Thanksgiving Traditions, Travel, Kids

It's not so many weeks away, less than 3, when most of us will either be hosting or be 'hosted' (that is, the guest/customer) at some sort of Thanksgiving gathering. I, personally, always enjoy the festivities, or, more importantly, my kids love to get together with their cousins and be silly.

I wonder, however, although the family aspect of the gathering is always recognized, how do we teach children, at their age appropriate level, the meaning for the holiday? As my 6-year old son understands, it is a gathering to commemorate the celebration of the success of the first settler's survival of their first winter, and the harvest that following fall. He knows that Pilgrims and native Indians were involved, but that's about where it ends. And, for 6-years old, that's pretty good. Curious about what we could do as a family to add a bit more appreciate to the holiday, I started thinking about a few things we could begin this year.

Here are my suggestions (pre-thanksgiving)

1. have kids make seating tags, this is a fun, easy craft, and helps kids learn/know names of everyone attending: Try to get a 'headshot' of each attendee and make a label with the person on it. This is especially fun if the photos are 'not quite perfect'.
   
2. check out these sites for other ideas:

• Turkey Place Markers
• Nifty Name Plates from Family Fun Magazine
• Pilgrim Hat, Indian Headdress Place Cards

For Thanksgiving Day

1. have kids make up the 'kid table' with seating assignments
2. kids can do the 'adult' table too, as they have fun making everyone sit wherever they want.
3. start dinner with a brief reminder of why we celebrate Thanksgiving Day (it's good to let kids know this is not JUST about food & football, but have a basic understanding about the reason for the food)
4. then, go around the table and have each person name one thing they are thankful for (our rule, cannot re-state what someone before you has said!)
5. eat up and enjoy the company

For those who go out to eat, and may need quiet activities for the kids to enjoy at the table, here are our top picks. Also be sure to check out our new category "Restaurant Fun", with 100's of ideas. Here are some of our faves!

• Doodles to Go: Just in time for any type of travel or vacation, this book of doodles will keep young travelers busy. Whether they're waiting at the airport, stuck in the backseat of the family car, or just taking some downtime on a camping trip, young artists will find endless hours of creative fun in this how-to book. For ages 9 and up
• Scramble Squares: the 9 piece brainteaser puzzle - They're Not Just For Kids! Challenging educational puzzles with powerful graphics keep boys, girls, and adults captivated for hours! Perfect for all of your travel delay passing needs (or rainy day, or restaurant table/food waiting and more!)
• Dinner Games: Keep your little ones focused on the family meal with this collection of 51 dinner games to play while you eat! These quick, simple games, like Fruity Feeling, Rainbow Dinner and Magic Spoon, break up dinnertime routine and add fun to family meals. No game board or game pieces required - just food and family. Kids learn expressive language, the five senses, creative thinking, social skills and more. The games even encourage kids to eat their veggies and finish their milk! Beginner version is for families with kids ages 3 to 6, ORIGINAL is for families with older kids.
• Find-It Games: This is a brightly colored contained adventure. It contains 48 hidden items for you to find, conveniently listed on the top of the game. The items found in this sealed container are geared toward kids. SPIN IT, TWIST IT, SHAKE IT! Be the first to find the hidden Penny, Marble, Balloon, Letters of the Alphabet, or …? This game is enjoyed by adults as well as children. It is great travel game, terrific learning center activity, or is fun played as a timed game with others. The Kids version comes with red plastic ends, giving the games an exciting, colorful look. The game comes boxed and contains a tear off tally pad to check off as you find each item. Skills used: deductive reasoning, object identification, early reading/ letter recognition, as well as patience!
• 3D Slide Puzzles: The perfect take anywhere puzzle! Within each 4" x 4" tray are eight puzzle pieces that glide into place - with a bit of finesse - to form a colorful raised image of the EARTH. Challenging enough to entertain for hours. Be sure to check out all of the designs. Kids young and old will enjoy these puzzles.
• Bananagrams: The multi-award winning game that will drive you BANANAS! Described as the "Best Travel Game Out There". Fast and Fun, requires NO pencil, paper or board. Educational and great family game. Appropriate for beginning spellers or New York Times crossword regulars! Comes in funky Banana 'bag' ready to go anywhere.
  

The bottom line? We find that if we engage the kids in one way or another, we're all happier!

Need some Travel Inspiration?

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!).

You could use these in a pinch (but, we recommend the KTH Alternatives!)

NOTE: To follow, we give you some FREE activity suggestions, BUT also see end of this blog post on how to save 20% off everything on our site thru the end of October (sale items included), in honor of the 1st year anniversary of www.KidsTravelHappy.com~!

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We've all been there. We've packed everything we needed for the trip, but somehow neglected the most important items. Things to keep the kids entertained. Bummer.

We thought we'd let you in on a few activities to do with items you probably brought (by default) but then we'll also suggest something that would have made the activity easier, and perhaps more fun & exciting for the child(ren).

