Super Summer Store

This is another brilliant idea from my seester Wendy...

As a way to help the Summer not be a total brain sucking mass of tv watching or computer game playing, I opened the Love's Super Summer Store the Monday after Lizzy's last day of school. Lizzy made our sign and the Open/Close sign.

You can click on the picture to see it up close.

 I created a list of jobs or activities they can do to earn "money" (monopoly money). I chose activities that would help them learn but not necessarily jobs like cleaning. I kind of think helping to keep the house clean is just part of living in a family so I decided to not put those activities on the list. As they do each job they put their money in their "bank" - a cute box I let them decorate before we started. We went to the $1 store where I gave each of them $10 to pick out 10 different items they would want to "purchase" during the summer.

I wrote a price on each item - nothing was under $5, most were $10 or $15. With the money they earn, they can also purchase time watching a movie, playing a game on Nickjr.com or pbskids.com, or buying a popsicle.

Each day, before the store can be opened or before they can even earn any money, their beds have to be made, room cleaned, scripture study must to be over, teeth brushed and dressed for the day. Once those things are taken care of, the store is officially open and the earning of money, and the spending of money, begins.

Here is a picture of Ben and Lizzy putting together a puzzle. Because they did it together they split the $10 they earned from doing the puzzle.

This has been a fun summer activity. Both Ben and Lizzy are in the habit now of checking their "bank accounts" to see if they can afford a certain activity. If they can't, they choose a way to earn some money. If they do have enough, they carefully choose how they spend their money. It is amazing to me how often they are willing to do the $20 earning opportunities. It has made getting them to do brain building type of activities so much easier on me. I'm sure a much more creative mom than I would have made everything all cutsie and crafty. Oh well, I did my best. :)

Yay for the Love's Super Summer Store!