As July gives way to August, I find myself with a pit in my stomach. The summer is passing too quickly, I worry, and before I know it, it will be back-to-school time.

The mannequins in the windows of the Gap are decked out in crisp jeans and checked shirts. I pass Duane Reade and see that notebooks and backpacks and no. 2 pencils line the windows.

Where are the lazy days? The dog days? The summers that drag on and on?

Forget about all the things I had hoped to do with my children this summer. It’s time to make the short list. So here are the activities that must be done before Labor Day:

BUILD A SANDCASTLE ON THE BEACH It doesn’t matter if it’s Jones Beach or Georgica Beach, the Jersey Shore or the Long Island Sound, Nantucket or the Vineyard. Get out the buckets and shovels, sunscreen and hats. Spend a day at the beach. Collect shells, dig for clams, go crabbing.

ROAST MARSHMALLOWS AND MAKE S’MORES Teach your children how to pick out the perfect roasting stick, find dry kindling, and build a fire. Should the marshmallow be evenly browned or burnt on the outside? Which way does the Hershey’s chocolate melt best when it is pressed between two graham crackers?

TAKE THE FAMILY TO RYE PLAYLAND OR SIX FLAGS GREAT ADVENTURE When you make it home from this outing, you should have a medal hanging around your neck. The crowds can be overwhelming, not to mention the lines for the rides and, even worse, the lines to buy food.

But that said, on the right day (hot but a little overcast) and with the right planning (arrive 10 minutes before opening), nothing can be more fun than a day at the fair. Brave the roller coasters, be the first to pop the water balloon and win the stuffed animal, get soaked on the water slides. (That means you, too – not just your children.)

VISIT A FARMSTAND AND PICK FRESH CORN Nothing says August more than fresh corn, blackberries, and ripe tomatoes. Help your children pick out the best ears of corn. Show them that good produce doesn’t always come from Fairway or the Korean market.

SPEND A NIGHT IN A TENT A backyard will do – you don’t need to be near a trail to pitch a tent. Teach your children how to pitch the tent and place the ground pegs at the right angle. Some tents might be self-erecting these days, but everyone will have fun mastering the art of pitching the old-fashioned kind. Look for shooting stars, listen to the crickets, and tell ghost stories. And when you’re tired, crawl in the tent, roll out the sleeping bags, and call it a night.

GO FISHING Dig for worms and help your children to put them on the hook themselves. Show them how to cast a line. Explain that when they feel a fish grab the hook, they need to yank up quickly before they begin to reel in the line. Show them how to take the hook out of the fish’s mouth. After a day fishing, you will at least have taught your children one of life’s most important lessons: patience.

READ A BOOK ALOUD TOGETHER Pick up a copy of Frances Hodgson Burnett’s “The Secret Garden” or “The Diary of Anne Frank.” Try to squeeze in C.S. Lewis’s “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe” before it comes out on the big screen in December. And yes, the new “Harry Potter” counts, too.

GO TO A CONCERT OR A MATINEE Take the family to hear Maroon 5 or Hilary Duff. Get tickets for the Wednesday matinee of “Stomp,” “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang,” “All Shook Up,” or “The Lion King.” On a hot August afternoon, is there a better way to cool off?

VISIT THE GRANDPARENTS There’s no better month for quality or quantity time than August, when the days are long and unstructured. Visit the grandparents if they live outside of the city, or choose a spot to meet. Teach your children that your parents are important and that they always need to make the time for family.

In the blink of an eye it will be September. The air will turn crisp. The days will get shorter. The school year will begin.

Enjoy these long days. Enjoy the heat – and even the humidity. Enjoy the freedom. And enjoy your children. If you weren’t a parent, how else could you justify going to the beach, fishing, camping, reading a classic, and eating s’mores all in one month?