Been There, Done That -- The Beach Ball

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You have your referral! Now what? What are you going to pack to keep your little one, or not so little one, engaged for hours in your hotel room? Especially when luggage space is at a premium! Might I recommend a beach ball.

When we went to Colombia to pick up our almost 2 year old, we brought a SMALL beach ball. I picked it up at the 99cent store. It provided many hours of entertainment -- starting with the simple blowing up of the ball. Our son had never seen something like that before and he was mesmerized by it.

There are all sorts of games that you can play with a Beach Ball, and depending on the age of your child they can be simple or complex. With our 2 year old we played simple games of toss and catch or roll. With our 5 1/2 year old, we played " keep the ball from hitting the floor", dodge ball, and soccer. Even a 9 month old friend loved pushing that ball around as she crawled. This is not to mention the benefit of being able to take it to the pool.

So, from the BEEN THERE, DONE THAT files -- take a small BEACH BALL -- no matter the age of your child.

Comments

Jane said…
When we went, we stayed near Unicentro in Bogota. Since our daughter was already a teen, we found a craft store in the mall and bought lots of craft sticks, paint, glue, kits, etc. etc. and had her make presents for family members whom she had yet to meet. Also, most of the girls know how to bead, so we bought a beading kit.
We also found an English and Math tutor for her so that she had a sense that her education was not being interrupted.
July 1, 2009 at 7:09 AM
Rachelle D Alspaugh said…
Very good point about not interrupting their education. I hadn't even thought about that. I am adopting a 7 and 12 year old, and being a bilingual second grade teacher, I will know right where to start educationally with the 7 year old. But now that you mention this, I will invest in something educational for the 12 year old.
July 2, 2009 at 6:59 AM
Jane said…
If you are in Bogota, there is a tutoring company: we found our English/Math tutor through them and had him come to the apartment (we were in Bogota for a long time due to unforeseen circumstances). Your hotel can help you find a tutor. I wish I could remember the name of the business.
July 2, 2009 at 10:02 AM
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