6 Great Challenges for Kids
Looking for a challenge? There are some great challenges for kids that you can use in your homeschool.
Whether it is learning a new skill, being more disciplined - or just get finding a way to do the things you want to do - challenges are a fun way of staying on track.
Challenges are a great way to, well, er, challenge yourself and your children. Whether you pick daily, weekly or monthly challenges it is a fun way to try something new or push yourself a little.
There are lots of challenges around the web. Here are some examples to try in your homeschool. Some are adult oriented but I have tried to pick as many kid-friendly ones as I could find.
1. Drawing/Art
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Challenges can be a fun way to get creative on a regular basis.
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- DaisyYellow runs an Index Card a Day (ICAD) art challenge in May and June. Lots of inspiration there if you want to play with this on your own now. My friend and her children made some wonderful art with this challenge last year - check out her blog here.
- Collage Obsession host a weekly (Monday) collage challenge.
- Every Monday, Colorthowdown invite you to make something using the color they specify. It is mostly card making - but you could use it to spark your own projects.
- Journal Quilting is a good way to get creative on a regular basis. Make a series of quilts to document your year.
2. Reading
There are lots of book challenges - and you will probably find your library holds summer reading challenges every year (otherwise Scholastic usually run a summer challenge). Here are some ideas you might like :
- Read a certain number of books per month/year. Choose a number that would be challenging, but not totally impossible.
- Treasure Hunt reading challenge - make a list of words then try to find book titles related to each topic. There is a great list on this blog (from 2013).
- Have a 'themed' reading challenge.
3. Lego
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I can't do a page on challenges without coming up with some lego ones! Sadly, only one seems to be still running, so I have included some older ones for ideas too.
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Don't forget to check out my lego projects page for more lego ideas.
4. Writing
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Writing challenges are a great way to spark writing in your kids.
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- A whole month too long for you? There is a 3-Day Novel writing challenge held every year on Labour Day Weekend!
- Journaling is a great way to get into the habit of writing regularly. There are lots of journaling prompts available online. I have some here or there are 100 prompts here.
5. Photography
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There are masses of photography challenges available - both online and as apps for your smartphone. Most of them involve taking a photograph every day to document your life.
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6. Learning
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And there are more! Here are more challenges that didn't quite fit into the categories above.
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I am sure there are more :) I will add them as I find them.
A final word about finishing challenges!
Challenges can be a fun way to try something new - but the emphasis should be on fun! Whilst it is nice to see a challenge through - it sometimes can get a bit dreary.
If it makes you feel better, my view is that you should stop when the fun stops! You will have got whatever you wanted from it at that stage - and there is little point plodding on miserably!
And as I say in my ebook, Stickability, some of us are just not designed to stick to a schedule.
If you want to give up on your challenge before the end, you have my permission to do so without guilt :)
Lovely messages sent from visitors like you:
Oh my goodness! I am a home schooling mum of 4 and I have NEVER found a better site! Thank you so much.
Blessings, Jenny (New Zealand)
I wanted to say THANK YOU for your fabulous website. I found your website, and finally I have the confidence to take the plunge and take my daughter out of school and educate her at home, thank you, thank you.
Marina (UK)
I cannot get over how much great information and super ideas you have here. Fantastic!
Ruralmama (USA)
This is simply fabulous!! I just now found this site and I'm so excited!! The opportunities and suggestions as well as the need to inspire are exactly what I have been searching to fulfill!! I'm so thrilled to get started and even more excited to continue to explore all of the fabulous suggestions and creative ideas you have offered here!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Jennifer (USA)
