School’s out for the summer and it won’t be long before you hear those dreaded words, “I’m bored.” My grandsons have already uttered them!

Personally, I never liked those words. I don’t use them myself and I taught my kids not to use them. They knew if they used them, I would find them something to occupy their time and they wouldn’t like it.

While you can’t jam college prep down your teen’s throat this summer, you can prepare for those “I’m bored” moments and take advantage of the opportunity to help them find something to occupy their time.

Here are some suggestions to crush the summer boredom:

Work on the vocab

You won’t be able to shove flash cards in their face, but maybe you can convince them to read more. Reading contributes to improved vocabulary which translates into better SAT and/or ACT scores. Or you might schedule a family game night with vocabulary games like this one.

Go on an outing

If you live near some colleges, spend the day visiting one or two or more. Summer is a great time to make non-official college visits and wander around campus. You might even take a short “collegecation”—combining a vacation with a college visit.

Pay it forward

What better way to amp up the resume than to do some volunteer work? If you have to, make it a family affair and get creative. Think about ways your family can give back to the community and make it your family’s summer project.

Find some money

Figure out a way to make scholarship searching fun (or at least tolerable). Encourage him to spend part of his “boredom” time searching for scholarships.

Pick up a good book

It’s not surprising that reading is the best pastime for college-bound teens. There are so many benefits from delving into a good book: increases vocabulary, improves cognitive skills, and for most, it’s enjoyable. If your teen doesn’t like reading, get him some books that interest him—it doesn’t have to be the classics.

Go back to school

Not technically. But iTunes University and Kahn Academy have online courses that can give your teen a view of college curriculum or a step-by-step explanation of that complicated calculus they simply don’t understand. What’s the benefit? It’s online–and what teenager doesn’t love being online?

Start a journal

Hand him a journal. Tell him to write what he’s thinking right now—even if he’s upset that you handed him a journal and told him to write. Journaling is a good way to learn how to express your feelings and good practice for writing the college essay.

Find a new hobby

A new hobby is a great way to combat summer boredom. Your teen can do anything, from learning how to cook to writing songs. You and your teen can find things to do around the house, or get new equipment to really try out new hobbies or spice up old ones. For example, if your teen is already into music, a new bass loop pedal can help them take their hobby to the next level!

Get a job

Following are four reasons why your teen should work this summer:

• Money for college

Summer is the best time to work and sock the money away for college. There will be books, computers, supplies and living expenses that add up when your teen goes to college. Working full time during the summer can give them a nice little nest egg to use, especially if they start early. Age should not be a factor because there are many opportunities for kids to earn money outside the normal means: babysit, mow lawns, sell baked goods, wash cars, etc.

• Opportunity to network

Don’t laugh. It’s not too early to think about networking. Those connections your student makes during a summer job can be quite useful later down the road. Often past bosses can connect the student with jobs and internships during college and breaks. They can also recommend college graduates to colleagues they know who are hiring. Every connection a student makes working is one more opportunity to grow his network.

• Scholarships

Some large chains offer scholarships exclusively to their employees as we have seen recently with Starbucks. If your teen works for an employer that is supported by a corporation, many of them offer scholarships to their student employees. Companies, such as McDonalds and Chick-fil-A, offer scholarships to students who are pursuing higher education. Many local companies also have scholarships for their student employees.

• Responsibility

Summer jobs also teach responsibility. This will serve them well as they leave for college and eventually secure a job after graduation.