After a weekend on an island (this sounds like a bigger story than it actually was....) with 10 adults and 11 kids, we realized how excellent it is NOT to have much for toys and to see what the kids come up with for entertainment. Of course I'd love for KidsTravelHappy to be able to take credit for supplying all (or at least SOME) of the unplugged entertainment for the kids, but nature and seemingly mundane tasks did that for us.
We were amazed at the kids dedication and focus on sawing wood for the fire (with adult supervision of course) - not only was this entertaining, but very purposeful, as the weather was chilly and we used the fire to cook and to gather for warmth and conversation. A little background.... we were on an island on a lake in Western Maine called Mooselookmeguntic (after some research, we find that the interesting name "Mooselookmeguntic" is said to have come from an ancient Abanaki word, meaning 'portage to the moose feeding place, or moose feeding among the trees.") Ironically, we did see a moose just before we arrived at the lake. The moose had nearly missed a fatal crash with a pickup truck one vehicle ahead of us!
In order to camp on Students Island, one has to paddle a canoe (or other craft) to the island, and transport all the stuff one might want for the extent of time one is there, in our case this was 3 days/2 nights. For us it meant two trips "from the mainland" (an adventure in itself), one with some things, and the kids, the second with the dog and the rest of the supplies, very little of which was toys. What else did we do? Hike, swim (despite the chilly days), nature walks (older kids guided the younger teaching about trees, mushrooms and more), roast dinner on the fire, run (run, run), play games with 'sticks and stones' (and NO broken bones!)....It makes me happy to see kids do SO much with so little - no beeps, electronics, battery toys, etc. just plain old fun; more like what I remember doing with my friends growing up. Best of all, I'd like to think that the kids will take these memories with them into adulthood.And, with 3 dogs in our group, even they wore each other out (note photo of our black lab mix above, asleep....)
I must say, there were many fun people that I met at the Toy Fair, and I frequently find that it's the smaller companies that i'm generally attracted to, as I feel as though they are much like me (or, at least what we strive to be at KidsTravelHappy.com). Ideally, I want to conduct business the Old Fashioned way - provide innovative products, fast/fair shipping, and extraordinary customer service. Through the next few posts, I want to highlight some companies that took extra time to show/explain their product, and made me want to support their businesses even more (hopefully, you will want to also!).
First I would like to thank the Happy Kid Company, a company that is committed to the Specialty Toy Market. They perfer to produce locally, have a top quality product in smaller quantities (and smaller markets), and are not yet tempted by the idea of rapid growth/distribution.
What does the Happy Kid Company produce? Only the coolest 'fort' components imaginable.
ALL of their 'fort' options are great because they can be used indoors or out, promote creativity and imagination, are very high quality, washable, and we love that they are easily portable. More specifically, these are the offerings....
The Original Fortamajig Single Layer: this is an 8x8 foot square of durable material. With a built in window and door, it's easy for kids to make custom playspaces (nearly anywhere!)
The Original Fortamajig Reversible: same as above butis a double layer/double color construction, for even more durability and fort making color options
The Original Fortamajig Connectables This is the ultimate in travel fun, comes in it's own ready to go backpack with 6 colorful squares, the Connectables allow you to have fort-making tools anywhere - for sunny days, or rainy ones.
Best of all, for 2010, the prices for each of the items has gone down, further proof that this company is determined to provide a high quality product for a fair price.
One of our top picks for "imaginary journeys", yet easy enough to take along on any "real" one.
Yes, the economy. It keeps me THINKING about travel (or, sometimes not, as it can get depressing!), but my family is not DOING it as much these days. When I get feeling a bit 'trapped' in my surroundings I know it's time to pick up a book, and take an 'imaginary' journey. I LOVE this book - just to read about places that I should go (or, realize, maybe I can skip!).
