smart summer challenge: wrap-up and winners!
It sure has taken longer than we’d hoped, but we’ve finally chosen and hunted down (most!) of the winners of the Smart Summer Challenge!
Though we believe that everyone was a winner (c’mon, a super-rad calendar packed with six weeks of fun and exciting learning ideas? Aaaand great memory-making with you kiddos? On top of fun activities to celebrate your kids, their government, their home, the forest, the sea, and the universe?) . . . we did promise some pretty big prizes for those who made the effort to join us and share their experiences.
So many, many thanks to the thousands and millions of people who participated in our Smart Summer Challenge. And huge thanks to our sponsors who support learning at home and recognize the important role parents play in their children’s education.
Here’s a quick re-cap of our fabulous, amazing, earth-shattering event, hosted by my pals Mary Lea of Pink and Green Mama, Candace of Naturally Educational, and me!
Week 1: Me on the Map
Highlights. . .
Place in World
Life Sized Body Map
from Pink and Green Mama
Personalized Guess Who? Game
from Counting Coconuts
Sponsor: Juice in the City
Prize: $100 gift certificate to the local bookstore or toy store of winner’s choice, thanks to Juice in the City
Winner: Karen W. from PA
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Week 2: Government
Highlights. . .
Delicious Democracy
Penny Playtime
from Nat and Kat-A-Blog
Sponsor: ThinkFun
Prize: A super-fabulous custom designed for your family assortment of ThinkFun products and games totaling $150
Winner: Kelly I., from UK, comment on teach mama
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Week 3: Backyard Science
Highlights. . .
Nature's Paintbox
from a new bohemia
Leaf People
from Surviving a Teacher’s Salary
Coffee Filter Butterfly
Sponsor: Rosie Hippo
Prize: $150 gift certificate to use at Rosie Hippo
Winner: Anya N, # 61, Naturally Educational comment
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Week 4: Forest Friendly
Highlights. . .
Nature Medallion
from Our Creative Day
- Small Squares
from Harvest Moon by Hand
Sponsor: LeapFrog
Prize: a CRAZY, fabulous, totally must-have assortment of LeapFrog products totaling over $200
- 1 Leapster Explorer
- 2 Leapster Explorer games
- 1 Tag Reader
- 2 Tag Reader Books
- Tag US and World Maps
Winner: Cat, # 82 and commenter on Pink and Green Mama
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Week 5: Water Fun
Highlights. . .
Juice Carton Boat
from Domestic Goddessque
Bathtub Fishing
from Crafts-N-Things
Shark ABC Attack
from Life in the Unknown
Handprint Fish
Sponsor:
GuideCraft
Prize: A $200 gift certificate to use on any amazing GuideCraft product!
Winner: Sarah, #8 from the Week 4 linky!
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Week 6: Out of this World
Highlights. . .
shape spaceship
solar system strand
from Paint Cut Paste
Sponsor: Hewlett-Packard
Prize: The new, cool, super amazing HP Mini!
Winner: SLT Rogers, #74 from Week 6 linky!
Final Week Bonus Prizes:
Sponsor: Juice in the City
Prize: $150 gift certificate to the local bookstore or toy store of winner’s choice thanks to Juice in the City
Winner: Renee from OH
Sponsor: Tech4Learning–Pixie software
Prize(s): Pixie 3 — 5 subscriptions, $50 each!
Winners: Deborah H., Ann from MN, Jessica from TN, Stephanie P., Karen from PA,
And that’s it for our first Smart Summer Challenge!
Woooo-hoooo!!
With traffic reaching upwards of 100,000+ page views/ week, thousands of calendar downloads and views, and tons of positive feedback on our facebook page and via email from readers, I’d say it was a smashing success!
Please stay in touch on our Smart Summer Challenge Facebook page, as we’ll continue to use it throughout the year. Feel free to share your photos, your questions, comments, and successes with us. We’ll be using it regularly.
We are already in the planning stages for next summer’s challenge (can you believe it?!) so we hope you’ll plan to join us again! If you are interested in sponsoring the 2012 Smart Summer Challenge, please don’t hesitate to contact any of us–Candace, MaryLea, or myself–for more information.
Have a great school year!
Wow! Thanks for the highlight on my submission. This was truly a wonderful series to follow and submit to. I loved checking out other people’s projects and adding new ideas to the summer with my kids. (And, we’ll be continuing many into the Fall as well!). Thank you so much for hosting this series…
02/09/2011
You are so welcome!! LOVED your paintbox…and love your blog, my friend!!
03/09/2011
Thank you! (I’m blushing!)
09/09/2011
I love this site! Thanks for the great ideas. As a teacher, I was looking for ideas to go with the abc exercise cards. I’m so glad to have found some great ideas.
I’ll be checking back often.
06/09/2011
Melissa!! Thank you, thank you!!! I just pulled the ABC cards out a few days ago, and Cora, Owen, and I played with them–I should re-post…such a fun idea!
06/09/2011
Thanks so much for highlighting my nesting cups geography lesson. The smart summer challenge was a great idea and I hope you bring it back next year!!!
06/09/2011
Jackie! Your nesting cups lesson–and ALL of your lessons!–are seriously awesome. We were lucky to have had you join us this year, and you better believe we’re doing it again!! xoxo
06/09/2011
Thanks for highlighting my “Penny Playtime” post! What a fun surprise. And thanks for hosting the Smart Summer Challenge. My girls and I enjoyed so many of the super ideas you all shared! We’re looking forward to next summer.
07/09/2011
Megan! You are SO welcome!! Love that idea, and cannot thank you enough for participating. Please let’s stay in touch, and I look forward to next summer!!
07/09/2011