Summer—three months of recess! Grab the kids and head outdoors on some of our favorite family-friendly adventures.

1) Water Bonding: Don't let the names of rapids like Satan's Cesspool or Meat Grinder intimidate. The South Fork of the American River is a true family-friendly whitewater adventure—with plenty of stops for water fights.

2) S'more Please! Grab all the fixin's and cozy-up at a designated fire pit at Marin's Muir Beach. The beach closes at sundown, so start your s'morin' early!

3) Heavenly Ride: Pedal the easy, paved, and car-free Perimeter Road around Angel Island. Rent a bike on the island at Ayala Cove, or bring your own.

4) Ready for Picchetti: Peacocks, hiking trails, and wine tasting (for the adults). Picchetti Ranch and Winery in Cupertino has it all. Pack a picnic and head through oak trees on the Zinfandel Trail.

5) Splash Camp: Pitch your tent under the redwoods and next to swimming-hole-filled Pescadero Creek in Memorial Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Saturday night campfire programs are a part of the fun.

How much fun can you pack into your family's summer weekends? A whole lot, thanks to the folks at REI. Let them point you in the right direction with plenty of kid-friendly outdoor gear. For a day at the beach, kids will love splashing around in a protective Patagonia Reversible Sun Hat, some cool REI Water Capri Pants, and all-terrain Keen Newport H2 Sandals that give little feet freedom to roam. Don't forget the kite! Prism Designs Jazz Kite triggers whoop-dee-doos with beginners. Going hiking? Outfit the kids in cool Tech Tees and give them an REI Squirt Hydration Pack so they can be in charge of their water supply. Be sure to bring along a GPS like the Apisphere Geomate.jr for some geo-caching fun. For tips on how to get your kids interested and active in the outdoors visit REI.com/passport and check out REI's free Passport to Adventure program.

WIN COOL STUFF! REI is sponsoring a video contest: How Big is Your Backyard? So, where in the Bay Area or Northern California does your family go hiking, biking, camping, or paddling? Get your family together, bring the video camera, and set out to find adventure. Upload your footage to REI's YouTube page at www.youtube.com/reifindout. The Grand Prize is an REI Adventures trip to Lake Powell and a $250 gift card. Other prizes include up to $250 in gift cards and a Kingdom 6 Tent. Submit by 7/26/2009, 11:59 ET.

Visit REI.com or your local store for more details. Click here to find one of the 10 Bay Area REI stores.