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Posts Tagged ‘Traveling with kids’

  1. Lego To Go

    May 28, 2014 by admin

    Our on-going love of all things Lego has collided with our love of exploring, resulting in a need to bring Legos on our jaunts. When traveling by car, we had constant problems with Legos being spilled all over.  This equated to unhappy kiddoes trying unsuccessfully to build the coolest thing while parents desperately attempted to reach inaccessible pieces under the seats- all while we rolled down the highway.

    What to do?IMG_1864

    For us, the answer was to create our own mobile Lego table- a lap desk/tray specifically for building Lego projects on the road.

    We considered constructing the whole tray from scratch, but then we chanced upon a great wooden tray set at Michaels. The tray perfectly fit a large, flat Lego panel Santa dropped off over Christmas. At just a few dollars, the tray was right on budget. Plus, the unfinished wood allowed for future painting projects. Perfect! We glued the Lego panel to the bottom of the tray and voila!

    We now have a great way to move Legos about, and a platform on which to hold and build projects while on the road!  And in addition to spotting cool birds and funky houses as we travel, we have the joy of seeing what new creations our backseat travelers have conjured up.

    Category Road Trippin' | Tags: ,,, | 1 Comment

  2. Pack The Car

    May 25, 2014 by admin

    IMG_0831

    Rather than worrying on every outing if we have all of our ‘go to’ items and emergency bits in the car, we like to save time and energy by packing the car in advance- keeping the many little necessities tucked in the car to be at the ready when called upon.

    This makes spontaneous trips so much more do-able, since we can literally grab our coats and wallets and head out the door.

    What sorts of things do we keep in the car?

    • Cleaning Supplies: Wipes, napkins, trash bags.
    • Travel Supplies: Maps, pens and paper, a mini tool kit, flashlight.
    • Stuff for Kids: Toys, games, books, flash cards, crayons, paper, our family trip log.
    • Stuff for the Pup: Treats, water dish, half gallon of H2O, emergency dog leash.
    • Other Extras: Spare gloves and mittens, ibuprofen, small first aid kit, small packable blanket.

     

    Of course, you should modify this list to include the items that are essentials for you.

    By keeping the car pretty well stocked, we don’t have to grab all these things every time we head out on an adventure. We just gather a few snacks and some fresh water, along with books and toys of current interest- and we are ready to go!

    Category Jaunts | Tags: ,, | 3 Comments

  3. Great Museums In Milwaukee

    December 9, 2013 by admin

    IMG_3792Milwaukee is a great city, and we are fortunate enough to live nearby.  As winter sets in, we find that a museum is a fantastic place to visit on the weekends.  Milwaukee has several options.  If you are looking for a place to go in Cream City, check out any of these museums!

    MPM:  We LOVE the Milwaukee Public Museum.  There are three floors of history and science to explore!  We never tire of going here.  It is so big, in fact, we’re pretty sure there’s a nook or two that we haven’t seen yet.IMG_2334

    Discovery World:  A science and technology center focused on Great Lakes ecology and manufacturing, this museum is a whirlwind of activities.  Be prepared to be exhausted when you are finished here.  Admission is steep.

    Harley Museum:  Do you like motorcycles, engines, and/or Americana?  Then the Harley- Davidson Museum might be just for you!  It’s a rather expensive entry, but a fun trip.  Unless you plan on numerous return trips, opting for a membership isn’t worth it.

    Haggerty Museum of Art: This museum on the Marquette University campus is a fun (and Free!) stop.  You should bundle this stop with another destination because you’ll go through the whole museum in under an hour.

    Mitchell Domes:  If the space ship from Silent Running crashed into Milwaukee, it’d look like this: giant futuristic domes filled with plants from all around the world.  Consider a membership as they reciprocate with many public gardens across the U.S.A.

    Milwaukee Art Museum:  We always have a great time here, and we never get through the entire museum in one visit!  If you can, check it out on the first Thursday of the month, when admission is free thanks to Target (children under 12 are always free).  If you have kiddoes in tow, make sure you seek out the free art kits!  These bags full of art activities encourage kids to interact with the exhibits; by trying to create their own versions of some of the works they’ll see, or by following an art scavenger hunt.

    IMG_1155These museums will keep you busy for many weekends of exploring in downtown Milwaukee.

    Category Jaunts | Tags: ,,,,,, | 2 Comments

  4. Would You Rather…

    November 7, 2013 by admin

    Part of our continuing series on traveling with kids

     wouldyourathercard

    Occasionally, a trip gets long- too long.  When this happens, we reach for our “Would You Rather Cards?” that we scored at some garage sale a while back.  Our beat up set of “Would you Rather cards?” lives in the glovebox, and comes out when needed to ease the grumbles and get us through to our destination.

    “Would You Rather?” posts sometimes strange, sometimes thoughtful, questions.  They typically generate conversation or giggles.  And they are always tons of fun.

    Our whole family enjoys this little diversion and the kiddoes frequently ask for the cards to come out, as we road trip to our next adventure.

    Category Road Trippin' | Tags: ,, | 2 Comments

  5. Magna Doodle!

    August 25, 2013 by admin

    Part of Our Continuing Series On Travelling With Kids

    For trips both long and short, we sometimes need a small item to occupy the time.  We have found that we return regularly to one particular boredom buster: The Magna-Doodle!

    X6601-doodle-pro-neon-doodler-green-d-1We love the Magna-doodle because it is easier for young hands to use than the old school Etch-A-Sketch.  At a very young age, our Bluey was using the Magna-doodle in the car. (He called it his DS, in homage to his older sister’s Nintendo DS, which she rarely allowed him to use.)  It has saved us on many car rides that went longer than Bluey’s expectation or tolerance.

    Tip: Keep an eye out at garage sales for the MagnaDoodle, or a similar knock-off version.  They come in several different sizes!

    It’s a great car toy!  It is quiet, requires no batteries, and can last for years.   It tolerates drops and spills.  And the fun lasts as long as kiddo (or Mom and Dad) can come up with new ideas of what to draw—from practicing letters and shapes, to maps and pictures, or a quick game of hang-man, the Magna-doodle can do it all.

    Best of all- your kiddo is not ‘plugged in’- s/he can still talk to you, see the scenery and enjoy the adventure!

    Category Road Trippin' | Tags: ,,,,, | 1 Comment

  6. Stretch It Out!

    July 11, 2013 by admin

    IMG_0333This TR family likes to travel.  Our weekends are filled with jaunts that typically take us at least an hour from home.  And about once a month, we can be as far as two or more hours afield.

    As typical of most children, Bluey and Plum get quite squirrely if they have to sit in the car for a long stretch.  We have various tried and true solutions to keep our kiddos happy during a road trip.  But at some point in the journey, everyone needs a break.

    We have found that nothing turns around deteriorating moods quicker than some physical exercise.  A simple walk down the main street of a town off a random highway exit, an interstate rest area that has a small playground or expansive open fields, or a planned mini-excursion to see a road-side attraction can be just the thing to bring back the smiles.

    Surviving an endless journey shouldn’t be the only lasting memory of any adventure.  Make the time to take a break.  It’ll be worth it!

    Category Road Trippin' | Tags: ,, | Comments Off on Stretch It Out!

  7. Turn Off The iPad

    May 21, 2013 by admin

    We’ve posted before about our belief that it is critical to take the time to unplug from your electronic life every now and then.  We feel that people tend to use their devices to avoid face-to-face interaction; or as way to disengage from whatever is happening around them.

    We are preparing for a quickly approaching family vacation.  What do you think was one questions Plum asked when hearing of the trip?  “Can I bring my iPad?”  We know you can guess the answer!  It was, “No.”

    Here is why we forbid this device to accompany us on our family trip:IMG_1901

    • A vacation is about immersing yourself in your surroundings and discovering new sights, tastes, sounds, and feelings.  It is not about tuning out your world to focus on the latest App.
    • Your motivation to explore your surroundings plummets when you have an iPad feeding your boredom.
    • Your interest in conversation with your friends and family diminishes when you can instead engage with the tempting worlds and characters within the Apps on your iPad.
    • Once you disconnect from your iPad, it takes a good ½ hour, or more, for you to become a recognizable, functioning human once again.
    • Your iPad is an expensive piece of equipment that would be at risk of being broken, stolen, or lost while traveling.

     

    So for a myriad of reasons, some captured above, our vacation will not include an iPad.  Plum will complain at first.  She’ll use her wit and wiles to try and devise a way to get us to cave.  But hopefully, on the ride home from a wonderful journey sans iPad, she’ll realize that maybe TR Mom and TR Dad actually do know what they’re talking about- at least some of the time.

    Category Parenting | Tags: ,,, | 1 Comment

  8. Travelling with Kids: The Traffic Game

    April 11, 2013 by admin

    61cfwficxzL._SL1500_A short time ago, we picked up a travel game for one of our longer road trips:  Rush Hour Traffic Jam Jr (Rush Hour).  It has been a vital part of our far reaching journeys ever since.  Rush Hour is a fun little logic puzzle involving the movement of small plastic vehicles on a free-standing grid.  The goal is to free the ice cream truck from the traffic jam.

