Hey all! I thought I'd start a thread where we could put down some of our ideas of things we have done that another may not think of doing. For car rides, dentists appointments etc. I made a magnetic board out of a recycled tin.Using round magnets I stuck an Altoids tin in it and filled it with BB's, paperclips, assorted small metal parts. I used small fridge magnets to make a place for small sheets of paper like mazes i had printed off and added assorted magnets as i found them. the kids decorated them with stickers we had and it's a fun thing for them to do in the car. we have dora magnets, stick magnets, round marble magnets etc and the kids like to see how many paper clips they can pick up at a time and other things. (Beware computer disks computers, tv screen etc) I have used this as a lead in to a mini unit on magnets. We also keep a small spare book bag of busy work and a favorite book in it. the sheets i put in there are usually color by number, word searches, mazes, etc or a small workbook for their grade level. on the days we have to go somewhere, i don't have to run around like a maniac trying to remember what i need for school or if they can do it self sufficiently. This way when mom or dad says "we have to go" the kids have everything ready to go and are ready for school on the go. I also keep a small knapsack in the car of flash cards, trivia questions and some of the music they like ( multiplication rock, schoolhouse rock). We even invented our own trivia questions one other thing i did (not for travel) that you might be interested in is "The all about you game" I made it on a rectangle piece of poster-board and you roll a die. all the spaces you can land in are 1 of 4 colors. when you land someone reads you a question of that color. i split mine into the following 4 groups. 1- safety (you are playing in the yard when a stranger asks you to help them find their dog. what do you do? would it be different if it was neighbor down the street?) the questions were designed to develop lines of communication and give mom and dad an opportunity to explain why they feel the way they do and what is safe what is not 2- How would you feel if (Suzy wouldn't let you play with her. what would you do then?) this set was designed to help them feel empathy and see others points of view 3-getting to know you- (what makes you feel happy and why) designed to help parents get to know their kids. 4- What if- what would you do if you woke up and your skin was blue? how do you think people would treat you? these questions are all just random questions that will hopefully lead to some good talks. Next year I'm looking to add a few new things into my bag of tricks.. What things do you guys do?
