Now that the sun is bearing down, high temperatures are reaching the 90s and school is out, it’s time for some summertime fun.

Today’s kids have plenty of options.

A few bucks will get you into Hartselle’s Aquatic Center or Point Mallard Water Park, where water slides, diving boards and water basketball can keep you busy all day long. You can dry out and soak up the sun in a poolside lounger or tempt your taste buds with a cheeseburger and fries at the concessions stand.

If you’re inclined to be more adventuresome, you might choose between a 10-mile hike in the Bankhead Forest and spending a day fishing on Guntersville Lake.

Athletic enthusiasts might prefer to play travel tournament ball or spend an hour working out at Bender’s Gym.

There’s no need to stay inside when the sky’s the limit on fun things to do outdoors.

I’m reminded that when I was a kid down on the farm, the amenities were few but the opportunities to have summertime fun were plentiful.

For example, we had a wash hole in a branch behind our house. The water, which flowed from three springs (artisan wells) in a branch head, was backed up to a depth of four feet by a homemade earth dam. My brothers and I took pleasure in taking a dip in it two or three times a day, when we weren’t busy working in the fields.

We also had access to a creek a half-mile away. It was our destination point for swimming and fishing on days when we were caught up with fieldwork and on Sunday afternoons after church services.

Our large front yard with its two huge oak trees provided the ideal setting for kid games. We took turns swinging in a suspended automobile tire and climbed and swing from low-hanging limbs. Games we played on the ground included horseshoes, washers, marbles, jump rope and hop scotch.

A long, grassed side yard provided space for competitive events such as basketball, high jump, broad jump and sprints.

I don’t recall a time when I was a kid that I felt bored because I didn’t have anything to do. Sometimes, I wonder why the opposite is the case with some of the kids today.