it came in a bigger size!

Read more:
• Raise your baby the eco-friendly way
• How to have a green baby
• Guide to organic and eco-friendly bedding