Wednesday, March 04, 2009

The magical mystery tour


My husband has a way with kids. Perhaps it is because he is still a kid at heart himself, but whatever the reason, I don’t mind because he has saved the day on more than one occasion.

The other weekend, we had a school holiday on Friday. This can be good or bad depending on how the day goes. But on this particular morning, my kids were feeling restless and the household was in chaos for lack of a plan.

My daughter (4) was intent on going skiing and was scrambling around collecting her gear. My son (7) wanted to go for a swim at the Rec centre which is part of our condo complex, and was filling a backpack with towels and goggles. I thought we should all just get outside – something that usually calms the kids and seemed to be the most direct and easiest route out of the house.

But then my husband exclaimed: “Grab your blindfolds everyone, we’re going on a Magical Mystery Tour!” My kids dropped everything, put on their jackets and boots and ran around excitedly. They had experienced the “Tour” when we lived in BC and were delighted to re-live some wonderful memories. We had often used the Magical Mystery Tour as a way to get out of the house quickly.

So we all climbed into the car, with the kids blindfolded in the back. As we turned right or left, they tried to guess where we were going. As it turned out, we ended up on a section of the Bruce Trail, a hiking path that runs from one side of Canada to the other. My husband handed each of them a basket and we proceeded to go on a spontaneous scavenger hunt.

It was a gorgeous, sunny day and the snow on the trail was crisp. As we hiked along, my husband called out the things they needed to find. First something red, then something soft, something alive, a flower, and so on. The kids had a blast and delighted in their afternoon adventure. When we got home, they were calm and played nicely together until dinner.

I highly recommend the Magical Mystery Tour if your kids are between 3 and 7. Not only does it bring some adventure and structure into their day, but it makes for an exciting family outing.

You could end your mystery tour at a nearby park, a hiking trail, a friend’s house, a beach or even a science centre. It doesn’t really matter where you go, but getting out into nature is one of our personal favourites.

Next time you need ideas for a fun, family day out, why not give it a go – it’s guaranteed to be a hit.

Rebecca

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

What a great idea, Rebecca.

My children are a bit older now, but I reckon they'd still enjoy "The Tour".

Thanks for sharing!
Deborah

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