Summer's days don't have to be steeped in idleness

More than 1,400 years ago, Greek philosophers dreamed of lives unencumbered by debt, work or daily toil, lives which would allow them to study philosophy, write and explore the great questions of human kind.

Today's school-age children come as close to that reality as anyone during summer vacation.

Modern youngsters usually don't worry about earning a living, raising a family or paying the bills. Those weighty concerns are years down the road. So instead of working, children often spend June through August sleeping in, playing video games, watching movies and generally taking the dog-days of summer pretty easy.

The Greeks would certainly have thought many of these activities were a waste of the most precious part of life -- free time.

Free time has the connotation of being absolutely amoral. It's free of obligations, free of commitments and all other constraints that might require one to spend that time in one way over another.

But, like they say, nothing is truly free.

When summer vacation is burned up with unfettered recreation, it tends to lead to boredom in many kids. It's not uncommon to hear kids complain of having nothing to do and nowhere to go during the summer.

Likewise, local police cite more vandalism and youth crime during the summer months, adding more fire to the old adage, "Idle minds are the Devil's playground."

A host of projects and programs are at parents' disposal, however, to help kids redeem those long summer days. Boy and Girl Scouts, 4-H programs, summer camps and myriad other youth sports and educational activities help channel the energy and creativity indicative of childhood.

Summer is about half over, but parents still have time to enroll kids in a range of activities that could expand their horizons beyond the confines of the home entertainment room.

From art classes, music classes, in-home projects and arts and crafts, parents have endless opportunities to help kids find exciting ways to use free time.

This is not to say that kids shouldn't have time to just run and play, but some forms of recreation are better than others.

Some activities encourage creative thinking, exploration and inquisitive questions, not to mention healthier hearts and stronger muscles. Kids don't always have the wherewithal to find a creative use of their time, thought, and parents owe it to them to help.

One place to start is by making a list of activities, projects and adventures that kids might want to accomplish during the summer. Then, it's just a matter of setting goals to make those ideas happen.

Plato and Aristotle would surely be appalled to see the day when kids no longer had to toil in the fields to help the family but, instead, were sitting on the couch, head slumped in hands, complaining about having nothing to do. On the other hand, those great founders of Western thought would likely be pleased to see young minds exploring books, art and music or creating childlike inventions, playing creative games and generally tapping into the vast imagination and power of unencumbered childhood.