Smart Lessons That Are All Fun and GamesChoose an activity and get started! Your kids will love the quality time you spend with them, and in the process, they will learn values to help them learn and grow.
Delayed GratificationGet your kids started on a path to patience by encouraging them to work toward a spending goal and wait for the reward.Your kids will shop catalogs for three toys or items they wish to buy—one inexpensive item, one medium-priced, and one higher-priced. Then they will create a goal sheet with an estimated saving time for each item and track their progress over several weeks or months. Finally, they can celebrate their hard work and patience by purchasing the toy they want with their hard-earned money!What your child will learn:
Yearbook in a BoxHelp your kids learn gratitude and contentment by creating a memory box of your family’s highlights from the year.Let your kids go on a memento-finding mission for vacation photos, awards or certificates, artwork or drawings, recital programs, and so on. Place everything in the box and set a date on your calendar (Christmas Day or New Year’s Eve, maybe) when your family can open the box and go through the contents. When that day arrives, make it a family event! Tell your favorite memories from the year and be grateful for all the fun things you did together.What your child will learn:
Shoot for the StarsTeach your kids to shoot for the stars by setting goals and working to complete them.Work together to write some family and individual goals for the year. Your kids will create goal magnets in the shape of stars and place them at the bottom of your refrigerator. Then, when they complete one of their goals, they will move that star to the top of the fridge—just like a shooting star—to show that they’ve accomplished that goal.What your child will learn:
Service With a SmileTeach your children to give with a family serving day in your neighborhood or community!Help your kids give back to their community by planning a serving day in your neighborhood. Clean up trash on the street, volunteer at a local charity, or offer to help an elderly neighbor. Giving to others will make your children more aware of the blessings they have . . . and it just feels good.What your child will learn:
A Piece of the PuzzleTeach your kids how to be patient while working and saving for a big goal!Your child will build their patience muscles by setting a goal—in the form of a puzzle—and working to complete it. Let your child think of a toy or item they want and then have them draw it on the puzzle grid. Assign chores and dollar amounts to each puzzle piece and see how quickly your child can complete the puzzle and earn the money to buy the item.What your child will learn:
The Home CaféTeach your kids the importance of serving others by letting them run their own restaurant!Your kids will run their very own restaurant—in your dining room! From designing their own menu to taking and filling food orders, your kids will learn what it takes to run a restaurant well. They will discover the values of hard work and serving others—things that will help them succeed in both work and life.What your child will learn:
If I Had a Hundred DollarsTeach your kids to prioritize their spending by giving them imaginary cash!For a child, $100 is a pretty big deal. In this activity, kids will decide what they would do if they had $100 and draw a picture of how they would spend the money. Then, you will work together to come up with a spending plan and talk about ways to reach their goal.What your child will learn: