Make a Little Magic
Whether visiting a theme park or another vacation destination, doing a little something extra for the kids to get them excited about the trip is always fun! Here are a few ideas…
Vacation Countdown – Use paper rings to make a countdown to vacation chain or print off a calendar from your computer. Let the kids decorate it and mark off the days as the vacation draws near.
Do Your Homework – Have the kids help out with the planning of the trip. Give them brochures and websites to visit to see where you are going and let them pick out at least one activity to do during the trip.
Make Some Money – Give kids a few extra chores to do around the house to raise money for their upcoming trip. Make this money special money just for vacation and any treats they want that mom and dad wouldn’t normally be willing to get.
Create a Packing Checklist – And let the kids help gather the gear to make packing easier…but limit the items to only those on the checklist. (My kids get a little creative when packing – I don’t know why we would need 20 of their bedtime books on vacation, but that seemed perfectly reasonable to them the last time they were packing.)
Get them Writing – Give each child a vacation journal to write about their adventures during the trip. Have them decorate it before the trip begins.
If visiting a Disney Destination:
For little prince and princesses… Write a letter from one of their favorite characters that appears in the mailbox a few days before the trip telling them how happy they are that they will be visiting soon. Or deliver a special dress or costume for them to wear to upcoming character meals.
