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The following post is from Jason & Jennifer Bruce of New Season Design:

Summer is in full swing at our house! You’d think that the summer break from our school routine would have our eight-year-old daughter in relaxation mode. Instead, I noticed that she was antsy and unsure of what to do with herself during the day.

While I’m not a big fan of a structured, activity-filled summer, I realized that she needed some structure in her day. (Why yes, she is her mother’s daughter!) So I created a checklist of things she should try to accomplish daily.

I was a little nervous about presenting her with the idea. I was afraid I might get the OH MOM eyeroll. But no! She was excited about the idea.

She eagerly got to work the first day, checking off each thing she accomplished. I made it very clear to her that she may not get every task done daily. She needed to be okay with leaving a few things undone if the day took a detour. I would much rather take that spur-of-the-moment trip to the local park than ensure the to-do checklist was checked off. I like that we’re weaving lessons about flexibility into the mix with this list. Make a game out of chores.

Want to try a to-do checklist with your kids? Here are two different designs to choose from. As much as I thought our Emma would enjoy the floral design, she’s opted for the jungle animals. You can download either one (or both!) and customize the title and tasks for your family. You can also save your completed list so that you can print a new one each week without having to retype tasks.

Click here to download or print the to-do checklist for kids.

P.S. If you have a younger child and want to introduce the idea of a daily routine, be sure to download our Printable Routine Chart for Kids!

What tasks are on your kids’ daily to-do checklists?