How It Works
My Summer Challenge is simple to set up and easy to run. Here's exactly what happens from the moment you sign up to the moment your kid earns their Summer Legend badge.
Two ingredients. One great summer.
My Summer Challenge combines two things every kid needs more of — a reason to think and a reason to move. Eight self-contained modules, each built around a Mind theme and packed with Motion activities to earn points.
Mind
Each module opens with a Mind Moment — a short, direct read that gives teens something real to think about. Confidence. Goals. Habits. Friendship. Not school, not therapy — just good thinking for a growing person. Paired with one journal prompt they write by hand.
Motion
Over 300 activities across four categories — Friendlys, Creativities, Adventures, and Fitness. Kids browse like a menu and pick what excites them. Every activity earns points. More variety, more friends, more bonus points. The more they do, the more they earn.
Points & Milestones
A built-in point system turns the whole summer into a game. Activities earn points. Variety earns bonuses. Friends earn bigger bonuses. Milestone badges track summer-total progress from Active all the way to Summer Legend. Every week resets fresh — no kid ever falls behind.
Your setup guide
Getting started takes about five minutes. After that your kid runs with it — and you stay informed without micromanaging.
Choose Your Plan
Start with Module 1 completely free — no credit card required. When you're ready to unlock all 8 modules, choose the Single Child plan ($29) or the Family plan ($47 for up to 4 kids). Both are one-time payments with access through September 30th.
💳 One-time payment · No subscription · No recurring chargesCreate Your Account & Add Your Kid
You create the parent account with your email. Then you add your child's profile — just their first name and age range. If you have multiple kids, each gets their own profile. Each kid sees their own dashboard, their own points, their own module progress.
🔒 Parent controls all account settings and sharing preferencesGet a Journal
Your kid needs one physical journal to write in by hand. Any blank notebook from a dollar store works perfectly — something with at least 50 pages. Or grab the official My Summer Challenge Journal on Amazon, designed to match the program with a page for every prompt and module.
📓 Any blank journal works · Official MSC Journal available on AmazonYour Kid Picks Their First Module
Show your kid the 8 module cards and let them pick whichever one excites them most. We suggest starting with Module 1: Know Yourself — but any module is a fine starting point. There's no wrong choice and no required order.
🎯 Suggest Module 1 to start · Or let them choose freelyStep Back & Let Them Run
Once they're set up, your kid has everything they need to self-direct. They read the Mind Moment, write in their journal, browse activities, go do things, and log points when they get back. Your dashboard shows you their weekly activity summary so you stay in the loop without hovering.
📊 Parent dashboard shows weekly summary · No micromanaging neededEncourage & Celebrate
The biggest thing you can do is ask about their week. "What module are you on?" "What was your best activity this week?" "Did you write your journal prompt?" Small conversations keep motivation high. When they hit a milestone badge — celebrate it. They earned it.
🏅 Milestone badges from 100 pts all the way to Summer Legend at 1000+ ptsYour summer, your way
You're in charge. Pick your modules, choose your activities, earn your points. Here's how a typical week looks.
Pick a Module
Browse the 8 module cards and pick the theme that excites you most this week. Or agree with friends on one to do together.
Read & Write
Read the Mind Moment — takes about 2 minutes. Then write your journal prompt by hand. No screens for this part.
Get Moving
Browse 300+ activities across Friendlys, Creativities, Adventures, and Fitness. Pick what you want to do. Go do it.
Log & Earn
When you get back, log your activity and watch your points add up. Chase milestone badges. Chase the Weekly Challenge bonus.
Sample Week — Module 1
Module 1: Know Yourself
Pick any. Do all 8.
The best part about My Summer Challenge is that there's no wrong order, no falling behind, and no one left out.
No right order. No wrong choice.
Each of the 8 modules is completely self-contained. They don't build on each other — they stand alone. That means you can do them in any order that makes sense for your week, your mood, or your friends.
The goal is simple: complete all 8 by September 30th. That's it.
- Friends joining mid-summer can just pick any module and start fresh — no catching up needed
- Going on vacation? Do an Adventures-heavy module that week
- At summer camp for a week? No problem — your modules wait for you
- Kids who loved a module can revisit it for more points — all activities are always open
Points that actually make sense
Simple base points for showing up. Bonus points for variety, social involvement, and finishing things. Every module resets fresh.
Friendlys
- Each different activity +2
- 3+ friends join +3
- New activity tried +2
Creativities
- Each different activity +3
- Shared your creation +2
- Finished something +5
Adventures
- Different from last module +5
- Brand new this summer +8
- 3+ friends joined +5
Fitness
- Each different category +3
- Weekly challenge done +5
- 5 categories this module +8
🏅 Summer Milestone Badges
You probably wondered...
My Summer Challenge is designed for teens and preteens roughly ages 10–18. A motivated 9-year-old will enjoy it just as much as an 18-year-old. The activities range from very easy to more challenging, and parents can guide their child toward age-appropriate choices. The Mind content is written to be accessible to most middle schoolers while still being meaningful for older teens.
Not at all. Start anytime you want. There's no shared calendar, no cohort start date, no catching up to do. Your kid starts Module 1 whenever you purchase — whether that's June 1st or August 1st. All access runs through September 30th regardless of when you start.
This is one of the best features of the modular system. Friends can join anytime and immediately sync up. If your kid is on Module 4 and their friend just joined, they simply agree to both do Module 3 together that week. Everyone starts the module fresh — no catching up, no falling behind. The whole system is designed for rolling starts and friend groups at different stages.
Any blank journal works — a simple composition notebook, a bullet journal, or even a spiral notebook. It just needs to have at least 50 pages and be something your kid can write and draw in. You can find perfectly good options at dollar stores for $1-3. We deliberately keep this physical and off-screen. If you'd like a journal designed specifically for the program, the official My Summer Challenge Journal is available on Amazon.
As much or as little as your kid wants. The minimum is about 20-30 minutes — reading the Mind Moment and writing the journal prompt. A kid who just does that earns some points. A kid who goes all-in across multiple activities can earn 100+ points in a week. There's no required daily commitment. The program is designed to work with summer schedules — vacations, camps, lazy days and all.
Absolutely. There is no controversial content of any kind — no political messaging, no cultural hot-button topics, no content that hasn't been reviewed with parents in mind. The Mind themes cover universal topics like confidence, habits, friendship, and emotions. The activities are all real-world, social, and screen-time reducing by design. Parents are encouraged to read ahead on each module's content in their dashboard so they're always informed.
Access simply closes on September 30th — no penalty, no pressure. Whatever modules your kid completed, they completed. Any points earned are theirs and any milestone badges earned stay on their profile. Many families find that even completing 4-5 modules makes for a genuinely great summer. And kids who loved the program can return next summer for fresh content and do it all over again.
Yes — the Family plan ($47) covers up to 4 kids under one parent account. Each child gets their own profile, their own module progress, their own point tracker, and their own milestone badges. Parents see all kids' activity in the parent dashboard. Each kid will need their own separate journal, but otherwise everything is managed together under your one account.
Ready to get started?
Module 1 is completely free — no credit card, no commitment. See what the challenge is about before you decide anything.
🌟 Start Module 1 Free Browse all 8 modules →