It’s the logistical reality of two working parents plus seven kids plus three months of unstructured time. Something has to fill that space, and if I don’t plan it, video games will.
And I say that as someone who works in tech and thinks about digital tools literally every day. I’m not anti-screen. But “what did you do today?” should not have a one-word answer for twelve weeks straight.
So this summer, I had two goals: keep the math muscles working, and give my kids something real to make.
Here’s what that actually looked like.
The Math Part (This One Was Easy)
I’m not going to overthink the math section because honestly, it was the easy part. We used IXL.
If you haven’t heard of IXL, it’s an online learning platform that does something I find genuinely useful: it diagnoses where your child actually is in math — not where you think they are, not where the grade level says they should be — and then gives them targeted practice problems to move them forward. Slowly. Consistently. Without me having to do anything except say “30 minutes. Go.”
A few things I love about it:
- It meets them where they are. Some of my kids were ahead in certain areas; some were behind. IXL sorted it out without any drama from me.
- I don’t grade anything. This is the real win if you’re a working homeschooling mom.
- It covers other subjects too, though I honestly only use it for math. Confession: I’m probably under-utilizing it.
For some of my kids, we were still working through math from the school year anyway — so we just kept going right into summer. The others did 30 minutes of IXL every weekday to keep things sharp. That’s it. Math handled.
The Part I Made Up
The harder question was: what do you do with seven kids who are not in school and need to do more than survive until fall?
So I invented something I called “Summer Projects.” (I know. The name is not creative. If you’ve got a better one, I’m genuinely open to it.)
Here’s the concept: At the beginning of summer, I gave each kid a list of projects to choose from. They had to pick one project per month — three total over the summer. They could repeat the same project if they loved it, but every month had to end with something they made that they could show me.
The rules were simple:
- One hour a day, minimum, working on your project
- More is always welcome
- At the end of summer: a showcase
That last part — the showcase — is the secret sauce. I’ll get to it.
The Project List
Here is exactly what I gave them to choose from. I tried to hit different skills, different personalities, and different age levels. The goal was that every kid — from my 9-year-old to my 17-year-old — could find something that genuinely interested them.
1. Family Newsletter
Create a family newsletter that you “publish” at the end of the month. Must have 3 articles but then you can make crossword puzzles or whatever.
2. Crochet
Start and finish multiple projects over the summer. At the showcase, present your work and talk about what was hard or interesting about each piece.
3. Drawing
Using a book provided by mom (this is what I ordered), work through the drawing exercises to improve your skill. At the showcase, present your best work from the summer and talk about each piece.
4. Research a Topic You Find Interesting
Read about a historical event, a person, a country, an activity — whatever catches your curiosity. Mom helps source books. While reading, take notes on anything important or surprising, then create a presentation on your topic at the end of the summer.
5. Write a Song
Write both the music and the words. Perform your song for the family at the end of the month. If you finish before summer is over, write another one.
6. Cooking
Read chapters in mom’s big cookbook, find great snack recipes, add ingredients to the grocery list, and make snacks for the family. You won’t be making something every single day. At the showcase, present the recipes you collected — and of course, make us something delicious.
7. AHG Badges
Pick badges and work on them through to completion. At the showcase, share which ones were your favorite and why.
8. Write a Book
Start with an outline, then write a full story — typed, not handwritten, so we can focus on proper grammar and spelling. Do your best, it’s okay if you don’t finish by the end of the summer. Utilize this book as you work.
9. Build a Model
Work with mom and dad to find an age-appropriate model kit. Follow the directions as written. At the showcase, present your finished model and tell everyone about it. (This was by far the most popular).
10. Travel Journal
Using photos from our summer trip, create a journal that captures everything we did — digital or physical, your choice.
11. Stop-Motion Animation (for kids with phones)
Create a stop-motion animation film with a real plot. Start by building a storyboard before you film anything. Mom will help you understand what you need. Present the finished film at the showcase.
12. Create a Podcast
Write and record multiple podcast episodes. Send them to family members to listen to and share their feedback.
13. Texas History Diorama
We’ll be reading a Texas history book as a family this summer. Pick a scene from the book and build a diorama to showcase it.
What Actually Happened
Every kid got into their project in a real way this summer. But there were a few moments that stood out.
Emma published a family newsletter the first month — and family members loved it. Watching a kid figure out that she has something worth saying, and that people want to read it, is a pretty special thing to witness.
Gideon built a car model and loved it so much he spent his own money buying a second one. That was not on my bingo card. But there it was — a 12-year-old voluntarily investing in his own project.
The biggest surprise was Jacqueline. She picked drawing for August, I bought her a self-guided how-to-draw book, and what she produced genuinely shocked me. The kid has real artistic talent that I did not know was there. I’m now seriously looking into art classes for her. Summer Projects — quite literally — uncovered something.
And then there was Franky. He read a chapter from the book he’s been writing out loud at the showcase, and it was good. Actually, legitimately good writing for a 15 year old. I had no idea.
None of that happens if we spend the summer on video games.
The Showcase: The Part That Made It Real
Here’s what I actually did at the end of the summer: I invited extended family — grandparents, and my sister who used to teach them — and the kids had to present their work.
Not just “here’s the thing I made.” Actually present it. Walk us through what they created, what was hard, what they learned.
And the thing is — they were all already into their projects. No one was scrambling at the last minute. But presenting is a different skill than making, and they felt that. Every single one of them was a little nervous before they got up to talk.
Which turned out to be one of the best unexpected benefits of the whole thing: genuine public speaking practice, in front of people who love them, about something they actually care about. There is no better context for learning how to present yourself.
This is, I think, how learning is supposed to feel.
How to Adapt This for Your Family
You don’t need seven kids or my exact list to make this work. A few things to think through as you adapt it:
- The most important thing when building your list is that each project should be something the kid can work on independently. The goal is self-directed engagement, not a project that needs you hovering next to them every day. For model building, I pre-screened a handful of kits that were actually designed for their age range and let them choose from that shorter list — not just “pick anything from the store” and then end up with something that requires adult help every two minutes. That said, don’t make it too easy either. You want a project that stretches them a little. The sweet spot is challenging enough that they’re genuinely working, but manageable enough that they can own it.
- The showcase doesn’t have to be a big event. A FaceTime call with grandparents works beautifully. The point is a real audience and a real deadline.
- The “one project per month” structure is flexible. If a kid is deep into something and wants to continue it the next month, let them. Sustained engagement is the goal, not rigid scheduling.
- Build in the showcase expectation from day one — it’s not a surprise twist at the end. It’s part of the deal up front, and that changes how they approach the whole summer.
- Your project list doesn’t have to look exactly like mine. What are YOUR kids interested in? What skills do you want them to build? Start there.
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