Summer Family Fun for the Adventurous, Overwhelmed, Creative, or Clueless

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My kids and I all heave sighs of relief when summer vacation comes. No more homework, no more extracurriculars, just fun. But in case we might want more ideas for summer fun (and what parent wouldn't?), Sarah Reinhard rides to the rescue with her book Catholic Family Fun: A Guide for the Adventurous, Overwhelmed, Creative, or Clueless.

Catholic Family Fun is packed with detailed instructions for nearly 50 fun activities, starting with the silliest ones. Some of the ideas cost nothing and take barely any time, but there are far more elaborate suggestions for the truly adventurous. Helpful sections like "Faith Angle" and "Wider Angle" show you how to add faith to fun activities or add fun to faith activities. Indexes at the back of the book organize activities by how much they cost and how long they last, so you can easily find an idea that appeals to you without searching through the whole book. If you don't know what to try first, Sarah has a whole website full of extra tips at www.catholicfamilyfun.com.

Much of Sarah's book reminds me of the mom I used to be -- the fun one. Now that I've turned 40, my kids feel free to slap a no-fun-any-more label on me. "Moms don't dance," they chidingly inform me.

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