It’s that time of the year again…SUMMER! For some families that brings excitement and adventure. For others, it might bring a little anxiety- what are we going to do to fill all of this time?! Maybe you are feeling a little bit of both. Choice cards can help!

We typically use the Choice Cards strategy for travel (and will be when we head back to Guatemala later this month). To create your own, there are details, ideas, and examples on this post.

This week we tried sometime similar, but with a little twist. We created Summer Bucket List Choice Cards and used our first one today! When making a list, I thought about:

• What locations have a summer series (movie theater, concerts in the park, museums)?
• What do our friends like to do that we could arrange a playdate?
• What are places that might be easier to go in the summer?

I asked each of the kids to pick a couple activities they would like to do this week. (TIP: before I show them the cards, I remove any that wouldn’t work for the timeframe.) This means that anything they choose:

• is already mom-approved
• will increase buy-in (aka decrease whining)
• lets them be a part of decision-making

Today’s featured card…try a new restaurant. In-N-Out Burger has come to Nashville! It’s a place we thought the kids would like to try and one of the locations is in an area we needed to shop. BINGO

The boys were excited to try something new and we all enjoyed the experience. Since this new location is extremely popular (ranks 5th of In-N-Out Burger locations for sales), we had to wait quite a while for our order. Yet the kids were content to chat and do an In-N-Out word search. No whining. (Added bonus, there were zero complaints while shopping before lunch.)

The 27 activities on these Summer Bucket List Choice Cards are already working for us and I know your family will enjoy them too. Download and print your own today for just $2.99!

Comment to share how you’re using Choice Cards with your family.