I reserve a space in my trunk and put most things in a beach bag. With the forethought of a cooler and pack lunch we can spend an entire day away from home and be comfortable with plenty to do. There are a few things that are staples. I always keep a blanket, bug spray, sun block and a change of clothes in there. The bug box, bubbles and the sidewalk chalk are also a constant. We often have other children come up and ask to play. The bubbles and sidewalk chalk are great icebreakers and huge hits.
I also rotate different things. Right now we have some Velcro mitts to play catch, a Frisbee, a soccer ball, and a game called Animal Scramble. Wild Planet Animal Scramble is a fun way to get some energy out, both inside and outside. In this game you use the giraffe to tag four different animals. You can keep the animals together, or spread them out as far as you'd like. The giraffe calls out an animal sound, character trait, or a letter (depending on the level), and the child runs with the tagger and finds the correct animal. It has different modes of play and it's a lot of fun. I like to take it with us and find a great spot under a group of trees and let the kids play hide and seek with them.
Other times I might bring books and coloring books. We really enjoy sitting in the shade and reading or coloring quietly as we listen to the sounds of nature all around us. I like it because we always have something to choose from. What would you use to stock your summer fun car kit?
It's nice to meet you Joyce! Thanks for stopping by my blog to say hi! I always love meeting a like-minded mama who would rather be outside than in.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great post & you're right that with a little planning, you can easily spend an entire day at a nearby park. Here's a post I wrote last year about our adventuring bag (http://goexplorenature.blogspot.com/2010/01/whats-in-your-adventure-bag.html). After reading this post, we'll be updating ours! :)
Debi- Thanks so much for stopping by here and taking the time to comment. I love your adventure bag, and I got a lot of great ideas to implement for ours!
ReplyDeletewhat a great idea to put it in your car that way your ready for some park or open field play anytime. :)
ReplyDeletewe have bug boxes in our car all the time too :)
what a great idea to have fun stuff for on the go in the car! I like the idea of rotating the items & keeping it fresh and fun.
ReplyDeleteThanks for linking up to the Sunday Showcase - can't wait to see what other fun ideas you link up this week! See you tonight for an all new linky party!!
Bernadette
So glad you shared this idea at the pinning party! I need to make one of these for us.
ReplyDeleteI hope you'll let me know how yours turns out, Trisha! I was just thinking that I need to update ours!
ReplyDelete