In one of my earliest adventures, as a tween in the 80s, I took a mini-road trip with a friend and her folks. We visited a sweet little craft community in Indiana-just far enough away from home to feel we had traveled, but far less than a long drive.
I have vague memories of visiting some artisan shops and there were likely a couple educational and nature-based adventures thrown in for good measure. But what I remember most of all is a magical evening at our hotel. We played putt-putt smack in the middle of the hotel. In what I thought was a "stroke" of genius, some wise soul placed a recreational Mecca square in the heart of the hotel. And we took full advantage. After a swim in the heated pool, we watched a scary movie, called "The Fog". We took a quick trip to the vending machine for a before bed treat and were greeted by a little fog of our own (probably a result of the heated pool below). There was just something distinctly delightful about the simplest things. Magic moments.
As a mother, I'm putting this on my bucket list for my son. Create simple magic moments this summer. Here are some enchanted ideas to help you cultivate some vacation magic of your own.
Hotel Horseplay
*Send kids on a scavenger hunt for things like soap, coffee cup, map, etc. You can add seasonal items, and items that can be readily found depending on where you are staying.
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*Play hide and seek.
*Have elevator races.
*Try some minute to win it competitions. Pinterest is filled with great ideas.
*Bounce on the bed and have a pillow fight-the things you never let the kids do at home are perfect entertainment for the hotel room.
Packing Possibilities
*Make a road trip survival kit. Include favorite snacks, dry erase boards/markers, magnetic games, printable games, jump rope, deck of cards, etc.
*Create surprise bags filled with fun small items they haven't seen before. You can also draw out of a bag each hour for a different activity or game to play.
*Bring a large zip bag to collect all your souvenirs along the way.
*Organize adventure essentials for every trip. Include a flashlight, binoculars, notepad and pen and a great blanket.