By now, the summer is sort of dragging. The kids are probably bored and you’re tired of hearing them tell you they’re bored. But if you know where to look, there’s always some free or cheap things to do around town that can actually be a little educational and help the kids fend off the summer brain drain.

Cheap movies

Lots of theaters offer really cheap movie admittance (usually only a couple of dollars) for certain matinees. Because these offers are targeted to kids, the selections tend to be kid-friendly and/or educational.

Alternative zoos

The local zoo is a great educational experience, but it’s usually not considered cheap. However, a lot of non-profit groups offer shelters and sanctuaries for specific animals. Around me, there are sanctuaries for seabirds, primates, and big cats that are considerably cheaper than the local zoo.

Maker camps

The maker movement is all about people creating new things and experimenting with ideas. Your local group might offer free camps for kids to get them introduced to the process. Check this website to see listings.

Apple camps

Kids can’t get enough of Apple devices. Most Apple Stores offer free camps for kids 8-12 that help them get the most of their iPads, iPhones, and iMacs with projects like moviemaking and music production.

Volunteering

Volunteering is always a rewarding experience, and an educational one depending on the opportunity. Volunteermatch.org is a great way for everyone to find the right volunteer program for them. It looks great on college applications and scholarships as well.

It’s too hot to hike for a nature walk. Luckily, nature tends to surround you as you float down a river, stream, or spring. Grab a tube and go!

Museums

You might be a frequent visitor to the local children’s museum, but other museums, usually geared for adults, usually offer free or cheap admission to students to try and get them involved in the arts, history, or whatever the museum is about.

Float down a spring or river

It’s too hot to hike for a nature walk. Luckily, nature tends to surround you as you float down a river, stream, or spring. Grab a tube and go!

Pottery Barn Kids

If you have a Pottery Barn Kids nearby, they offer a free weekly story time and craft project for kids. If you go five times, the adult earns a prize!

Nothing staves off the summer brain drain like reading. In the midst of all the fun they’ll be having, your child should find some time to sit down with a few good books. Here are the young adult books that kids will be talking about this summer. You can earn some cred if you suggest them first.

Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee

To be honest, this might not qualify as young adult fiction anymore. But since everyone reads To Kill a Mockingbird in school, kids will probably be checking out what might be the most popular book overall this year. The manuscript for Watchman was thought lost, but was found late last year. Thematically, it’s a sequel to Mockingbird even though Lee finished and submitted this book first (and was rejected). If you’re going to “push” a book on your child, this might be the one.

Paper Towns by John Green

Although this isn’t a new book from the author of The Fault in Our Stars (it was published three years before that blockbuster), it is the basis of a new movie. Quentin has been neighbors with Margo since they were kids, loving her from afar the whole time. When she shows up in the middle of the night to take him on a crazy revenge-fueled adventure, he can’t say no. It has the same occasional language as Green’s other books, but it’s not nearly as serious as Stars was.

I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson

This was perhaps the most critically acclaimed YA book of last year, winning the Michael L. Printz Award and appearing on all of the notable year-end lists. Two fraternal twins, Jude and Noah, were as close as twins can be until they reached puberty and started fighting over everything, including boys. Now they don’t speak. It’s told from each twin’s perspective in alternating tone and timeframe. The reader eventually puts together what happened to split them up and whether they can come back to each other.

Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella

Kinsella, the author of the wildly popular Shopaholic adult series turns her attention to the young adult market. As you might expect, it’s about a romance that forms between Audrey, a girl with a severe anxiety disorder, and her brother’s friend Linus. He has a way of connecting with Audrey and pushing her in ways that seem dangerous to her recovery, but are actually helping her conquer her disorder.

The count, according to Real Clear Education’s most recent map, is Oklahoma and Indiana have officially pulled out of the Common Core.

Parents are often too busy to keep track of the policies and politics surrounding education, particularly in such a busy and eventful school year. Here are the big issues and what they could mean for you, your child, and their school.

