Summer vacation is getting close! The year has flown by, my little fifth grader is going to middle school next year!
I am new to working full time while we have him. I used to be able to be very flexible during the every other week that we had him, so I was able to be with him and keep him occupied during his previous summer vacations. But this year is different and I am looking for some pointers.

We own an auto repair shop. We are here from 8am to 5pm, but during the busy summer months we are often here till 6pm or later. I don't mind having our boy (11 years of age) at work sometimes, but that long - I don't think that's going to be a good idea. We were going to let him work if he wanted to earn some money this summer, but that's still an awfully long time to hang out here, especially 5 days a week. And there is little to keep him preoccupied here, other than computer games, but I don't want him spending all day on his butt.

If we lived in a place, like where I used to *sigh*, this would be no problem. I would just enroll him into a bunch of fun summer activities, but here's the problem. Think small town, very small town. No clubs (except for the one for very little kids, he's been there and does not want to go back). Sports here are a joke (as far as I'm concerned). His favorite sport to play is soccer, which is held here for a couple months. In a town about a 45 min. drive from here there are TWO gyms that have real teams and play soccer all year long. But that is unfortunately too much of a drive (especially with gas prices these days!) So his only other choices are music lessons (which are hard to come by here (but I'm pushing him to try)). Or dance lessons, which he might be good at hip hop, but he doesn't want to try, and ballet is so far out of the question too. So what can I have him do all day, every other week?

I will be trying to get him to continue some lessons and learning, though I want to try to make it fun, summer slide is something I don't want to let happen. But what can an 11 year old boy do all day while the folks are working?

Any any any suggestions are welcome, please. And Thank you!

Does he have many friends at school?

One thing I did when I was working full time, and the kids were on summer break, was shared play dates.

Basically, a group of moms whose kids are friends, arrange what amounts to babysitting, but also a play date.

It's one week at each house, the mom that has the children that week arranges fun activities, outings, etc. When it's your turn you simply have to take a week off to entertain the kids.

It's great fun for the kids, the activities don't have to be expensive (got to a spray deck for the day, picnic, set up the sprinkler in the yard, go for a bike ride, go for ice cream, build a bird house etc). It is a bit tiring for the moms, but it's only 5 days, and the more parents you get, the better. If you get 8 parents to agree you'll only have to take one week off during the summer, and your son will have someplace to go and have fun with friends every single day of the summer.