Summer is officially here at the Lacina house, and somehow I blinked and my babies are not quite babies anymore. Jack finished 3rd grade. Ellie finished 1st. And Charlie has a very important summer assignment: potty training. No pressure, buddy, but Jordan promised the kids a puppy if we can get our human puppy house trained first. So honestly, the stakes are high.
My mother-in-law (MooMoo) is also on her way to our house for the next month, and I am so grateful. Between wedding season, editing galleries, keeping everyone fed, and trying to make summer feel fun for the kids, I’ll take all the extra hands I can get. I really do love summer with my kids. I love the slower mornings, the outside time, the popsicles, the staying up a little later, and the way everything feels a little more relaxed.
But I also know that without a little structure, our days can turn into one long loop of: “Can I watch TV?” “Can I have a snack?” “What are we doing today?” “Can I watch TV now?” So last summer, I made something for my own kids called Mystery Missions. And because it actually helped, we’re bringing it back again.
What Are Mystery Missions?
Mystery Missions are a simple summer routine system for kids. Each child has a daily checklist with things like getting dressed, brushing teeth, reading, Bible time, playing outside, tidying up, helping around the house, and then choosing one card from the Mystery Mission jar. The mission cards are a mix of creative, silly, helpful, active, and faith-based ideas.
Some are simple, like building a LEGO animal or drawing a map of a made-up land. Some are helpful, like wiping down door knobs or matching socks. Some are just for fun, like creating an obstacle course or having a stuffed animal talent show. It gives the kids something to do besides asking me what they’re allowed to do next, and it gives our summer days just enough rhythm without making them feel overly scheduled.
How We Use It
I print the checklist, mission cards, and summer calendars, then laminate them so we can reuse them with dry erase markers. The checklist goes somewhere the kids can see it, and they work through it before the TV turns on. The Mystery Mission is the last thing on the list, which makes it feel a little more fun and a little less like “Mom made me do chores.” Is it perfect every day? Absolutely not. Some days everyone is excited. Some days someone acts like I asked them to scrub the driveway with a toothbrush. But overall, it helps. And in summer, I am not looking for perfect. I am looking for helpful.
What’s Included
I updated the printable again this year so you can use it with your own kids too. The free Summer Mystery Missions printable includes:
- A daily summer checklist
- 84 Mystery Mission cards
- Blank cards to add your own ideas
- June, July, and August calendars
- Moveable summer calendar tiles
- A printable Mystery Missions jar label
You can use the whole thing exactly as-is, or you can make it your own. Skip what doesn’t fit. Add what your family needs. Make it easier, harder, sillier, calmer, or more chore-heavy depending on your kids and your summer. The whole point is not to create a perfect routine. It’s to bring a little more peace to the day, a little more creativity to the house, and a little less screen-time negotiating before your coffee gets cold.
Download the Free Summer Mystery Missions Printable
You can download the free printable here:
I hope this gives your family a little breathing room, a little routine, and a summer that still feels like summer. And if you’re also potty training a toddler, working during nap time, or answering snack requests every seven minutes… solidarity.
Happy summer, friends.
Thanks for reading,
