Years ago, when our three children and numerous nieces and nephews were young, we held an annual Fourth of July camp-o-rama in my sister's back yard. Complete with tents, campfire, and activities, the weekend provided the perfect setting for the cousins to renew their friendships. One uncle provided a special bubble mixture each year that, when used with a homemade wire clothes hanger loop, yielded huge bubbles and loads of fun.

Looking back, there was one thing we did not do when the kids were older -- tell ghost stories! You probably have some favorites. If not, or to add to your repertoire if you do, there is quite a selection of ghost stories at RCPL to choose from. For the older crowd, you'll need some good stories to tell in the dark, and if it storms and you have to go inside, there's a ghost story to consider, called Southern Haunts: Ghost Stories with a Supernatural Twist. I've watched this , and I did find some of the stories about haunted homes in Tennessee rather scary. This item is available at the Main Library (or can be requested to be sent to your local branch) at call number 131.1 Sou, in 1431. There are books for the younger crowd, too. Of course, you'll want to preview these stories to choose those ones that are age appropriate and stories that suit your own group of children. Plan to leave the lights on afterwards, and be sure to have lots of cozy comforts to counter these scary stories!