When the kids are out of school for summer vacation, the house can really take a
beating.  That's why now is a good time to make your home kid tough for the
rough-and-tumble days ahead.

Karen Thompson, an interior design expert with The Home Depot, suggested giving the playroom and children's bedrooms a fresh coat of paint with one of the many washable interior colors now available.  These paints are formulated to prevent kids' scribblings from permanently scarring the walls.  Squiggles from crayons and
markers will wash right off with a sponge.

"You can even go one step further and paint a foot-wide stripe around the room in pure white high-gloss paint and border it on top and bottom with a strip of stock
molding," Thompson said.  "Kids can draw on the high-gloss paint to their heart's content and the marks will wash off easily with a damp sponge.  Plus, the molding also serves as a tray to hold crayons and markers."

Thompson also suggested installing Pergo laminate wood flooring, which carries a
15-year warranty against stains and fading.  Pergo looks and feels like hardwood, but withstands heavy traffic, sunlight and most of the torture kids can inflict on flooring. And Pergo flooring, unlike a hardwood floor, never requires sanding, waxing or
refinishing.

If your youngster is an aspiring interior designer, you can use the summer months to create a unique bedroom with extra-wide adhesive wallpaper borders in an array of designs, including under-the-sea motifs, cartoon characters and outer space images. Kids also can help sponge paint walls using their favorite colors.  Thompson
recommends topping off these designs with a colorful kid-themed ceiling fan for a really "cool" look.

Summer is also a time for getting the maximum utility from extra storage space.
"When it feels like toys and sports equipment are taking over your house, it's
probably time to use your organizational skills," said Thompson.  "Sock away soccer balls, tennis rackets, swimming gear and the like in large hinged tote lockers and use smaller containers to store all those action figures from the summer's big blockbuster movies."

Parents who have very young children should remember the importance of
childproofing the home.  Cupboard and drawer latches can keep prying fingers out and other protective products can keep kids safe around the house.

Smoke alarms and carbon monoxide sensors should be installed to prevent injury or death and water heater temperatures should be set no higher than 120 degrees to
prevent burns from scalding hot water.

Outdoors, remember that the leaves and berries of some plants--like the oleander, azalea and philodendron--are poisonous if eaten. If you have very young children who put everything in their mouths, ask a garden expert to recommend plants generally considered to be non-toxic.  Possibilities include African Violets, begonias and
petunias.

Finally, sit back and relax.  Summer will be over soon.