BOY BUCKETS for the WIN!

     So about 2 weeks ago I had a moment of brilliance (yes, they do happen on occasion) .  My boys decided they wanted to make some things from the Dangerous book for Boys and then I thought "I should gather supplies for them" and then I thought "I should make them earn these things".  Thus, the Boy Buckets were born for the Little Boy Brigade at my house!
     The short story is that I filled buckets full of misc. crud amazing stuff and make them work for it thus, providing hours of happy workers and then hours of occupied boys.  It's truly a win-win.  Now here is the long version.
     I started by having them make me a general list that I could work with.  I don't have a picture because it was tossed already BUT 85% of the things in the Bucket list are from their original list.  I went to the $tree and bought supplies and buckets.  Each bucket cost me $10 to make.


Here's whats in them:

• Bucket
• Pop-its (they think it's dyno-mite)
• Shoe laces
• Pens
• Mechanical pencils
• Carabiner
• Clothes pins
• Plastic cups
• Rubber bands
• Tooth picks
• String
• Plastic Straws
• Popsicle sticks
• Balloons
• Paper Clasps
• Pencils
• Super glue (only older boys)
• Safety goggles
• Random pieces of wood ends
• Zip ties

    

Now, for the rules!

1. You only get your bucket if you have obeyed the morning house rules.



Boy Buckets all filled up!

2. You only get your bucket if you have completed all your morning chores.
3. After the above have been completes, you must do an extra chore to get your bucket.  God says you must be faithful with a little to be faithful with much!  Report to me for your extra.
4. If you leave your bucket out- you will lose your bucket (for a day or so).
5. If you leave the contents all over the place- again grounded.
6. If you leave your creations out- yet again, bye-bye bucket.
7. If you steal from someone else's stuff or trade unfairly- yup, you guessed it, no-das-bucket.

     In use =)

     Every day these boys are excited to get their buckets.  They are eager to get their stuff done, get assigned an extra chore and earn the privilege to use their buckets.  They never seem to get tired of the buckets and have used the book and their imaginations to create some great stuff!  Even the older kids have joined in and have been found on many occasions asking the Boy Brigade if they need help with making anything.

     These buckets have been so successful that I have since run back out to the $tree and decided to have a "bucket box" where they can use sweat equity to get more supplies.   I have not had them do this yet as everyone except my youngest, still have plenty of supplies.   My youngest, E6, has already used up most of his supplies but is excited just to have the bucket and use it to collect things and play make believe stuff! I want to keep them all motivated and busy though so have some extra supplies they can get is a worth while investment for me.  Some of the new things are repeat items and others are just random things.  They include:

• Pipe cleaners
• Toilet paper rolls
• Mini flash lights
• Duct tape
• Needle and thread
• Small plastic containers
• Funnel
• Etc.

      Anyway, we are having a great summer so far and these buckets have been a huge part of my busy boys keeping themselves entertained!

     I have included the link here for you to the book that inspired it all!