Technically, I have not made that 'life list' as I truly enjoy any sort of adventure near or far, but must admit, there are a few places that stand out in my mind... BUT, I have kids, and some of the places I need to wait until they are older (yet make sure I am not TOO old. A fine line!) With so many choices and information in this one book, it is easy to find any type of trip imaginable.
1000 Places To See Before You Die takes you 'all over the world' and opens with the quote "Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the places and moments that take our breath away". Search the book by continent, activity, theme, mode of travel and more. I'm thinking focusing on the "Festivals & Events" section could take me a lifetime or two (and those tiny 'check boxes' beside each item in the index are calling at me to check them off!!).
We read parts of the book to our kids. Our 6-year old is especially curious and enjoys hearing snip-its about the Taj Mahal, the Lesser Antilles, or the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.
So, when in doubt, get some books out. Take those imaginary journeys or plan for the next REAL journey. You may learn something, and it'll get you excited to explore (and motivated to start saving!).
It's raining, you're on a wonderful trip to a tropical setting (or, maybe you are JUST at home!), with the beach in mind, but the weather is NOT cooperating. A couple of young children (but mostly YOU) are bummed about being inside. What to do?
Of course, you can do things like go to a movie, find a Children's Museum, or other activities that cost money. BUT, we find this is the best time to take those "imaginary journeys", make the best of it, and hope the weather is perfect (or at least adequate) soon.
preschoolers: 'super-heroes', wizards or princesses, as the silks can be tied as a cape or as a headdress
for school-age: dress up is still a great activity, or use the silks to make forts with chairs; we also like to use silks for play surfaces; green for magic forests, blue for mythical oceans
One of our favorite school-age (and up) 'imaginary' journey activities is the Think-ets Storytelling Game. Why you may ask? It's a simple concept - a small mesh bag with at least 10 little random trinkets in it. There are many variations, but basically, the idea is for someone to pick one, begin a story, the next person then picks one, continues, and so on. One could also pick multiple 'trinkets' to start the story. Never the same story twice, and you can even add your own little treasure 'trinket' pieces to expand the options. OR, get multiple sets!
Want to go all out? Don't want to sacrifice the furniture to the 'hideout' or 'fort' building? Try a Crazy Fort Construction Kit, and make a castle, an igloo, or just a cube and throw any old sheet on top. Better yet, take an old sheet and let the kids draw details on their creation. Packs easily back in the box it comes in, and simple to take along for emergency 'bad weather', especially for road trips, or visits to Grandma/pa's house!
Where were all of these innovative things when I was a kid??
Before you know it, the weather will improve (or at least everyone's mood will!) and you'll wonder where the time went.
For more 'Rainy Day' or 'At the Destination' ideas check this LINK. And, remember, sometimes the best journeys go no where at all except in the mind.
Well, moving on from vegetarian fare, to lower calorie, wooden food options. Wooden Play Food is perfect for kids and adults, as it never spoils, always looks fresh, you can add as much of it to your plate as you want, and you won't put on a pound... Obviously, you can't actually eat it, which is its only down-side, but with a couple of cloth bags full of some of our favorite 'in-edibles' you will be ready for your next picnic, gourmet snack, or tea time with teddy, a pet, your family, or maybe someone new you meet along your next journey (oh, and don't forget any and all imaginary friends!).
Now down to the tasty bits 1) Breakfast is not complete without the PlanActivity Breakfast Menu with Serving tray. This set promotes healthy eating choices, and will get kids 'fueled' up for the day. Made of wood, this set is durable for years of play. Set includes all in the picture below including: two slices of bread & a bun, sausage, bacon, cheese, fried egg, boiled egg, salt and pepper shakers and a tray to serve oneself or bring to share with others.
2) Healthy Snacks from PlanActivity Fruits & Veggie Set with or Without a Wooden Tray The set WITH the tray comes with 8 pieces of fruit and veggies (plus knife), and the set WITHOUT the tray comes with 5 pieces of fruit and veggies. Both sets come with a wooden 'knife' which 'cuts' through the food and makes a great sound as it breaks through the 'velcro' holding the food together. Makes teaching about healthy snacks LOTS of fun.
