Moms Talk: Summer Fun

"Hooray, hooray, we're on our way! Our summer vacation starts today!"

My mom would always chant that line from The Berenstain Bears book, The Bears Vacation, as we were pulling out of the driveway for our summer trips.

It's something kids in Avon can say this week as the school year draws to a close.

The possibilities of summer are delicious for children no matter what their age. Little kids look forward to the pool and popsicles. School-aged kids savor a few months of no more pencils, no more books, no more teacher's dirty looks. Tweens and teens relish increasing freedom, a chance to spread their social wings, and maybe find summer love.

In some ways, I was lucky as a kid. There weren't a ton of organized activities in my hometown. Outside of family vacations and outings, my time was pretty unplanned: playing in the yard, cooling off in our above-ground pool, riding bikes, reading the latest book from the library in the hammock, floating on the raft in the pond hoping the water snakes wouldn't stop for a visit, picking sugar snap peas in the garden and wild blackberries that grew in our neighborhood.

Let's talk summer!

What are your plans for the summer? What would be your kids' ideal summer? How do you balance organized stuff like sports or Vacation Bible School with unstructured time? 

Share your travel plans, your own summer vacation memories, and what you hope your children remember about their childhood summers when they grow up.

Do you hand your kids a broom or a vacuum when they say, "I'm boooooooored!"?

Talk amongst yourselves in the comments.

Joining us, as always, is our terrific Moms Council.

 is our parenting columnist. Julie, a longtime reporter and communications professional, is a first-time mom of a son born in November.

 works in healthcare. She and husband Timothy have a daughter, Amara. Monina is also a member of the Disney Moms Panel, one of 15 moms selected nationwide, advising people online about planning Disney vacations.

 is a mom of three children ages 5 and under with her husband, Bill. She also works part-time.

 is a native of New Jersey. She is a marketing professional who has worked in advertising, market research, vending and equipment companies. She and her husband live in Avon with their two children.

 is a mom to a Girl Scout and lives in Avon.

 is president of Avon Early Childhood PTA. She will also be blogging for Avon Patch. If you're a parent and want to share your experiences raising children in Avon, you, too, can .