Not taking a stroller on your next Walt Disney World or Disneyland trip, and worried about how it’s going to turn out? Try this trick!
My husband started this “game” on our most recent trip as a way to distract my four-year-old and keep him walking a bit longer. It turns out that although it’s super simple, it kept all five of us entertained for large chunks of time. Even better, it requires absolutely no book or supplies – and can even lead to great math practice for little ones!
The “rules”, in a nutshell: pick something out, and see how many you can find. (I told you it was simple!)
We started out with things that were frequent and relatively close together (for reasons mentioned above) such as “green benches” or “[a certain kind of] lamppost”. My girls extrapolated it and counted some items throughout the trip – for example, the number of times a monorail passed by. The possibilities of things you can count are endless, of course!
Yes, I realize this sounds like the most boring “game” ever. But if you have kids, you know that sometimes it’s the simplest things that stick! Case in point: our eight-year-olds still ask to play the Run to the ___ “game”, more than four years after its inception. This “game” allows them to run (or walk quickly) ahead to a specific landmark some distance up the path. Of course the distance or landmark may change given the age of the child, crowd level and other obstacles in the surrounding area, safety considerations, etc. Incidentally, that also started as a way to trick encourage our children to walk father instead of be carried. Whatever works, right?! :) )
We’ve all five put together a starter list of things you can count on your next trip to Walt Disney World or Disneyland. The list is definitely geared toward Disney destinations, but obviously the same game can be played no matter where you are.
{Stay tuned for a pdf you can take with you!}
Give it a shot the next time you need a little extra energy out of your smallest family members!
- planters
- animal sculptures
- monorails
- boats
- children dressed as pirates
- children wearing “Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique” sashes
- pin trading boards
- pressed penny/coin machines
- Walt Disney quotes
- Mickey Balloons – with new owners, not the balloon (wo)man’s giant stash!
- mosaics
- analog clocks
- mirrors (not in bathrooms)
- flags
- lightsabers
- drinking fountains
- rocking chairs
- benches (of a certain design/style, if you’d like)
- fountains
- children blowing bubbles
- your country’s flag
- pirate flags
- waterfalls
- a cast member from your home state/country
- hidden Mickeys
And for the holidays, try adding —
- gingerbread creations
- candy cane decorations
- Christmas trees
- snowflake decorations