Monday, October 13, 2008

Family Fun Night: Mystery Drive

Okay. My husband is in charge of this one. He's been doing this ever since the children were very young and we lived in Turkey. I usually try to arrange NOT to be available for this one. Let's just say, I don't like the ambiguity. The rest of the clan, however, think it is super duper fun.

The plan is simple. Dad and kids pile into the car after supper. Dad drives out to the end of our driveway and pauses. He picks a child's name and asks, "Left or right?" Child #1 shouts out the direction and off they go. Every time Dad decides to turn, he asks another child which direction to take, and so on, and so on and so on...

You would think they would get hopelessly lost, but not my DH. He has a keen sense of direction (a gift I do not have). He also teaches the children how to get back home by paying attention to the direction of the moving sun. At night, he teaches them to navigate by the North Star. Whenever they come home the kids are bubbling with excitement over the adventures they met.

"StrongJoy thought we were lost, but I just KNEW we weren't because I remembered that old red barn..."
"We saw a deer, Mom!"
"Dad had the music up soooo loud, Mom."
"I got to drive up the driveway!"


And a good time was had by all... again.


one step at a time...

7 comments:

  1. That would be my thing. My husband has no sense of direction. He would love to do it but I wouldn'tsee him for days!

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  2. Anonymous13.10.08

    I used to do this...with myself! It's a great way to break out of the mundane. I've found some really beautiful spots over the years this way.
    Many Blessings,
    Holly@aiminghigh
    http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/aiminghigh

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  3. We've done this with the girls by flipping a quarter, heads your turn righ, tails left. We have a lot of fun doing it!

    I'm the one with the sense of direction in our house, but now that doesn't matter because my high-tech hubby bought a GPS with part of our income tax last year. I must say, it is a very reassuring little gadget to have! I've gone places I would have NEVER dared since we bought it!

    We haven't done this in awhile! Thanks for the reminder! :0)

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  4. That sounds fun and I know my kids would love it.Happily my d would pay enough attention to get us all home! Better'd stick to daylight hours though!

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  5. Sounds like a game my kids would love! They love to drive on roads we've never been on and I like the idea of teaching skills at the same time :-)

    LOVE the new title bar picture with the fall mums... gorgeous!!

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  6. What a great idea. We as a family go on drives all the time. It is a cheap activity and helpful in winter because it rains all the time....so we get out but not wet.
    I am going to pass this onto my husband and see what he thinks. The kids would have a blast!

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  7. We love family drives...but you have just given it a BRAND NEW SPIN (pun intended)...
    You can BET we are going to do this!!!
    THANKS Lindafay!

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