Ah, summer. For young children, it brings eight glorious weeks of fun and freedom. For parents, eight weeks of shuffling, coordinating, and generally doing what can be done to ensure that fun and freedom don't turn into boredom and wasted opportunity.

In the following slides, Design News offers eight STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) activity options to keep kids engaged this summer, from 10-minute activities to more advanced undertakings.

Click on the image to flip through and be sure to add your own ideas in the comments field below.