When you're a kid, there's nothing quite like the high-flying feeling you get on the last day of school. No more pencils, no more books--you know the rest. It's summer vacation, and all you have ahead of you are warm, sunny days filled with ... filled with ...

And there's the problem.

Sometimes a break from school doesn't turn out quite as great as you thought it would be. I can remember getting into the habit of watching "just a little" TV after swim team practice. A little TV often turned into a day in the Twilight Zone (which was mostly what I watched). This is a guaranteed way to feel queasy and disoriented all day long.

It doesn't have to be that way. If you're a kid, or if you have a few of your own, you can have a great time without having to resort to the boob tube.

Here are a dozen ideas for making the most out of summer vacation. They're organized by age group, but don't feel like you have to pay too much attention to that.

For kids under 14
What do you want to do today? See something yucky? Burn rubber? Start a collection? Or make some money?

You can do all of these. But probably not all at the same time.

For high-schoolers
By now, you've probably realized you don't have all that many summers left before you're officially an adult, when summer vacation gets shrunk down to two days off: Fourth of July and Labor Day. Aauuughhh!

With this in mind, it may seem as though the ideal summer consists of two events: lounging and scrounging (for beverages and couch money). The world has more exciting things to offer--and besides, getting a suntan will give you wrinkles later in life.

Make this time count by doing something you love, something you'll learn from.

Ideas for parents
Studies by the American Psychological Association have shown that when kids spend too much time playing violent video games, they act more aggressively.

But you're a parent. You don't need a study to show you what you already know. So, how to keep your kids from blipping their summer away playing games? It's not that hard. Just provide them with some fun alternatives. It will mean a little more work on your part. But your kids--and your eardrums--will thank you.

Here are three suggestions for fun summer activities. You can also check out the recommendations I'm making for kids and high schoolers.

Have fun with these ideas, or come up with your own. Either way, have a great summer!