Summertime

Summer is now in full swing and I wanted to share a few fun ideas to keep the kiddos occupied. I started playing with a few ideas that I found at a blog called "Brown Paper Packages".I found $1.00 flower pots at Walmart and painted a letter for each of the childrens names, then let them decorate with stickers and markers. Every time they read for 20 minutes they put a tag in their flower pot. I have an awards system set up so that every time they have 7 tags, they get to pick a prize. The older ones are allowed to count a tag if they spend time reading to the younger ones. It has been exciting to see them all sitting and reading books without my prompting. Another thing that has been a lifesaver so far is this handy dandy old window that I found out in the shed. I used permanant marker to make the Chores and Piano Points chart(for my daughter who is taking piano lessons) and use a washable marker to write daily chores. I also decided to make the hallway into an art gallery. The children love it! They are so proud of their work. Everytime someone comes to visit they like to show them the beautiful display. Ah yes, summertime...Only 3 weeks into into and still so many adventures to come!