A Summer Prep Project That Just Might Save Your Sanity Next Year
What signals your back-to-school clock starting to tick?
When the first Target ad for backpacks hits the airwaves?
When Walmart rolls out towers of $0.50 spiral notebooks?
When the flyer for your district’s elementary school open house shows up in the mailbox?
Or when your stress hives start making their annual debut?
For me, it’s the fireweed.
If you’re not familiar, let me introduce you to this little floral gem. Fireweed is a vibrant pink wildflower that grows tall along roadsides and trails. And there’s a long-standing bit of Alaskan lore: when the fireweed blooms reach the top of the stalk, there are only six weeks of summer left.
So every year, when I see the blooms creeping higher, I know it’s time to pack up the sunscreen and start getting my teacher brain back online.
Fireweed as summer progresses and the blooms climb
But I’m not talking about setting up bulletin boards or planning the first day (I’ve got a whole other post on that). Today I want to talk about something more big picture—and arguably more important for your sanity: your On-Demand Adulting Folder.
What’s an On-Demand Adulting Folder?
It’s a collection of flexible, no-prep (or low-prep) activities that are ready to go when:
You finish a lesson early
The pep rally schedule messes with your timing
Half of your class is missing for a sporting event
You’re covering a class outside your content area
You just need to hit pause and do something different
You can learn more about how I use mine in the moment in this post:
👉 No Sub Plan? No Problem. Adulting Activities to the Rescue!
But this post? This is all about getting ahead of the chaos—and using your summer to prep for those unpredictable moments now, while you still have time, brain space, and iced coffee.
New teacher or veteran, these schedule glitches come for us all!
Why Build One Now?
Because when you’re in the thick of it—in October, or during finals week, or the Friday before winter break—you won’t want to print, prep, or plan anything extra.
Creating your On-Demand Adulting Folder now is like setting up a safety net for your future teacher self.
And let’s be real: students love this stuff. Adulting topics are practical, engaging, and work across age ranges and ability levels. Whether it’s a ninth grader figuring out pay stubs or an adult learner comparing apartments, they all want to feel prepared for real life.
These aren’t filler activities—they’re practical, purposeful, and sneakily skill-building.
Think: social skills, executive functioning, fine motor skills, real-world prep.
It’s not core content, but it is real life.
(And sometimes that’s exactly what students need.)
Trust me—your November self will thank you.
What’s In My On-Demand Adulting Folder?
Here are a few of my personal favorites that work well with middle school, high school, and adult education students alike:
⚠️ Quick note: Not everything in my folder is strictly “adulting.” It’s really a mix of life skills, critical thinking, and social-emotional learning—because I’ve found these help create well-rounded human beings.
✂️ Origami Challenge
I keep a box of colorful origami paper in my classroom. Sometimes I’ll teach a fold I know, or we’ll all follow along with a YouTube video. Now I’ve got students looking up folds on their own—and they’ll sometimes teach one to the class. It’s hands-on, calming, and great for fine motor skills—plus, it takes only 5–10 minutes.
🧠 Logic Grid Puzzles
I love using logic puzzles—they’re free, printable, and challenging in the best way. This is a site I’ve used, but there are lots of others out there.
These puzzles ask students to use clues and deductive reasoning to solve little logic mysteries. I project them and let students work on scratch paper, either alone or in pairs. Super engaging and zero prep.
🃏 Card Games
I also keep a small plastic bin filled with decks of playing cards. I try to keep about 10 decks—this built-in scarcity encourages students to pair up or team up.
My rule is simple: They can play whatever card game they want—with the exception of betting.
One student tried to start a poker tournament. We had a quick talk.
Usually, students teach each other games. Sometimes I’ll join a group and teach a new one, too. Some favorites:
Rummy
Crazy Eights
Speed
Fan Tan (I think some people call it Sevens?)
It’s great for numeracy, logic, strategy, and social skills—and feels like controlled chaos.
🧾 Slideshow Snacks
These are quick, discussion-based slide decks I keep in a Google folder. Topics include:
Weird trivia and fun facts – a collection of strange-but-true science and history tidbits
The science of sleep – from hypnagogic jerks to sleep paralysis
How to Adult: 101 Life Skills – a mega deck of mini life skills (like how to tip or how to build a campfire)
The key to these slide decks is that they don’t require any background knowledge. I can open any one with any group and just dive in. Zero prep. Maximum engagement.
📺 Game Shows
Classroom quiz-style games like my Adulting Game Show or Financial Literacy Game Show are always a win.
Each one has 5 categories and questions with a range of difficulty levels. I project the game, students take turns choosing questions, and they write their answers on individual whiteboards so everyone participates. It’s high energy but easy to manage.
🔤 Crossword & Word Search Collection
I break my “no printing” rule here—but only because I print class copies during the summer when there’s no line at the copier!
I keep a file bin stocked with printed copies of my adulting-themed puzzle sets, including:
Budgeting
Banking
Emergency prep
Scams & fraud
Voting & civic duties
Students can vote on which one they want, or just grab one from the bin.
Simple. Quiet. Productive.
Use the relative peace of summer to prep these activities
Build Your Own Folder: A Summer Project That Pays Off
Here’s how to build your own On-Demand Adulting Folder in five simple steps:
1. Pick Your Formats
Include a mix of:
Printable activities (crosswords, scavenger hunts, writing prompts)
Digital content (Google Slides, logic puzzles, short video + discussion combos)
Hands-on options (origami, games, card decks)
2. Go Evergreen
Choose content that isn’t tied to holidays or seasons, so you can use it anytime.
3. Prep Once, Use Forever
Print class sets now and store in a file bin
Organize digital files in a Google Drive folder
Bookmark favorite classroom-ready websites
4. Think Flexible
Pick activities that:
Work across age and ability levels
Require minimal set-up or explanation
Can be scaled up or down depending on time
5. Make It Accessible
Store your folder in a way that’s easy to grab—physically or digitally. You’ll be glad you did the next time the school secretary calls and says:
“Can you cover 6th period?”
🎁 Grab the Free Checklist
Want a printable checklist version of the ideas and suggestions in this post to help you build your folder? I’ve got you! 🎉
A Summer Well Spent
If you’re looking for a summer project that won’t take long but will pay off all year, this is it.
Build your On-Demand Adulting Folder now, while you’ve got space to think. Because when the fireweed finishes blooming and the school bell starts ringing, you’ll have a safety net of engaging, practical activities ready to go.
And your students? They’ll thank you too.
👉 Want to Skip the Prep?
Explore my ready-to-go puzzle sets, game shows, and life skills lessons in the Life Beyond High School TpT Store.
Use the form above to get your free copy!
