How Bingo saved our summer

We have a rule (like everybody probably does) about having your chores and homework done before having TV or wii time. It works pretty well during the school year. The girls really don't have a lot of time in the afternoons and evenings between chores, homework, dinner and family activities, so I don't have to worry about them spending too much time in front of the TV, but during the summer it was a whole different story. Their chores are simple and can be completed in a matter of minutes, so they'd get up and finish their chores and assume that the TV was free game for the rest of the day. I'd encourage them to pick another activity like read or play outside, but they'd whine and tell me, "but my chores are done"....and then I'd start in on my lecture about how too much time on the TV makes us grouchy and it's not good for your brain and body and so on....
It was pretty clear after the first few weeks of summer that a new plan needed to be implemented so we started bingo and it was a huge success. They could earn bingos by doing constructive activities like reading and playing with one another. Once they had bingo, they could cash it in for 30 minutes on the wii or TV, or 50 cents depending on if they were in the mood for money or screen time.