When we traveled with our children, I would make an airport bingo card to entertain them while we waited in line or at gates. I would think of some of the craziest things someone might wear or carry, and challenge the kids to find those people.
A man with a red clown nose
Someone in a turban with striped pants
Fuzzy slippers
Someone with a sharp, pointy nose
A woman wearing a tutu
The best part is that we found every single crazy person or outfit we could imagine in the airport! Every single time!
That was twenty-five years ago. Pre 9/11. The things listed above? The rule rather than the exception. the airport is filled with pink and purple hair, tutus, pajamas, dogs and cats, five-inch stiletto heels, thigh high boots, and three-inch long fingernails.
So I was pretty excited when I saw this woman wearing Grinch pajamas on the way to her gate.
Why are airport appearances so different than anywhere else? Why are airports the best place for people watching and photo taking?
It wasn’t a game for these two. My five-year-old grandson and nearly five-year-old granddaughter took my Thanksgiving scavenger hunt seriously. With the picture list in hand, they were focused on the quest. No item would be left unfound.
This year’s scavenger hunt pictures
I started the scavenger hunt a few family gatherings ago to keep the kids busy while the grownups talked and ate appetizers before supper. (We celebrated our Thanksgiving the Sunday before this year, so that all the families could be with their other families.) These two grandchildren are still “pre-readers,” with a few sight words in their quiver. So I make a page of pictures of things to find in our home.
I originally set up the scavenger hunt for all four grandchildren who would be present, but the two-year-old and the eight-year-old weren’t interested. I collected four of everything on the page and “hid” them at preschool eye-level in our living room. I painted the yellow happy face rocks and folded the paper boats. Everything else was off the shelf in our home. A few things were in drawers, but the rest were in plain sight. I warned my wife ahead of time: “If you see anything unusual lying around the house, it’s for the scavenger hunt.”
Interestingly, they began by opening side table drawers and various cabinets. They quickly found a few that way. I had to give them some hints for the others. “Look by the television.” “Check by the front door.” “Did you look up high and down low?” “Oh, look, over there by the window – what’s that?”
The hunt kept them busy for a full fifteen minutes, which is a lot of time for a preschooler. They worked like a team on a mission. And were they ever proud when the found the twelfth item! They put many of their finds in the nine-ounce plastic cup, gathering up the extra quarters no one else wanted, and planned to take them home.
I also put together a clue-driven treasure hunt the eight-year-old. Each clue sent him in search of the next, hidden in a different place in the house. I thought I my clues were clever, but he reported, “It was easy.” Okay. Next time, we level up.
I think I have more fun preparing the scavenger hunt than the grandkids who take on the challenge! It’s a classic win-win. Keeps us all busy for a while.
Waite for it... 