Summer Bingo

Now that the end of summer is just around the corner with school starting in a couple of days, I figured I needed to hurry and get this post done. I've been meaning to post it before now -- before it had totally fizzled with my kids (which, not surprisingly, it has, as do most of my attempts like this). But I did still want to record what we tried this year and put the idea out for anyone else. I do still really like the idea and think we'll do it again next summer, so this will help me remember how we set it all up!

Every summer I make some sort of attempt at keeping my kids busy and active and doing a little reading and math. Usually they're very excited and gung-ho about whatever program I've set up for a week or so and then the enthusiasm slowly starts to die out. And then when you throw a vacation (or a move) into the mix, it can kill it pretty quick. But still we keep trying!

This year, I saw an idea on another blog about doing Summer Bingo. I loved the idea and set out customizing it for our family. Here's the basics of how it worked:

Each week, my kids got a new Bingo chart. On the chart (different for each kid, depending on their age and interests) were things I'd like them to be doing during the day, rather than just sit and watch TV and play on the computer for hours at a time.

I decided not to incorporate chores into the Bingo charts (we tried a separate chore system for the summer). I wanted to keep it all fun and away from the dreaded chores.

I made a page for each kid with the Bingo rules and rewards and put it in a sheet protector so they would have a place to keep their cards and tickets. I decided presentation was worth some effort to get them excited about it!

The kids got one "Free" sticker each week that they could cover up a square with. I told them they couldn't cover up the same square each week (otherwise, I think McKay would have always covered up "Do Something in your Webelos book"). When they completed an item, they would get a sticker to cover it up (I just printed some stickers on address labels and cut them up). When they earned a Bingo in any direction, they got a Bingo ticket (again, just something I printed on cardstock).

With their Bingo tickets, they could purchase different rewards. 1 ticket equals 1 ice cream treat, 2 tickets equals an extra hour of Nintendo, 4 tickets equals lunch at a fast food restaurant, etc. When we first explained the system to the kids, they were all talking about how they were going to save all their tickets for fast food, but once I stocked the freezer with some pretty darn good ice cream treats that we don't usually have on hand, I found that the tickets went pretty quick for treats!

If the kids got a complete blackout (all squares done) by the end of the week (Saturday night), they would earn $5.00. The first week, all 4 kids got blackouts on their cards -- I don't think it happened again!

After a couple of weeks, I read about a modification that we also incorporated. I made 2-3 of the Bingo squares Blue, which were bonus squares and the kids would automatically earn a Bingo ticket for completing just that one square. I also made 2-3 of the squares Green, which were "must-do" squares -- they couldn't be covered up with a "Free" sticker.

So, even though their enthusiasm didn't last all summer, it did seem to last longer than other things I've tried. It was fun to see a lot of things like this:

and this:

and this:

and this:

I also have to share one other thing. One week, one of Hannah's squares was to write a poem about nature. She sat down for a few minutes and then handed me a little scrap of paper with this on it:

the river flows

downstream while

the forest spreads

out west and everywhere

the bees are buzzing

in the springtime.

(The line breaks are more because of the size of her paper, I think, but I kept it as it looks.) Usually she writes rhyming poems, but I thought this was great!

I think we will definitely do this again next summer!