A quick note about Summer Preschool Corner: Summer will be a little more laid back, so feel free to share a fun craft or other fun idea that you are doing at home ~ you don’t have to have an elaborate week’s worth of plans to participate. I won’t! :)

With summer in full swing around our house we’ve had very little “school time” as it generally is. What we have had a lot of is playing outside, sprinkler running, pool time and craziness. Somehow I have a feeling the majority of our summer is going to be like this! :) {and really…that’s ok!}.

So while I don’t have a day-by-day account of what we’ve done, I will share something with you that we have implemented for the summer called “School’s Out Reading Challenge!” We’re doing this with our oldest three, but made it a little easier for Zachary. I am not the one who came up with the idea ~ I based ours from Carissa’s Summer Plans at 1+1+1=1. Be sure to head over and see what she’s doing too!

Each day Zachary can earn points based on a list that I pulled together of school-type things or helping out around the house. When he earns a certain level of points he can cash them in for a prize or hold out for a big prize. At the rate we’re going right now, I might have to offer several prizes throughout the summer, but you might notice my prize list is a little {ahem} cheap. :) Here are the prizes he can earn {and little does he know I have some of the things already stashed away in my closet!}:

15 points: Trip to Target dollar section; trip to Dollar Tree; book from the Thrift Store

30 points: Frosty from Wendy’s or a Hot Wheels car

45 points: Ice cream for dinner or a new dinosaur

The points page is hanging nearby to remind me of how many points Zachary earns for different things:

~ Reading/Listening: Audio books {in the van} or reading a book to Mommy

~ Writing – completing a writing worksheet

~ Bible – Mommy sits to read a Bible story from our ‘special Bible’

~ Spanish – Using a cd-rom we have and knowing the words Mommy asks

~ Lapbook review – going over the lapbooks we’ve done this past year

~ Letter writing – {Mommy will help with this}

~ Chores & Extra: Cleaning up without being asked, going all day without tv, etc….

If you are interested in doing something similar with your kids, I uploaded a blank set of Summer Challenge sheets for boys and girls to my site. Just follow the link and you can download your own set to print off. If it doesn’t work for you, let me know and I can email you the pdf file.

About the Preschool Corner: