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Look and See Adventure

The Look and See Adventure is one of the reasons I decided to start this blog.  Well, that and the birthday contract.  Whenever I tell other moms about those two things they always tell me that these are such simple, but great, little things to do with the kids.  So I figured I would start a blog to share my random ideas.

Ok, so the Look and See Adventure.  This is one of my kids’ favorite things to do and it started so simply.  My kids are about 18 months apart, and when my youngest, Abigail, was born, my oldest, Briana, was really getting into doing things that Mommy and Daddy do and getting frustrated to find out that she couldn’t do some of the things.  One was driving.  And we spent a LOT of time driving to calm a crying Abigail.  So I invented the ‘Look and See Adventure’ to appease both kids while still having some fun and learning.  And as it turned out I learned a lot too.

The premise of the Look and See Adventure is simple.  Get in the car, drive around, and talk about what you see.  The fun part for my then 18 month old, that is still fun for her now, is that SHE decides where we go.  This is my game for teaching her ‘left’ and ‘right’ and has evolved into a lot more, but we’ll get there.  So I drive out of the neighborhood a bit and then she’s the boss.  At first, before she knew her left from her right she’d randomly say which way to turn periodically and I’d go to the next light and turn that direction.   Briana would get really frustrated if she wanted to see something the other direction and I’d tell her, “You said turn left.  Left is this way.” And I’d point. 

Briana learned her directions quickly so that she could see what she wanted to see and she felt empowered having control over everyone in the car.  Abigail enjoyed a long sleep most times.

The Look and See Adventure is still the most frequently requested game that we play.  Soon Abigail will be old enough to direct the car, but for now, Abby gets to peacefully cruise around enjoying her relatively newfound front-facing car seat.  Briana spends the time enjoying directing me, and learning about driving etiquette.  She knows what a stop sign and stoplight are and what they are for, what the light’s colors mean, and the basics of right of way – or car taking turns rules as she calls it.  She also still loves cruising around seeing random things – from construction sites to lakes and bridges, to birds or kids playing outside.  On the plus side, Briana’s sense of direction is also unbelievable.  She will recognize where we are long before I do sometimes.

When the game gets old and the kids get tired I reach up to my GPS and press ‘Go Home’ and good old GPS figures out where in the city we are and what the fastest way home is.  If you don’t have a GPS, play with care!  We’ve ended up circling our neighborhood, or Miss Sneaky J has tried to drive us to the park when she realizes that we’re close, but we’ve also ended up completely in the middle of nowhere!

Oh, and I almost forgot to mention what I learned.  I know every way to get anywhere in town!  Enjoy your drives!




<3 Pedigreed Housewife

Comments

  1. Alice RerichaSeptember 24, 2010 at 8:32 AM

    I sometimes do a version of this in the stroller. We just head out and Cary directs our travels. I haven't done it in awhile. Thanks for reminding me about this fun game! We'll have to try it in the car too.
    -Alice

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