1) One-two-buckle (tie) my shoe... Have a young one that needs practice with shoe-tying. Have them take off a shoe, or better yet, give them an adult shoe, and let the practicing begin. It's helpful if one adult (or older sibling) can demonstrate this task while the younger one attempts it.
The KTH alternative: check out the Tie-Up Shoe from Plan Toy. It's wooden, colorful, and easy to use on a lap or travel tray. Child not quite ready for tying? Use it as a lacing activity.

2) Along the same theme as #1, preschoolers can practice such tasks as zipping, snapping, buttons etc. depending on what they and family members are wearing.
THE KTH alternative: We think that the Award Winning Dress-Up Princess is a much more fun way to teach all those skills, as the buttons are large (better for small hands, less frustrating that tiny 'adult' shirt buttons), the zippers have 'big' teeth, the snaps are manageable, and the doll makes a perfect, colorful, huggable travel companion!

3) Perhaps your kids are a bit older and have the 'snapping, tying, buttoning' tasks down. There are always the pad of paper (or scrap, or bank deposit slip, or receipt...) and pen(cil) games. Hangman, Tic-Tac-Toe, draw a scribble and then have the child try to make it into something.
The KTH alternative: Go Games from Magnetic Poetry make all of the classic paper and pen games a cinch, and don't waste all of that paper! One of our favorites is the Magnetic Hangman. For the scribble and draw, we like the guided, independent nature of Squiggles on-the-go with a range of themes from colors & shapes to Squiggles On-the-Go Outdoor.

4) You ball up your jacket, sweater, extra shirt and hand it to your sleepy child. Or, perhaps (if you are at all like me), use it to prop up the infant's head who's neck seems to get in an ergonomically inappropriate way, even in the carseat. This is definitely the economical choice.
The KTH Alternative: Uglydolls. What you say? Well, they are so Ugly, they really are quite CUTE, and the original sized Uglydoll is not only a kid favorite take-along stuffed friend, but makes a fine, soft, crushable pillow.
OR, perhaps a ladybug or a frog is more appealing to you and your child? Check out our kid-sized neck pillows (they are even on SALE!_ - a friend and a pillow. Very cute (and, not ugly at all!)

5) Lastly, here's a game that admittedly, could be played in my handbag. "Find-It", meaning, can you find the penny? the lip balm? the keys? a pen? In the bag?
The KTH alternative: The (real) Find It Games, "a contained adventure" that will have your kids (and you) shaking, manipulating, searching and checking them off the list. Make up games with it, time each other, challenge each other to find something within a certain period of time. Comes in Kid Version, Original and Beach themed. For those a bit younger (3 and up), the I Spy Bags are just the ticket , as they are more malleable, made of fleece, and easier to find the items on the sewn-in list on the back. Either choice doesn't have any loose parts, and lots of fun packed into a safe 'container.

Well, we can't give away all of our secrets in one month, but thanks for reading!

We also want to note that we are celebrating ONE YEAR of KidsTravelHappy.com, as we launched October 20th, 2009. We are not hosting a giveaway on this BLOG this month, but we want EVERYONE to win by saving 20% off any order now through the end of the month (and, with our FREE shipping deal for the month of September, this is a GREAT deal). Just use Coupon Code "Celebrate1" (that's a number ONE at the end, and please do NOT include the quotations), in the coupon code spot at checkout. Thank you for your support!

Take your "band" on the Road

At the KidsTravelHappy.com storefront (and, online of course) we recently received a shipment of items from Hohner Kids. Hohner is a musical instrument company, focused on quality, affordable, fun items for kids, mostly 3 years and up, with some fun options safe for those as young as 3 months!

Who wants to bring music on a trip you may ask? Well, we find that music on our trips (and the instruments!) focuses our kids energy productively, and allows them to be 'loud' (within limits!) without completely driving us (the parents) crazy.

Why do we like Hohner products? As Hohner states so well "Music helps shape your mind". They go on to say: "Scientific research has proven active music making stimulates every area of the brain and impacts intellectual development in children. Studies suggest actively playing music helps children focus on the structure of sounds, an important aspect of language development (source: National Association of Music Educators).

More reasons to pack a few Hohner products in your child's next travel Activity bag

• each instrument includes suggestions for songs and activities specific to that instrument
• activities are age appropriate
• it's so much fun, kids won't know they are learning!
• requires little or no musical experience
• easily learned
• some are all wood, some are sturdy, colorful plastic construction
  
• hours of fun, educational music making for everyone
• adults will enjoy playing as much as kids

Do you have a whole group of budding musicians? You may want to check out the "Rhythm Music 6-piece Instrument Kit" and keep everyone 'in the band'.

And, don't forget, instruments make great gifts for the upcoming holiday season. Check back often as we continue to add to the more than 25 musical selections we already offer from Hohner Kids. You never know, you could be fostering the next folk singer, jazz musician, classical genius, or rock star!