Summer Bingo

Okay now that June is nearly over, I am trying to get organized before summer passes us by. I know us and if we don't get some things organized and scheduled, we will get in our crazy day-to-day routine and look back wondering where the time went. So... I finally got the family together for Family Home Evening last night to make some fun (and not-so-fun) plans for summer.

Of course, summer should be about lazy days, exploring and using your imagination, sleeping in, adventure, and simply doing nothing at all if you don't want to (at least at certain times.)However, it's also a great time to get caught up on a few projects and chores that you don't usually have your children home to help with. Since they are so busy during the school year, I like to take it easy on them through those weeks but recruit them during the summer for a little extra help. I also believe this teaches them responsibility, hard work, and seeing the fruits of your labor. Plus, it helps our home and family get organized and cleaned and although they would never admit it, I think everyone feels better with a clean, organized home and schedule.

In an effort to make work fun and also to keep my kids as productive as possible on the "slow" days of summer, I am trying "Summer Bingo." Hopefully this will be enough incentive for my kids to have a little fun, while also helping themselves improve and our family. I have made BINGO cards with certain activities printed on each square. Some of the activities are fun and some are actual chores. I tried to think of things that would keep them busy, improve them as a person, and keep them on a daily routine. I also threw a few "service" items in there to show them how fun and rewarding service can be. Hopefully they will catch the spirit of that!

Some of the items are:
Read a book - 30 min./day
Read scriptures
Practice piano
Go on a bike ride; Go running
Go on a walk with Mom
Write in journal; Write a letter
Do an act of kindness; Perform an act of service
Play NICELY w/sibling for 1 hr.
Wash a car
Do an outside activity for at least 1 hour
Work on Faith in God/Duty to God
Etc., etc.

The rules are that they have to get 5 in row, with one space being FREE. Once they have earned five in a row, they receive a ticket that can be redeemed for prizes. The best prize is $5 cash, which they can only earn once per week. Otherwise, my smart little whips would be all over those chores/daily responsibilities which would be great...but I'd go broke! So, I had to "cap" the cash prizes. There are still other fun things they can earn, though, like sleepovers or "late nights" with friends, extra TV/Wii/Playstation 3 time, candy, drinks, etc. Like I said, I hope this is enough to keep their interest up in learning responsibility and keeping daily routines, working on things to improve themselves, and especially finding joy in serving others.

Of course we have plenty of fun things we want to do, too. We discussed those so we can make sure to get them on the calendar and make sure we do things that each member of the family wants to do. Some of the things we have come up with are: Swimming- and lots of it!, Lagoon, Drive-in movies, Moonlight Ride, 4-wheeling, family hikes, camping (kind of scary!), sleep out on trampoline, "Friends" party, movies, & on and on....Some major things we want to accomplish this summer that may not be fun during but will be after are finish the basement and Jake's Eagle project. Those are 2 huge things so we'll see how far we get on those. We may not get them completed but it would sure be nice to get them started. Also, Maddy wants to go to Tuahcan and see a play like we did a couple of years ago. We would just go for a couple of nights, just us girls, to swim, shop, and enjoy the outdoor play in the canyon.

So as you can see, we have alot of great ideas and alot of fun to be had! We haven't nailed down an actual family vacation yet but hopefully we will squeeze one of those in by the end of the year, too. Either way, we are planning on having fun and enjoying every minute!