(Metro News Service) The phrase "dog days of summer" refers to the period between July 3 and August 11. The Farmer's Almanac notes the phrase refers to a period of time when the Sun occupies the same region as Sirius, the Dog Star. However, in many households, the dog days of summer have come to mean the hottest days of summer. And for families with children, that period is often marked by repeated declarations of "I'm bored" and/or "There's nothing to do."

While many kids are excited at the start of their annual summer breaks from school, come early August, those same youngsters may be feeling a little bored. As summer winds down, parents and children can look to these strategies to overcome end-of-summer boredom.

· Let kids take on some of the cooking duties. Children likely won't jump at the chance to vacuum a living room or reorganize a linen closet, but tasking youngsters with cooking a family meal a couple of days each week can help to occupy their time with a productive activity. Middle school-aged children and above can likely manage most if not all of the tasks associated with seeing a meal through from start to finish (parents are urged to gauge each child's readiness for such tasks and assign work accordingly), and giving them this responsibility a few days a week, and letting youngsters choose the menu, can liven up their late afternoons and early evenings.

· Encourage kids to pick a new hobby. Hobbies aren't just a means to making downtime fun; they're also a great way to boost mental health. Mental Health America notes that hobbies activate parts of the brain that help people process emotions and build connections with others. Hobbies also help to create small wins and a sense of progress. Seeing some daily progress might help kids stay engaged with a new activity. When the final weeks of summer vacation arrive and summer camp has closed, encourage kids to pick a new hobby like photography, painting or even writing. These activities engage children's brains and can foster a long-term passion. If parents have some free time, engage in the hobby alongside a child, which might make the youngster enjoy it even more.

· Get in touch with fellow parents. School-aged children may not see their classroom friends much over the summer, as parents' work schedules differ and kids may attend an assortment of summer camps. As the final weeks of summer approach, reach out to fellow parents and arrange some play dates and additional activities where both families get together. Parents can arrange to share hosting duties or even alternate taking the kids for a day once a week so kids get routine social interaction and a chance to reconnect with their friends as the first day of school approaches.

· Write and perform a play/story each week. Another way to keep kids occupied and to help their brains shake the dust off a month-plus with no homework is to encourage kids to write and perform a play or story each week. Parents can help kids identify a fun story angle and lets kids choose and design their own costumes. The weekly performance can feature everyone in the household, as that level of involvement can excite children and keep them engaged with this fun task. Film each performance so everyone can look back on these memories for years to come.

The dog days of summer can be challenging in households with young children. But there's much parents can do to alleviate kids' boredom as summer vacation winds down.