A Day Made for a Kid!

This past Sunday, my daughter (4 1/2-years-old) and I went to visit with my parents. There was an Art and Wine festival in town that we were told was very kid-friendly. They weren’t kidding (no pun intended). There was a large area with slides (where you ride down on a burlap bag), carnival games, rides for kids of all sizes, and a rock climbing wall.

After playing a few games (we won a stuffed bear), catching air on the slide, and enjoying a few rides, my daughter spotted the rock climbing wall! We left the front of the helicopter ride line to run over to the wall. I wasn’t sure if she would actually climb it once we got close to the wall, but she was fearless. They harnessed her into the pulley and off she went! It was a stretch for her, since I think it was really intended for a slightly taller crowd, but she made it about half-way up the wall before she looked down. Never look down! Once she did she just shook her head “no” when given the option of going higher. All she had to do was let go of the rock and the rope brought her gently down to the ground. I couldn’t be more proud. Hopefully next year she’ll make it to the top!

Lilah wears the Le Top "Ship Ahoy!" Hooded Terry Zip Cover-Up Dress while enjoying a tasty treat!

There are always fun fairs and local festivals in an area near you. Get on the Internet and search for the kid-friendly options. There is something for everyone and you don’t have to commit to an entire day. Who knows, your child might even try something new if they see other kids their age enjoying it. Enjoy your summer!

Check out our sale on summer clothing HERE!

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On the Road Again! Fun car games for the holiday weekend.

Memorial Day weekend is just around the corner and families will be travelling all over to visit their friends and find a bit of sun to kick off the summer. My parents refused to drive further than Los Angeles growing up (I am from the San Francisco Bay Area, California), but we found ways to pass the hours on the 6 hour car drive to “la-la-land.” Here are some fun ideas for you and your family up to age 7:

1. The Alphabet Game
Ages 5 and up: One person chooses the right-hand side of the road, and someone else the left. Each player looks for letters of the alphabet that appear on signs or license plates on their side. The object of the game is to point out all the letters of the alphabet in order, from A to Z. The first person to spot the entire alphabet wins.

2. The Animal Name Game
Ages 6 and up: One person names an animal. Then each person in order has to name another animal (no repeating!) that starts with the last letter of the previous animal named. There are no winners or losers in this game. With older children, try the game with TV shows, or geographical categories such as cities or countries.

3. Twenty Questions
Ages 4 and up: One person secretly thinks of either an animal, mineral, or vegetable. The other players then take turns asking yes-or-no questions, such as “Can it fly?” or “Does it grow in the ground?” After the players have asked 20 questions, each player gets a chance to make a guess.

4. Telephone
Ages 4 and up: A child whispers a story to someone else in the car. That person whispers the same story — as close to a word-for-word recount as possible — to a third person, and so on. The last person to hear the story repeats it out loud so everyone can hear. Invariably, some of the story will have been lost in the translation, and the resulting garbled message usually inspires a good laugh.

5. The Theme Song Game
Ages 5 and up: One person hums the tune to a favorite TV show, and everyone else tries to name the show as fast as possible. The first person to guess correctly hums the next song.

6. Memory Test
Ages 6 and up: The first person says “A is for —” filling in the blank with any word beginning with the letter A, such as “apple.” The second person comes up with a word for the letter B, such as “book,” but must also repeat the “A” word: “A is for apple, B is for book.” Continue through the alphabet, each person taking several turns and reciting more and more letters and words. By the time you reach the letter Z, that player will recite the whole alphabet and its corresponding words. However, if you’re playing with younger kids you may want to choose an earlier letter than “Z” to be the final one.

7. Secret Place Race
Ages 7 and up: One person looks at a road map and finds a small town, village, river, etc. That person announces the name of the place she has chosen. A second player has 60 seconds to look at the map and try to find the secret place.

8. Restaurant Race
Ages 5 and up: Each player chooses a restaurant, such as Burger King, Taco Bell, McDonalds, etc. Players earn points by spotting their restaurant off the road, on a billboard, on exit markers, on Food/Fuel signs, or by hearing it mentioned on the radio. Impose a time limit — say, 20 minutes — and then add up the points.

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