What is a parent to do with their school age children where supervision is a requirement? And, by the way, how do we maintain our sanity and do it on the cheap? Here are just a few ideas:

Hit every local playground - Sometimes you get in a rut, going to the same old playground that's just down the street. Kids love a little variety, so take them to a different playground every once in a while. With the price of gas these days, I'm not suggesting you drive too far, but driving a few extra blocks for something new and exciting shouldn't make much difference.

Story time - Most local libraries have story time in the summer for smaller children and summer reading programs for big kids. Take advantage of these free services. The children's room at the library usually also has toys, puzzles, and games, so stick around after story time and let the kids play and pick out a few books and videos for later. Also, some Barnes and Noble book stores have story times for preschoolers, so you might want to look into that.

Go on a picnic - You can do this at a park or even in your backyard. Just pack a lunch, spread out a blanket, and pretend you're on a great adventure. Kids really do get excited over the smallest things.

Go "camping" - If you have a tent (and a back yard), you and your kids can go camping without leaving home. If you don't have a tent, make one by draping blankets over furniture, and you can go camping in your living room. The great thing about camping indoors is there are no bugs to deal with! If you don't have a tent and want to camp outdoors, grab a rope or heavy string and string it up between two trees and drape your blankets over that and pin the sides down with bricks, logs or anything else you can find. My brothers and I did this alot as kids!

Take your kids shopping at the dollar store - It won't break your budget, and you can stock up on all sorts of fun things for them to play with. Bubbles, sidewalk chalk, water pistols, Play Doh, and/or art supplies are great ways to keep them occupied.

Go to a sprinkler park - Sprinkler parks are cropping up everywhere, replacing the old kiddie pools that used to be at city parks. Kids will love them and will want to stay there all day if you let them.