School's Out

​For kids near me, the school days are dwindling down.  My own children only have two and a half days left.   A neighboring district has been out for a few days already.   No matter when your kids' school finishes for the year, you probably have been thinking what break will look like.  We fear mindless activities (TV, video games, YouTube) taking over or the kids driving us nuts because they are "bored." 
A few years ago my friend shared a chart similar to the one pictured here and I immediately loved it.  I tweaked it a bit for my family and added pictures since my youngest at that time was not reading.  My husband and I love having the kids complete the chart daily.  We have found that it takes much longer most days then we anticipated because they kids really get into and enjoy the tasks.  They also often help one another which was a pleasant bonus.  Of course, some days they rush through the tasks in order to watch TV or play a video game but we are okay with that because we know they have used their brains in numerous ways. 
This chart doesn't replace us asking for other things to be completed when needed (such as chores) but it does help us know that our kids are engaging in lots of different activities.  It also allows my husband to have some relaxation time while they are completing the activities as he is home with them during break.   

---