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The local fire station is a great place to take your kids when they (or you) are bored. Your boys will especially love it as they are more inclined to like the large fire engines, etc. Most fire stations will give you a tour of their facilities if you call them up and set up a time to do so. If you bring a larger group of kids they will be more likely to do a tour so have your children bring some of their friends if you want. Ask the firefighters to show the children the special clothing they have to wear so they don't get burned by the fire. Depending on how busy the firefighters are you may be able to get them to let the kids climb into the fire engine and honk the horn or turn on the siren. Have the firefighter explain to the children what happens when a fire is reported and what the firefighters do to get ready before they leave the fire station.

One topic that would be great to talk about with your children during or after this activity is fire safety. You could even have the firefighters give the children a lesson on fire safety. It is important for your children to know what they should do if there is a fire. Teach them the classic "Stop, Drop, and Roll." and other good fire prevention tips.

The fire station can even be a great place for a birthday party activity. You will probably want to have cake and open presents either before or after you go to the fire station. It is important to respect the duties of the firefighters and realize that if a fire gets called in then your birthday activity might be canceled. In this case you could just talk about fire safety with the children or something. It may be a good idea for a birthday to invite an off-duty firefighter you know to actually come to your party and bring all of his/her gear to show the children. This way your birthday party activity won't fall through at the last minute. Here is a checklist that you can give to your children for this activity. As you go through the fire station have your children check off the things they have seen/done.

• Talk to a firefighter and learn about their job.
• See what a firefighter's uniform is like.
• Honk the fire engine's horn.
• Slide down the pole (if there is one).
• Put on a firefighting uniform.
• Learn about the different things on a fire engine.
• Learn how firefighters put out fires.