How have you told your kids?

[llij]

For our December trip, we surprised out DD's. We sent them on a scavenger hunt throughout the house. Each clue told them where to go for their next clue. At the end of the hunt, they found this puzzle which they put together and it told them of the trip.

They were so excited during the scavenger hunt, but crazy mommy here ordered a puzzle that must have had over 300 pieces. It took my family about an hour and a half to put that puzzle together. By then, the girls were just tired. The next day they bounced off the walls though.

I would do the puzzle again, but I would order it with 50 pieces or less.

 

[heidica]

Ooohh, I'm liking all these ideas. Keep them coming. I'm "Heidi" in mom2mjm's signature and we are so excited about telling the kids that we are bursting. We can't wait. We have been discussing how to tell the kids for weeks and I suggested to mom2mjm that she post our question on the DIS and she would probably get a ton of responses. I'm liking the treasure hunt/scavenger hunt ideas. I can see the kids really getting into something like that. There are 4 kids, do you think we should have them do the scavenger hunt together or kinda do a separate hunt for each kid?? The kids ages will be DD12 (it will be her birthday the day we tell the kids), DD10, DS9 (he will be turning 10 2 days later) and DS5. I am thinking it would be fun to send them each on a separate scavenger hunt but they all end up in the same place. That way DS5 has a chance to figure things out on his own and not get pushed out of the way by the bigger kids. We plan on telling the kids about a week before we leave so they have time to get excited, figure out what they want to do but also so they won't be asking forever "how many days yet?" over and over. However we end up telling them, we plan on videotaping it because this is really going to be a once in a lifetime trip.

Keep the ideas coming

 

[luv2nascar]

haven't told our yet. DH would like to load them in the car in PJs we are driving at night and telling them when they wake up. Haven't decided for sure yet when we will tell them.

 

[teedee]

For our last trip I told the two youngest we were going to Memphis to visit my oldest daughter. We were driving. I had made up goodie bags filled with Disney stuff for them that I was going to give them when they figured it out. I thought they would realize we weren't going the right way once we were on the road. I must have over-estimated them though. We went from Atlanta to Valdosta and stopped for lunch and they still hadn't figured it out. I thought for sure they would get it when we passed the welcome to Florida sign, but no! I even pointed the sign out to them. I finally just told them and they didn't believe me! I don't think they really believed it until we pulled up to the Beach Club!

 

[Juls]

We are surprising my DD10 on this June trip. She thinks we are going in October. My parents are coming with us, and they live out of state. So I am just going to let them show up the day before we leave, and when she sees them and asks them what they are doing here, they are going to reply that they were just sitting around in their home and decided to go to WDW. Then they will ask her if she wants to go! I hope it works, I think she will be very surprised.

 

[jenr812]

Love this thread!!! My 11 yo DD knows - I am horrible at keeping secrets and she figured it out due to all the Disney paraphenalia (sp?) around the house and how I keep reading/using my passporter and UOG! LOL But my 2 boys have no idea (they are 6 and 2). DS6 is dying to go to WDW but also wants to go on vacation in general - we went to Myrtle Beach last March for a weekend and he still talks about it. Plus many of his friends are discussing their summer plans. I haven't decided how to tell the boys yet. We've watched the DVD a few times. They know we are planning a trip in May 2007 after I graduate from nursing school but they will be so excited when they find out they don't have to wait that long. I love the scavenger hunt and invitation ideas. It was so fun to read these stories :


Jill - where did you order the puzzle from? Love it!!

 

[Bugdozer]

Hi,
My friend and I are doing this for our 2 12 year old sons.
Both boys are best friends since birth. They go to Disney every 8 months or so. They are busy planning October's trip as our MNSSHP tickets just came in. They have no idea that we leave 2 weeks from today. Here is the plan...

My husband is taking the day off to drive us to the airport. The noys will be told that we havr to help him move some kitchen cabinets on a job he is doing-we have done this before so not unusual. We will tell them that we will pick them up at 11:45 AM and take them to lunch at a new resturant over by the airport-we only live 20 minutes from airport.
All suitcases will be covered in van with tarps and kids will be told it is stuff for the kitchen remodling job we are going to. As we get closer to the airport we will tell the boys that you actually have to drive through the airport to get to the resturant.
As we proceede into the airport we will pull into southwest departure.
As they are looking confused we will say-"oh... did we forget to tell you...we are eating in orlando today!!

