How to make kids stand out in a park? WITHOUT matching shirts??

[moopdog]

I would like to have us all be sort-of easily visible to eachother, but I know my eldest (13) and my DH won't go for us all wearing the same color shirts or brightly colored shirts. I still have control over the 2 & 4 YOs!! They will be in flourescent green each day (just kidding).

I saw Flashing Pins on ebay for like $2 or $3 each and they supposedly are visible for up to a 1/4 mile and come with a necklace string or magnets to make a pin out of them... come in various characters (pooh, shamrock, smiley face, etc). Is this something that might work for us? I could force DH to put on his hat or something. But... do they work?? And for how many days?? And will they show up in the daytime?? Anyone familiar with these things?

If not - what are some other ideas? For "matching" and standing out a little bit?

Thanks so much!!

 

[allisonwonderland]

in a crowd...my DH can pick me out a mile away cuz of my hair(BRIGHT RED in pigtails)..his head is shaved...so he just puts on an hat that i can recognize.we also considered whistles,,,,,,,DH also if he sees me and I dont see him makes this weird little clicky sound that I IMMEDIATLY recognize so I can find him(I know it sounds like the way you would call a puppy lol,,but it rreallllyy works for us)....maybe consider some of the DIS board stuff,,shirts,,etc in lime green,,buttons too....

 

[elmo2wdw]

I dress the kids a like, but not exactly them same. I shop at Old Navy, GAP and Gymboree and you can get the same "theme" in all sizes. So MY DS (1), DS (6) and DS (9) dress a like but do not match. This helps a lot because they all have similar outfits on, but do not match. Then my DH and I try to dress in similar colors. This also helps our family pictures look great!!!

Old Navy is great ...becasue they have t-shirts exactly the same in all sizes and colors.

 

[snappy]

My DD9 has a large bright orange floppy hat I got at the Gap in 2002.

It's hard to miss.

Also good for Character autographs.

Also good for keeping the sun off her face. Important since she is a very fair skinned, blue eyed redhead.


Now my husband wears his alligator New Orleans Jazz and Heritage shirt and his bright and I mean bright purple and gold LSU baseball hat.

Nothing matches but you can spot him a mile away.

It also doesn't hurt that he is a large guy.

 

[Grumpy's Wife]

Try any bright color. Stay away from white.

 

[cmonroe]

moopdog,

We had a similar problem in 03 with our grand gatherings (15 of us).
We dressed the children in matching colors (the ones that were too young to care).
For everyone else, we all had Disney World Walkie talkies. The older kids enjoyed this as they didn't have to wear matching clothes and the liked the idea of using walkie talkies.

My 2 cents.

 

[jwsqrdplus2]

I have 2 DDs, so I can (and do!) usually get away with a bright colored hair accessory. Since I comb everyone's hair and put it up, I just slip a bright schrunchie over the pony tail. Works like a charm.

 

[wdwoldtimer]

There's lots of things you could do...

1) get everyone a rolling backpack and then just look for people tripping and falling down - the kid can't be far.

2) attach a cow bell to a 4 foot length of string, hook the other end to their belt loops so they can drag it around the parks all day.

3) dye their hair magenta and have em blow on a Kazoo when they walk.

4) dress them in matching Pilgrim outfits

Be creative!

 

[MomofKatie]

There's lots of things you could do...

1) get everyone a rolling backpack and then just look for people tripping and falling down - the kid can't be far.

2) attach a cow bell to a 4 foot length of string, hook the other end to their belt loops so they can drag it around the parks all day.

3) dye their hair magenta and have em blow on a Kazoo when they walk.

4) dress them in matching Pilgrim outfits

Be creative!

I like the magenta hair idea!

 

[cmonroe]

wdwoldtimer at it again!!!

 

[Keokagal]

world timer you are so
Be careful of necklaces on children. They can be a choking hazard.

 

[dgaston]

Wdwoldtimer: Everytime I see your signature with the Char Broil Fire and Ice Cooler and Grill Combo, I chuckle. But today your suggestions for group id have me laughing out loud. Thanks!

PS Can I join the Gas Grill Club?

 

[moopdog]

Thanks to all. elmo2wdw we're "almost" from the same neck of the woods. We're about an hour from you... that's close for around here. Just thought it was kind of neat!

 

[liveforthemagic]

Know what you mean about the older son and DH not wanting to wear anything bright. My son has a few "crazy" shirts from Old Navy--one in particular is very orange with dragons all over it--it is very "sweet" he tells me, and you can see him a mile away. Also, last time we went, we had him and DH turn their baseball hats around backwards. Its somehow very easy to spot them that way--especially since DH is 6'3". You see someone that big in a turned around baseball hat--look down about 3 ft and see DS. Ah...memories.

I am also taking these little photo id cards that my kids school just sent home. They made them out of their school pictures--they have a place where you can record their height and weight....good to have a pic with you at the parks in the event somebody wanders and you have to look. Course, you can add it to the suitcase you have to carry around all day!

 

[got2lovedisney]

Hey! No knocking Magenta hair...it was my "color of the month" in December!

Seriously though...for the kids that don't want to wear the matching clothes...blue or green or magenta hair gel is definitely eye catching in a crowd. Or some of those silly hats...I myself have a Minnie Mouse ears hairband I wear and I also bought a pair in fuzzy lilac for this year's trip.

 

[elmo2wdw]

That is cool! I haven't seen many DISers from our area.

 

[Forevryoung]

I would say go for a bright hair schrunchie for the girls, hats for the boys. Or you can put glitter in their hair. You could stick a sign to their back that says "Mom/Dad, its your son/daughter". I have a white and blue hat that I will be wearing or my baseball cap. If you are bringing a backpack put a bright mark on it that makes it very different. Hmm How about whistles?

 

[*Fantasia*]

There's lots of things you could do...

1) get everyone a rolling backpack and then just look for people tripping and falling down - the kid can't be far.

2) attach a cow bell to a 4 foot length of string, hook the other end to their belt loops so they can drag it around the parks all day.

3) dye their hair magenta and have em blow on a Kazoo when they walk.

4) dress them in matching Pilgrim outfits

Be creative!

Good suggestions! I like the cow bell and the Pilgrim outfits!

 

[Evil Queen]

in a crowd...my DH can pick me out a mile away cuz of my hair(BRIGHT RED in pigtails)..his head is shaved...so he just puts on an hat that i can recognize.we also considered whistles,,,,,,,DH also if he sees me and I dont see him makes this weird little clicky sound that I IMMEDIATLY recognize so I can find him(I know it sounds like the way you would call a puppy lol,,but it rreallllyy works for us)....maybe consider some of the DIS board stuff,,shirts,,etc in lime green,,buttons too....

My DS8 always wears a whistle. Just in case. Never had to use it. He knows it's for emergencies, but I won't give it to him until in the car, almost there. He drove me crazy the first trip I gave it to him WEEKS before leaving. Our neighbors probably thought he was a nut!! He never stopped blowing on it. It's not only good for getting lost, but should any one mess with him (not that I worry about it in the parks-but it should make people take notice).

You could pick a color of the "colored hair spray" if they are into that and spray it in their hair.

We are thinking about walkie talkies but have heard you can pick up others as well.