— If you found $1,000, what would you do with it?

3. We had fun in our own back yard — and found that home is a good place to be.

With the price of gas these days, you might not be taking as many trips. No problem, says DeGiulio. You can have fun at home. A few suggestions:

— Camp in your back yard — or, if it rains, in your living room. Set up a tent. Have hot dogs and hamburgers. Roast marshmallows and make s'mores. Tell your favorite ghost stories.

— Play board games. Sometimes we think of these as indoor activities, but you can have an outdoor Monopoly tournament. Or, plan a round-robin, with several games. Let people rotate around, add up scores and award prizes.

— Plan a theme party around your favorite game. For example, one of SimplyFun's new games for summer is called Sneaks, a variation on the old spoons game but using the sneaker motif. Think of as many other things you can that have to do with shoes or feet, like three-legged races or shoe-tosses. Or plan a meal with food that all starts with the letter S or that spells out SNEAKS.

Sure, it's all about having fun, but it is more than that, she says. "Play is important for kids, but it is also important for everyone. It keeps your body and mind healthy and active. Puzzles and games are a great way to bridge the generations and encourage social interaction."

Having summer fun is also about making memories, she says. "Life's too short to not play with the people you care about."

---

For more information on SimlyFun, visit www.simplyfun.com.

E-mail: carma@desnews.com