For families with school age children, summers take on a new meaning. Approximately 90 days with kids who have no agenda other than to kick back and relax is probably one reason the great American road trip came to life. It keeps children contained, occupied and the family engaged! But road trips only last so long, a long vacation isn't always a possibility, and sometimes a road trip brings family and friends to you. So what is a family to do during the summer to keep the kids entertained, a little active and maybe create some family fun and togetherness? Below are five cool (literal and figurative!) ideas to keep kids and families of all ages in summer fun.

Driving Adventures
The earlier road trip may not be a possibility, but a little driving may still be in order. Spend a day reenacting NASCAR or another racing competition while speeding along in go-karts. Or create a multi-visit competition schedule that has you visiting the go-kart track once month or so, eliminating drivers until it is time for the winner's victory lap.

Arcade Daze
For families with kids too young for go-karts, take a similar track and enjoy an indoor arcade's driving games. Or, take a day to enjoy the arcade with all of its glory. There is a memorable summer moment with a child learning the joys of video game classics from a parent or other adult family member or friend.

Take a Swing
For families with growing athletes or sport fans, summer can be a great time to bond away from the game or competitive environment. A summer focused on quality time and social interaction can be easily achieved by enjoying time at a mini golf course, batting cages. Such adventures are often fun for boys and girls and may offer an opportunity for a group of school friends and their parents to get together for all to bond and enjoy a chip shot over a lazy river.

Water World
A great way to stay cool during the summer is to get in the water. But family fun is taken, literally, to the next level by enjoying the challenge of an aqua wall. Put rock climbing, coordination and thrill seeking to the test by rock climbing on a wall with spray and other water features. If the family is new to rock climbing, start with the basic climbing wall and then move onto the aqua wall. Or enjoy a day of both, comparing and contrasting the different experiences.

If the aqua wall isn't a good fit for your family, stay in the water with bumper boats! Have fun while staying cool with splashes, bumps and squirts. Nothing says love between family members than a little fun in the water, especially in bumper boats!

A-Maze-ing Tag
Take the cool of bumper boats and head out to dry land with some technology and fight to the finish via laser tag. Running in a darkened maze with lasers to tag the opposing team not only brings video games to life, and gets out some extra energy. The energy allowance may also mean extra calories burned for a guilt free treat after a challenging game of the classic 'tag'.

The ideas for summer fun are endless, and the five above can be enjoyed as stand alone events or in any combination.