    The traffic jam puzzles get progressively more challenging and will occupy your kids for hours as they try to figure out the solutions.  We typically have the parent in the passenger seat set up the game for the player. The parent will hold onto the cards so that we can help prevent our kids from giving up and sneaking a peek at the answer.

    This game was even a hit with Bluey when he was a tad too young to understand the concept—he’d just drive the little cars around on the grid.

    We love that Rush Hour is non-electronic, encourages problem solving, and gets progressively more challenging (kids can even work together to solve a puzzle- teamwork!!).  It has saved us from dealing with unhappy and bored kiddoes on many road trips!

    Category Road Trippin' | Tags: ,, | 1 Comment

  9. Backroad Bonus: Steve’s Pizza Palace: Platteville, WI

    January 27, 2013 by admin

    IMG_1464We love discovering local restaurants when on the road.  When you have small kids, it is very easy to default to a known and trusted favorite – like Culvers or Subway.  Those restaurants are prevalent, consistent, and relatively cheap.  But there is no culinary experience to be had, no adventure, and no memory to be made by sticking to the same old thing.

    Recently, we made a trip to Dubuque, Iowa to visit the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium.  Since we had a little extra fun money for this trip, we decided we’d eat out for lunch.  We did a quick internet search to see what sort of restaurants were along our route.  Sure enough, we found plenty of Culver’s, Subways, and McDonalds.  Although we took note of their locations, we weren’t interested in eating at those establishments, not as a first choice anyway.  We decided to head into the town of Platteville to see what they had to offer on their main street.  Since they have a small Co-Op and a university, we felt confident that we’d find something to eat.

    As we walked down Main Street, we were happy to stumble upon Steve’s Pizza Palace.  Situated in a 2 story historic building, this very large restaurant had a ton of atmosphere (walk around and see if you can find the boat).  A quick glance at their menu assured us that everyone would have plenty of meal choices.  We decided to give it a try.

    Our kids wanted spaghetti with marinara.  Oddly enough, there was no kid’s menu, or items on the regular menu, identified as a child-friendly choice.  We thought we were stuck with an adult portion of $8.95 pasta with red sauce.  But TR Mom thought to ask if there was any way to get a smaller size.  Our knowledgeable waiter quickly pointed out that he could do a kid’s portion and wouldn’t charge extra for their drinks.  Excellent!  TR Mom and Dad both chose a Veggie Pita.  Again, our waiter helped by pointing out that the pita only came with tomato, onion, and sauce.  He recommended we order additional veggies for it and we followed that advice.  The kids wanted French fries, and again, our sharp waiter suggested we add them to our adult sandwiches to save money.  Sold!

    Our food came out quickly.  The portions were HUGE and quite tasty.  The pita bread on our sandwiches was fantastic and our kids loved the breadsticks.  The french fries were tremendous!  Our only complaint was that the marinara sauce was a bit heavy on the pepper and that spiciness turned off our Bluey.

    We thoroughly enjoyed our meals and our exceptional service at Steve’s Pizza Palace.  Our kids had a great time and we know we’ll be back soon!

     

    Category Jaunts | Tags: ,,, | Comments Off on Backroad Bonus: Steve’s Pizza Palace: Platteville, WI

  10. Raisins!

    December 15, 2012 by admin

    We’re hittin’ the road with our family a lot during the holidays!  We find that a key factor to ensuring smooth travel is to be certain to have a supply of car food.   And we always have an eye out for great new additions to our typical snacks for when we’re on the go.

    As we’ve discussed before, we try to avoid processed sugars and high fructose corn syrup.  So we’re really not into just grabbing a bag of candy and hopping into the car.  What can we offer our kiddoes when they want something a little sweet?  Well, there are lots of choices!  But one that’s most popular for us is Raisins.

    IMG_1237Ok, they can make a sticky little mess sometimes, which only proves that those glove box baby wipes are truly useful.  But raisins are an awesome natural treat.  They are low in fat and high in fiber, with a nice little protein boost as well.  Yes, they are also high in sugars.  But since these are natural sugars and we offer raisins as a treat, not a staple – we don‘t worry too much about our kiddoes snacking on raisins.

    Another thing we like about raisins is that they keep little hands focused and occupied when traveling.  Busy hands are a great distraction from the constant wondering of where we are or when we’ll get to our destination.  We find that a small box or reusable container of raisins works as a complement to a car bag to keep our Bluey occupied and satisfied during travel.  Especially now that he is occasionally riding in the dark and can’t see his familiar visual clues that help him to understand how far he is from home.

    What’s a favorite travel snack for your family?

    Category Road Trippin' | Tags: ,,,, | 1 Comment

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