3) Dessert After all that healthy stuff, it's time to celebrate with Melissa & Doug's Wooden Birthday Cake Set The complete set comes with 6-slices and 19 toppings (strawberries, jellybeans, and gumdrops), decorative storage box, serving plate & serving spatula, and 7 candles (all wooden and attach with velcro). Cake even makes 'slicing' sound when 'cut' with wooden utencils. Kids will love celebrating their birthday over and over.
4) The Wooden Tea Set from PlanActivity is an adorable set for pretend play (it is NOT recommended that REAL liquids be put in these, however). Gather friends real & imaginary for hours of conversation, trip planning, and more. We LOVE that this set has wooden tea bags, sugar cubes, spoons, cups, saucers, and tea pot. The tea is never too hot or too cold, and the pot never empties. Add to the birthday cake for an exquisite role play experience. All of the items pack small enough for on the go as well!
Lastly, we want to add that these are long-lasting, quality sets, that will provide years of fun at home, grandparents, or on-the-go.
Although we live in a quite rural section of Western Maine, we are fortunate to live within an hour and a half of TWO great Children's Museums; one in Portland, Maine, and The Children's Discovery Museum in our capital of Augusta. If you live in an Urban area, the Children's Museum option is surely even closer! If you live in an even more rural area than we do, make a day of it (and of course, we can make sure your 'kids travel happy' :-). And, if you plan a trip to a new area, a Children's Museum can be the perfect rainy day remedy or a good way to put a vacation's focus on the kids. Adults will find these places fun too!
These are the things we like most about children's museums and discovery centers:
reasonable cost
the interactive nature of the activities
the activities focus on roleplay and imaginary play
the museums offer things for the youngest children as well as school age children (SOMETIMES this happens too: we have friends that just came back from the Cape Cod Children's Museum in Massachusetts and the facility there had 6 tables set up for ADULTS - puzzles, games and other challenges, very cool!)
often there are areas that focus on educating about the region the museum is located (in Maine we find there are 'logging' areas, and maple syrup making areas)
there are things to learn about animals and insects
the 'gift shop' typically provides economical, mind-stimulating activities to take home
great place to host a birthday party, and many museums have rooms and/or facilities for cake & festivities (and group rates!)
Do an internet search for 'children's museums your town/city/state'
Before you know it, your kids will want to go to the 'big person's' museums! Children's Museums are a great place to plant the seed and grow the appreciation for culture and active learning.
After a weekend on an island (this sounds like a bigger story than it actually was....) with 10 adults and 11 kids, we realized how excellent it is NOT to have much for toys and to see what the kids come up with for entertainment. Of course I'd love for KidsTravelHappy to be able to take credit for supplying all (or at least SOME) of the unplugged entertainment for the kids, but nature and seemingly mundane tasks did that for us. 
A little background.... we were on an island on a lake in Western Maine called Mooselookmeguntic (after some research, we find that the interesting name "Mooselookmeguntic" is said to have come from an ancient Abanaki word, meaning 'portage to the moose feeding place, or moose feeding among the trees.") Ironically, we did see a moose just before we arrived at the lake. The moose had nearly missed a fatal crash with a pickup truck one vehicle ahead of us!
What else did we do? Hike, swim (despite the chilly days), nature walks (older kids guided the younger teaching about trees, mushrooms and more), roast dinner on the fire, run (run, run), play games with 'sticks and stones' (and NO broken bones!).... It makes me happy to see kids do SO much with so little - no beeps, electronics, battery toys, etc. just plain old fun; more like what I remember doing with my friends growing up. Best of all, I'd like to think that the kids will take these memories with them into adulthood. And, with 3 dogs in our group, even they wore each other out (note photo of our black lab mix above, asleep....)