They are going to DIE my son has been so sad that he will not get to see Lucky the Dinosaur as he won't be there in Oct.

Also my son has recently become a Star Wars nut and we will be there for a Star Wars weekend and we have never gone to the Flower and Garden show!

I also ordered 2 baskets of new 50th Happiest Celebration Stuff that will be delivered to them. I ordered them from Feralpeg here on the boards...They will love them!!

It has been so hard not to slip up. Suitcases are hidden in my closet. Thank goodness only 13 more days to go-I might burst before.

Cheryl

 

[MemoryMakers2669]

We are telling our kids (mine age 4, and friends age 4, 9 and 11) two days prior. We were going to do it AT the airport, but decided that might not make the security guards happy. SO, we are doing it two days prior, at my house, at my dd's 5th birthday party. They will have to go on an age appropriate scavenger hunt and at the end will be their goodie bags. They will get cameras, water bottles, Disney pens, notebooks, candy...whatever else we think of before them. THEN, each will have a wrapped gift at the bottom of the bag. In there will be their Autograph books, Park Passes and Disney Dollars.

Now, we are having a Disney party, which isn't at all surprising to them, as they know we go a lot and LOVE it, so the Disney pens (for autographs) won't spoil the surprise. Just to add, my friend and her three boys have never been.

Also, they think we are leaving that day we are leaving, but think we are going to Cape Cod....which they are excited about. The wrapped gift will tell them otherwise. The two oldest ones...9 and 11, will figure it out really fast and will freak out! It is going to be so much fun. With all the media coverage right now, they are really showing interest in going to Disney "some day" , but "know" they can't afford to go anytime soon.

 

[MemoryMakers2669]

Anyway, we sent them on a "Treasure Hunt" (videoing the entire process). We started by giving them a "riddle" (not too hard of course). When they figured out the riddle, it led them to the "hiding place" of the next riddle, etc, etc. (There were 10 different ones in all.)


lasmickey, Can you remember any of the riddles that you used for this, it sounds wonderful.

I would like to hear these as well. We are doing this, but haven't come up with exactly what for the two older ones. The two younger ones are getting picture clues....like my 18 month olds wall border, dd4's cup holder in her bathroom, small things like that that they will KNOW where they are. They will basically be sent all over the house until they come to the last one, which will be where their goodie bag is. Just going to keep them busy while the older two figure theirs out.

 

[pumpkinfish]

I am sitting here with tears of joy streaming down my face! How exciting for all these children! I hope they know how fortunate they are! DH and I are child-free, but I know that when we decide the time is right, there are many ideas to use to surprise the children. Also, thank you to the families who make these trips special for all those children! It really helps keep the dream alive...

 

[donnajon]

My kids (DS8 and DD5) think we are going to the mountains next month for vacation. If you ask DD2 what our secret is, she'll say, "Disney" but the other two don't know enough to ask her about it. Anyway, we're driving from SC and I'm not telling them until they recognize where they are at. When they say they thought we were going to the mountains, I'm going to say, "We are! Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Railroad Mountain! What better mountains could you ask for?" Funny enough, a couple of months ago, DS said, "Mom, I don't want to go to the mountains. I want to go back to Disney World." YEA!!!!!

 

[the kabuki]

Well I get to not only surprise my 3 kids, but DH as well. I'm so exicited I can't sleep and we're not going till Jan. I'm gonna be real tired by then!!

DH is the spur of the moment traveller, hates waiting months on end. I on the other hand, will obsess over every detail for months...hence why I'm here so much!

I've planned us on the Jan 8th DCL 4 night cruise(our 1st), along with 4 nights in the parks before. Since it's so close to Christmas, this will be everyone's Christmas gift. One idea I had was to order personalized Disney T-shirts that say "The (our name) family vacation, with the dates and maybe something about the cruise written on them. I figure I'll just wrap each one up and have them open them all together at one time.

