School's finally out for summer! Kids are ready for beach days, bubbles and staying up late. Summer also means that the single, most dreaded phrase all parents hate will inevitably begin popping up more frequently:

I'M BORED!

There's no need for summertime boredom (or for you to pull your hair out and count the days until your little ones are back to school.) Get crafty with these 5 absolutely awesome summertime activities for kids.

Great Big Kid Canvas aka A Kid-Shaped Reality

Art is not a mirror held up to reality but a hammer with which to shape it. —Bertolt Brecht

Let your kids wield that proverbial hammer to create a summertime art piece that's sure to keep them busy, away from boredom and such fun that it's likely they'll beg to do more.

What you'll need:

• A massive sheet (thrift store!)
• Non-toxic paints
• Paint brushes, paint sponges… or little hands and feet
• Disposable cups
• Tent stakes or long nails
• A child… or 2. (May be combined to your taste.)

1. Spread the new kids canvas out on the lawn and push your stakes through each of the four corners so that the fabric is taut.

2. Fill your disposable cups with a variety of non-toxic paint colours.

3. Grab the kiddos, hand over the hammers... just kidding... hand over the brushes and/or sponges and watch as they shape their reality, all in the simple comfort of the front lawn.

SO much better than art class, right?