Summer activities for kids

My kids are the type to complain that they are bored, so I was proactive this summer, inspired by my medium DD's Girl Scouts badges, to create a "badge" program with 50 different activities that they can do in whatever order they want (although the Christmas in Summer cannot take place until they have earned 24 badges, and, obviously, to earn the final one everything else must be complete.

Each of the older kids has their own ribbon attached to the wall to hang their awards on... I'm making them out of my scraps!

I hope this helps you to have a less boring summer. LOL. I'd love to hear how it works for you... we are almost 2 weeks in, and the kids and I are all loving it. I plan to modify it each year to try new things.

Requirements to earn a badge- complete (no more than two a day, unless they are out of town experiences) and journal about your experience
Badge Name - Description
1. An Apple a Day - No Sugar Day
2. Mother Nature – Planting a tree
3. Hiking
4. BioDome - go to the zoo
5. Until Someone Gets Hurt- Game day (soccer, basketball, board games, cards, magic tricks)
6. Shhhhh – Read 15 books (of appropriate difficulty) throughout the summer
7. The Baljeet Award- Z- master multiplication/division; B- become quicker at addition and subtraction
8. Get Moving – Slip n Slide, Bubbles, Fly a Kite, water balloons, picnic lunch, run a mile
9. Out of this World – Watch a sunrise and sunset, star/planet gaze (telescope)
10. Know Thyself – Write in a journal at least once a week
11. Mommy Rules- Go on a date with Mommy
12. Daddy Rocks- Go on a date with Daddy
13. Catch a Wave- go to the beach, build a sandcastle, collect shells
14. Smarty Pants – finish workbook over the summer
15. No rivalry here – make something for your sister/brother
16. Christmas in Summer: pick out a $5 treat
17. Fresh from the Garden- pick out food from a produce stand
18. Older than Dirt- visit a museum
19. Around the World- pick a country, learn five words in the native language, learn 10 facts, try foods
20. Mozart- part 1: perform a piano concert for our family; part 2- go to a concert
21. Oscars- go to the movies
22. Gotham – learn and have fun in New York
23. Wonders of the World- Natural Bridge
24. Culinary- Help prepare a week’s worth of dinners in one afternoon
25. Love thy Neighbor – deliver a treat bag and run away!
26. Aviary – make a bird house
27. Archery
28. Ancestry – visit your oldest relatives (great-grandparents)
29. Adventurer- try a new food, learn a new skill, and do something you don’t like
30. Religion- read a new Bible story and say an extra prayer each day for a week, attend a weekday Mass, go to confession (Z)
31. Touch the Sky- Blue Ridge Parkway
32. Friendship- Plan a play date
33. Love Thyself- Learn to tie shoes, wash own hair (Bella), clean ears, brush teeth for at least 1.5 minutes each time.
34. Construction – Build a blanket fort, block tower, candy lego tournament
35. Lost & Found- make up a scavenger hunt for your sibling (and color/play with Annie!)
36. Rot Your Brain- Computer/Wii /TV day
37. Picasso- craft day
38. Mama is no Maid- help Mommy and Daddy with chores (at least 1x a week over the summer to earn the badge)
39. Vanderbilt would be proud- Travel by train
40. The next Michael Phelps- compete and have fun in a swim meet
41. Pen Pal- write and mail a letter to someone
42. Character- Obedience, Orderliness, Diligence, Loyalty, Deference, Cheerfulness, Gentleness (Kindness), Contentment, Gratitude, Truthfulness, Servanthood, and Hospitality. Pick two of these strengths and do a project that demonstrates them.
43. Lights, Camera, Action- make up and perform a play
44. Inside Out- do everything backwards- go up a down escalator, wear your clothes backwards, walk backwards, can you talk backwards?
45. Business- Run a Lemonade Stand
46. Patriotism – learn all five service branch hymns, watch fireworks
47. Hometown- Learn about where we live
48. Minute to Win It
49. Hurricane Survival
50. Busy as a Bee- Earn all 49 badges… big time treat!