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18 Hudson Valley Parent n May 2015 By CHRISTA MELNYK HINES W hat's up your sleeve when your child starts singing the summertime boredom blues? Try arming yourself with this assortment of creative, educational and exhilarating activities. Not only will you fight off boredom, you'll create plenty of new memories while relaxing, playing and learning together as a family! Tend a garden Together with your child, cultivate containers of herbs, tomatoes or peppers. Take a digital photo each day to track the progress of the plant's growth. Have your child put the photos in order in a journal and write down any observations. Together, prepare a meal using your child's homegrown produce. Looking for inspiration? Visit Hudson Valley Seed at hudsonvalleyseed.org for more information on local educational classes for young gardeners, as well as a list of local gardens you can visit. Sleep outdoors Chris Starnes, a mom of three, says her family loves to camp. They look forward to hiking, biking, swimming and a break from electronics. Want to take your family? Starnes suggests downloading a camping checklist from the Internet and reserving a site at a state park. "State parks are cleaner and well-patrolled and there are usually activities for the kids at some point during the day or weekend," she says. "Go where there is a play- ground. And, don't camp too far from restrooms — think about evening or middle of the night trips!" Whether you're living in the Palisades Region or the Taconic Region, the New York State Parks & Recreation website lists everything you need to know about your local state parks. Visit nysparks.com/regions. For a list of private campgrounds, visit nycampgrounds.com. Stare at the stars On a clear night, direct your fam- ily's gaze toward the heavens. Try identifying a few of the 88 different constellations, many of which are named after mythological men, women and animals. Cloudy night? Visit the John R. Kirk Planetarium at SUNY New Paltz. Free astronomy nights are held on the first and third Thursday throughout the summer. Visit newpaltz.edu/planetarium for more details. (Continued on Page 20) Boredom busters 11 activities to add to your child's summer bucket list