No Child Left Behind Reauthorization

Believe it or not, the No Child Left Behind law actually expired eight years ago. Because there hasn’t been a replacement, the White House has had a lot of leeway in how education is run at the federal level, including their Race to the Top program. Obviously, the Republicans in Congress don’t like the president having that much power. They have been slowly hammering out a new education bill.

The House’s process has been contentious, partisan, and filled with ideas that the White House immediately threatens to veto. They currently do not have a bill that has gone past the committee stage.

The Senate, on the other hand, has a bill past the committees thanks to bipartisanship and an effort to solve problems that both parties see as crucial. Their proposed bill, the Every Child Achieves Act, gives some powers back to the states while guaranteeing that the federal government still has the ability to set overall goals. Both parties agreed that some assessment is necessary but that there is currently too much. The bill gives states the ability to roll back their testing schedules.

In any case, time is running out for any bill to get enough traction to become law. Election season has already started, which means education will become more of a talking point and less of an actionable issue.

The Status of the Common Core

As you have probably heard, the Common Core State Standards are deeply unpopular in some parts of the country, particularly among conservatives. This has caused a backlash in about a dozen states. Leaders who were once firm advocates are now leading their legislatures in getting out. Now that testing has begun (see below), parents and other stakeholders have had a chance to see the assessments and don’t approve of the amount of time spent or the high stakes involved. They use those facts to fuel the fire.

The Common Core is still strong in over 40 states, but those in which the standards are in trouble have legislative and legal drama. The count, according to Real Clear Education’s most recent map, is Oklahoma and Indiana have officially pulled out of the Common Core. Some states, like Florida, have pulled out in name only. They have or are exploring writing their own standards. Any new standards have to be at least as tough as the Common Core or the state risks losing federal money. Some states, including New York and New Jersey, are examining their options in terms of standards, testing, or both.

The bottom line is that the phrase “Common Core” has become divisive. It’s doubtful a new education law even mentions the standards.

Common Core Testing

There were two consortia created along with the Common Core State Standards that were to design the tests for the standards. Just like the Common Core itself, PARCC and Smarter Balanced have been losing states. Roughly half the country is going it alone, usually with the help of a private testing partner.

Those that did still use the consortia’s tests had a relatively calm testing period in terms of technology problems. The states that decided to make their own tests, however, ran across all sorts of problems. Florida’s testing season, for example, was universally panned by everyone involved—including the politicians.

Scores from Smarter Balanced are due sometime over the summer. PARCC’s scores won’t be ready until the fall.

The best thing that comes out of summer jobs is often the experience and education they can bring.

For older children, summer is often a prime opportunity to put some extra money in their pocket. Unfortunately, most of the summer job opportunities border on the mundane, low-paying side of the equation. The best thing that comes out of summer jobs is often the experience and education they can bring. Here are a few summer job ideas in which students will learn a lot while still having a reasonable amount of fun.

Start their own business

It’s never been easier to start their own business. Students usually don’t even have to leave the house. If they’re crafty, try having them sell some of their creations on Etsy or a similar site. Do they like working with electronics? Put the word out that they can fix stuff. Have a great app idea? Learn how to code it and then sell it on an app store. Into photography? Have them start taking some pictures that would be suitable for stock photographs and then sell them to one of the big stock photo companies. There is nothing more educational than figuring out if they have what it takes to be an entrepreneur.

Writing and editing

If they do really well in English class, perhaps they can earn some extra money working with words. Through sites like eLance and Craigslist, they can line up some gigs for blog writing or general editing. They might not pay much for new talent, but if they can build a client base they can start making some serious money. There’s also the option of writing their own ebook and selling it online.

TutoringIt’s often said that there is no better way of finding out if you’ve mastered a skill than having to teach someone else. Do they have a hobby, like music or art? Start advertising a tutoring service. With the right credentials and expertise, they can start making some serious money from parents stuck with bored kids at home during the summer.

Performing

Have them try to grow a YouTube channel or a podcast. Into music? There are opportunities for musicians to provide background music during parties and events, as well as choir recitals. There’s always clowning for kids’ birthday parties as well.

Providing learning experiences

Students are often relied on to work at museums, parks, and zoos as tour guides or docents. There is also the traditional job of being a summer camp counselor for younger kids.