Summertime

Summer is coming and there are many things to do with the kids this year.  There are many great sites to visit to find activities around the GTA.

ROAD TRIP !!!!!!!  We have all been there done that.  I have been taking my kids on road trips since they were babies and they love it.  Whether it is to the city next to ours a half an hour away, or all the way to Georgia or Florida that are over a day away.  We always drive.  Even when we go and visit family in Atlanta.  We stop in Kentucky and then again in Atlanta.  With a couple of bathroom breaks in between :)

I find that when we leave with an ESTIMATED arrival time it makes for a much smoother, less stressed, drive.  Just go at your own pace.  If you feel the urge to pull off and look for artifacts at a little stand on the side of the street, then go for it.  Feel like a coffee even tho you just made a lunch stop 20 minutes ago? Why not? 

There are many ideas to keep your kids busy and free from boredom.  Other than the regular licence plate bingo or City/ State checklist, there is a great idea that I recently came across and it worked really well.

Like I mentioned earlier, my kids have been taking road trips since they were in infant car seats under 22lbs,they are now 8, 19, and 23,  so they are fairly entertained with the thought of not only arriving at our final destination point, but as well as our journey along the way of getting there.

Make up some tickets for your children that they hand in every 30 minutes, 60 minutes etc, make enough tickets to cover the whole trip.  For example, if you are going on a 3 hour trip, make 6 - 30min tickets or 3- 60min tickets.  By the time your kids are out of tickets, you will have arrived at your destination.  Make a couple of extra tickets for those unplanned stops that will take time away from your travel time, however, when the kids still have a couple of tickets left at the end, they will be pleasantly surprised because it will seem like the trip didn't take as long as planned. 

Stop tickets!  Make and give each child a couple of Gas Station OR Stop tickets.  These tickets can be redeemed when you stop for a special treat such as ice cream, bag of chips, drink, etc.  This will give the kids something to look forward to during the stops along the way.  Of course it would be a pretty expense trip if you bought something for each child every time you stopped, so just explain to them that this is a 5 hour trip.  We may stop a few times during our 5 hours so make sure to use your TWO (or however many you are giving to each child) stop tickets wisely. :)

Of course you can take photos, sing, eat, sleep and much more to pass some time on those long hauls, however, get as much as you can out of looking at road signs, visiting little towns you are passing thru, eating at different spots, trying new things. 

Open your children's eyes to the world around them.. We already have great tools in place and you will be surprised at how much they learn from everyday place, people and things. 

I hope everyone has a great summer!!!

Be sure to visit www.whataball.com if you are looking for some ideas!