I haven't decided whether to do this when just we open gifts on Christmas day or to do it with our big extended family on Christmas Eve, so everyone can see their faces.

The scavenger hunt sounds cool too, but I doubt I'd get DH to join in.
It'd be really great just to pack everything and drive to the airport the day we leave, but I don't think I could wait that long!!

 

[lasmickey]

Jill,
OMG!! I was so excited when I read the message on your puzzle! My husband and I made that up one afternoon while designing our 2 DD's invitation from Mickey Mouse! I'm so glad that you used it! Makes me feel like I was a part of someone else's surprise too! That's GREAT! Thanks for posting a picture of it!

 

[LindsayDunn228]

Personally, I have never seen the big deal about suprising your kids. When I was a kid, and the topic of summer vacation came up (the only time we actually went anywhere), I would say I wanted to go to WDW. Usually we ended up going to Daytona Beach and taking a day and driving to WDW. There were no secrets about it.

And the whole, "How do I tell me kids?" question I have never gotten. What's wrong with, "Hey kids guess what? This summer we're going to WDW!" Why make sucha deal about it?

Not flaming, just my opinion.

 

[heidica]

Personally, I have never seen the big deal about suprising your kids. When I was a kid, and the topic of summer vacation came up (the only time we actually went anywhere), I would say I wanted to go to WDW. Usually we ended up going to Daytona Beach and taking a day and driving to WDW. There were no secrets about it.

And the whole, "How do I tell me kids?" question I have never gotten. What's wrong with, "Hey kids guess what? This summer we're going to WDW!" Why make sucha deal about it?

Not flaming, just my opinion.

Well, to answer your question, for us it is mainly a big deal because it is fun and because they ARE kids. Yes, the kids are going to get excited no matter how we tell them because these desperately want to go to WDW and when they find out they really get to go, they are going to go crazy. But kids also enjoy games and puzzles, so, for us, this is a great opportunity to actually figure out a fun way to tell them they do get to go to WDW. I was surprised several times as a child and they are some of my most vivid memories.

Seems like lots of people here on the DIS have surprised their kids and there are some really great ideas out there.

 

[MemoryMakers2669]

One thing Lindsay, especially for my group, is that this is a once in a lifetime thing. Not for me or my kids, but for my friends and cousins. None of them have been and won't go again for a LONGggggggg time. So, to make a big deal out of it, is right, because it is a big deal. Honestly kind of sad that you take it all for granted and can't see why it would be something special!

 

[llij]

Jill - where did you order the puzzle from? Love it!!

I got it from Jigsaw2order.com. They did a great job!

 

[llij]

Jill,
OMG!! I was so excited when I read the message on your puzzle! My husband and I made that up one afternoon while designing our 2 DD's invitation from Mickey Mouse! I'm so glad that you used it! Makes me feel like I was a part of someone else's surprise too! That's GREAT! Thanks for posting a picture of it!

Thanks! So it was you who made up the poem! I remember seeing the poem here on the DIS and I just had to use it. I hope you don't mind. You guys did an awesome job with it and yes, you were a part of our surprise then! Thanks so much!

 

[lasmickey]

Didn't mind at all! Glad to help in this small way with your surprise. We thought it was really cool that you used it!

 

[MouseEars4us]

Hope I'm not too late to add my 2cents...

We've made 4 trips to WDW, only one was a surprise. At the time our DD's were 9 and 4. We packed the car the night before so they couldn't see, woke them up early, and told them we were going furniture shopping (it was plausible at the time)... After we'd driven about 3 hours, the older one started complaining (they were just questioning before)
DD9..."Where is this furniture store?"
Me..."Florida."
DD9... "Florida! What kind of furnitue do they sell there?"
Me... "Mickey Kind..."
Silence, as the 2 girls think about this in the back seat...at which point I pass back a travel bag for each with Disney things in it...as it sinks in, they start to bounce in their seats...
It was just as fun for me to surprise them as it was for them...they still talk about it...

What they don't know is our anniversary trip in October has turned into a surprise trip for the whole family. DS4 has talked about nothing else since we went last Nov. and DH and I don't have the heart to go without them, so SURPRISE!..I'm thinking up ways now... It'll be tougher with the girls at 16 and 13...