Summer challenge

Each year I plan a summer challenge for the kids. It looks different every year depending on our summer circumstances. Last years summer system worked out great, but this year we only had a four week summer break between school years. And a big move across states.

So this is what we did. Each kid got a folder with a checklist in it. They had three areas to complete. (It started as four but by day 2 we crossed out the fourth category).

 

The first area was cooking. They simply had to cook on their own or help me with a meal 10 times over the break. 

Next, they each had to listen to all of the Alexander's Amazing Adventures stories. Kyler is on the getting-too-old-for-these side, but as much as we have tried over the years we have never been able to listen to all of them as a family. And I felt he should listen to them at least once. 

Finally, they each got brain games to complete. They were from workbooks and puzzle books. A whole slew of them.

They could work on them whenever they wanted to over the summer. Some of my people worked hard at the beginning of the summer to get it all done and some of them waited until the last possible second and it was questionable if they would finish in time. They had to be done the Friday before school started.

And for all of our finishers there was a fun reward in store--a fun family outing and new school supplies.

Everyone worked really hard, so we all got to party before school started. We went out to eat at Texas Roadhouse, got Bahama Bucks, and rode the go carts at Golfland.

 

I took each of the kids out during the week to pick out a few school supplies. We don't go crazy with new supplies or clothes, but as their reward they each picked out a new backpack, a couple shirts, and one other thing (like a water bottle or special binder). I kept the backpacks and supplies until the night of our party. You would've thought it was Christmas when I brought them out. They tried out every zipper pocket and got their new supplies all organized. It was a happy time.

 

 

 

Eric was soaking in every moment of it.

 

He loved his new batman water bottle.