Many families are cutting back on their activities, which means less time outside the home. There’s no better time to spend quality time with your kids than summer, whether it be at summer camp, dining out or movie outings.

Start at home

Your family home is one of your largest monthly investments. So why not make sure you get the most out of it? You have the opportunity to be creative if your children don’t believe staying at home is cool.

* Establish a weekly game night. You don’t need to purchase new games. Ask your parents if they have any games you could borrow.

* Subscribe to a home movie rental service. Reward the kids by letting them add their favorite movie to the queue.

Style Dining

There is no better time to spend with the family than dinnertime, especially when the children are out of school or working longer hours.

* Keep the meal simple so the family can prepare it together. Because they are inexpensive and easy to prepare, I prefer to use canned vegetables such as Libby’s.

* Dine outside at least once a week. You can eat outside on a patio, or picnic-style.

Get Out of Town

The memories you make during your annual summer vacations don’t need to be lost. Although tropical getaways and theme parks are the best places to go for summer vacations, there are many great locations closer to home.

* Look for locations three to four hours away to save on airfare, and make it a road trip.

* Try camping. Many young families are returning to camping, which was once a popular choice.

Hannah Keeley shares more tips on connecting with your family during summer at Libby’s Vegetables. www.GetBacktotheTable.com.

Hannah Keeley, mother of seven and host of “Hannah Help Me!”PBS and author “Hannah Keeley’s Total Mom Makeover: The Six-Week Plan to Completely Transform Your Home, Health, Family, and Life.”