Now, here comes a gross generalization and please let me know what you think. It seems to me that there are many grandparents entertaining their grandchildren without the parents. It is very common to deliver the grand-kids to their grandparents without the parents staying around. We've seen this for years and this summer, one of the national TV channels did a program on 4 different families and how, each family was entertaining their grandchildren, depending on the region they were staying in.
Also, the National train system launched a new program, this summer, where for an extra fee, the child or children are minded and amused during the ride to their destination. And, the "minder" makes sure that the young passenger/s are delivered to the correct person. According to the TV report, the new program is hugely popular.
Of course, I don't have any official numbers, but I wonder if you think that this is as common in the States too during the summer?
In our area, the beach is popular and all over France there are "Clubs" set up on the beach for children. They can be enrolled on a daily, weekly or longer time frame. The different "clubs" offer a variety of activities such as swimming, trampoline, and many different games and sports.
