The WEATHER is NOT Cooperating!?

The trip is perfectly planned, you've crossed all of the "t's" and dotted all of the "i's", made all of your connections without a hitch. After arriving at the dream beach house, the inclement weather arrives, and you've found you are NOT prepared for this situation.... (oh, and we want to help you NOT turn on the TV.....)

Here are a few things you can do almost anywhere, anytime....

• Lean 'em" card toss game: no card reading skills necessary, just deal the cards out evenly amongst the players, choose a spot away from a wall, and try to toss and get the most of YOUR cards to lean up against the wall (obviously easier on a carpeted floor, but take the challenge on a hardwood floor!). Make up your own point system for those leaning tall or horizontally etc.. Different colored decks of cards per player make it easier to figure out who owned which cards (or sort by suit)
  
• Trail Mix: Head to the kitchen and mix up some trail mix. Go traditional and use peanuts and raisins, add chocolate (make it colorful with M&Ms), we also like to add any 'brown' cereal (like bran chex), pretzels, Goldfish snacks - use your (healthy) 'snacking' imagination
  
• Draw a Meal: have a child that doesn't want to help put a meal together? Get him/her a placemat-sized piece of paper (or try one of these DOODLE pads to get you going), and have them sketch out their napkin, knife, fork, spoon, plate(s), glass/cup, etc. - ending with drawing their meal!
  
• Crayon Rubbings: add a piece of paper and rub over any object. Things that are always handy; coins, puzzle pieces, pieces of cloth, bandaids, rubber bands, paper clips
  
• Collage: gather newspapers and old magazines, child safe scissors and some glue sticks and let the creating begin. A great exercise in 'art from recycling!'
  
• Dollar Quiz: can your child find the following: name of the President, where the bill was printed, Series year, value of the bill, how many times the value (number) of the bill is on it, make up your own 'finds'
  
• Learn Sign Language... start with the Alphabet, here's a link to a site we like.
  
• Play the little game of "I'm on a trip, the weather is NOT cooperating, and I wish I'd brought....". We like to play starting with an "A" object, then "B" etc... as the next person has to repeat all previous items before adding a new one, and it makes it a bit easier to remember that way
  
• Silent Game :-) Challenge the kids (and adults!) to 'how many minutes can you go....' without speaking, moving, blinking.... or whatever you'd like them to try. Or just do a charade like game where you must communicate without talking.
  

A few things we recommned having for an 'emergency'

• Crayons
• Scrap Paper and/or drawing Pad (paper airplanes?)
  
• Playing Cards
• String Thing (Cat's Cradle!)
  
• Marbles
• Scrap Paper
• Magazines, Newspapers
• Child-safe Scissors

Remember, with a little planning (and trying to see the 'unseen') will make sure your "kids travel happy" :-)