Battle Boredom and Banish Back-to-School Blues

Egads! The summer is more than half over. If like mine, your kids and teens are counting down to doomsday and moping around the house, here are some ideas to battle boredom and banish those back-to-school blues.

• Concerts in the park are everywhere. The kids will have fun with the playground, the crowd, and the energy even if it is something like Goodrun and the Golden Oldies Orchestra. Check with your local parks and recreation department to obtain a concert schedule.


• City festivals and county fairs can be a little spendy but if you do your research ahead of time, pack a picnic lunch, and choose only a couple of things to spend money on, they can offer a lot of inexpensive family fun. Check the events listings in your local newspaper, visit the Explore MN website or check out the Star Tribune's Summer of Fun map to find out what is happening when.


• Explore the MN Children's Museum FREE on the third Saturday of every month courtesy of Target (no, they didn't pay me to say that. I just try to credit people whenever appropriate.)


• If your kids are too old for that or if you are looking more for a cheap date night, check out the Minneapolis Institute of Arts (MIA) for FREE on the third Thursday of every month from 6pm - 9pm and one Sunday a month (August 9th is the next one.) Yes, MIA does not charge admission regularly. However, they do request a donation and on these special days you can enjoy the art without feeling guilty or getting nasty looks from the donation giving patrons.


• If modern art is more your style, take a stroll through the Minneapolis Sculpture Gardens. If you haven't been for a while, you should go check it out. Afterwards, you can cool off in Walker Art Center which is also FREE on every Thursday night from 5pm - 9pm as well as the first Saturday of every month.


• Of course, you can check out a different museum every week from now until Christmas with the FREE Museum Adventure Pass program offered by Macy's and Twin Cities public libraries.


• Wanna catch a movie? The Mall of America offers Free Family Flicks every Tuesday and Saturday. Be sure to get there early as it is first come, first serve. And, be aware that the concessions still cost an arm and a leg.