Summer is a time for fun, relaxation, and adventure. As, fuel prices continue on their seesaw across the country, parents have to tighten their budget, which means staying closer to home has become a real possibility for many families today. Not a problem. Take a look at what is around you city. You might be surprised at what you find!

I happen to be one of those parents. With a cross country trip in September for a family wedding, expenses must be kept at a minimum, but I don’t want my kids to have to sacrifice their summer either. It was time for me to do some research. I cranked up the laptop and off I went!

Art is a great for kids that need to keep their hands busy and have a ton of imagination. You can create great escapes to far of destinations with a little color and some paper. So, when I stumbled upon the Community Imagination Studio’s Passport to Art! It was the right Saturday destination for me and the kiddos! Plus, it was not time consuming so our family could plan other events.

Each Saturday the studio offers a different location theme - like Egypt, Turkey, and Italy. As you visit each location and create your works of art, you can track your travels in your own personalized passport. At the end of the two month program, their will be an art show featuring all of the student’s creations.

Great idea and awesome fun to be had by the entire family.

Although this is something locally offered, check you area for a similar summer program. Colleges, city activity centers, and local schools will sometimes offer the programs at little to know cost for the community. It is a great tool for keeping art in your child’s life and opening up the imagination.

Better yet, if you can’t find anything local in your community, but love art and like the themed idea, why not create your own art program right at home? You can create your own passports, have your children suggest the locations, and at the end of the program you can showcase all of the art for family and friends. Plus, if your kids are like mine - you will now have TONS of refrigerator art work!

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