Summer Challenge 2014

Well, Summer vaca has started for us and I'm TOTALLY thrilled!! I'm so excited to not have to rush through the morning, stress over not being able to find a water bottle or get shoes on fast enough and attempt to get 3 kids out the door on time so we aren't tardy!! I am so not a morning person! (True story: that is one of the main reasons I'm considering homeschooling next year.....yes I said it, but more on that in another post!)

Last summer we started a fun tradition: The Summer Challenge, and as this school year started drawing to a close my son, Drew, started asking about this year's challenge.  Well we've got it figured out and him & sister Emma began working on it today.

What is the Summer Challenge you ask?  It's basically a list of activities that my children have to accomplish in order to achieve a prize.  It gives them something to work towards and also if they ever get "bored" I have something to point them to "Hey, why don't you work on one of your challenges?!"

Every challenge is something they have to work on in order to accomplish.  For example: At the beginning of the summer last year my son couldn't swim in the deep end of the pool, one of his challenges was to swim across the shallow end without touching.  Once he could do that we headed to the deep end and it's been water slides & cannon balls ever since.  I try to think of things I want them to be able to do physically, spiritually, socially & mentally and attempt to incorporate those in the list.  I usually offer a small reward after completing 5 challenges.  Positive reinforcement TOTALLY motivates my kids!!

You can see how I got started doing these challenges, more info on it & what we did last year HERE for a 3 year old girl & 5 year old boy.  And below is what we are working towards this year. For a 4 year old girl & 6 year old boy.  I may add to my list as I think of things, but this is what we are starting with :)  If you end up doing a challenge of your own or something similar I'd love to hear from you!

Jack - Newborn 

Sleep through the night. (Hey, a mama can wish!!)

Emma - 4 year old

Ride bike to church down the street & back
Spell EMMA and say family motto & moms #
Sit through 1 chapter book
Do a head stand alone
Read 30 picture books
Do 24 piece jigsaw puzzle alone
Do complex picture by numbers
Cut out circle, square, rectangle triangle and oval shapes with scissors alone
Catch a lady bug
Make lemonade by herself
Say 5 poems
Say 5 bible verses
Count to 20
Say the Alphabet
Recognize 10 letters
Hit 10 wiffle balls
Kick 10 soccer goals
Make bed every morning
Meet 2 friends in class at church & find out their favorite princess


Drew- 6 year old

Ride bike 5x around loop (4 mile loop- he's really into biking)
Spell Full name, moms # & dads #
Say new address
Count by 2's to 100
Learn & spell 10 new popcorn words
Say all current popcorn words & write a few
Learn 10 bible verses
Read 5 chapter books with mom/dad
Read all new Easy Reader Biscuit books to mom or dad
Make cookies by himself
Do 10 jumps with jump rope non-stop
Hit 50 baseballs
Kick 50 soccer goals
Catch 50 football passes
Make 50 basketball hoops
Do 50 piece puzzle
Create a collage about Drew, scissors, glue & clean up
Write whole alphabet lower and upper
Organize a family service project
Tell 5 people (not family) Jesus loves them