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Rethinking this as a family hobby
Board: Kid Shenanigans
May 14, 2006 10:58am
Thread (disabled) Board
OMG, we went on a road trip yesterday. It was about 100 miles or so around around the Puget Sound. It was a lovely day for a drive. I missed our first scheduled stop because of the sqabbling in the back of the car. Then a few miles down the road, we missed the turn for our next scheduled stop.

We made our third scheduled stop, walked a mile into the woods, looking for a trailhead that had been hidden due the the park becoming a loggin camp. We finally turned around, found the landmarks we had been looking for, only to realize I had forgotten my gloves back at the car, and I was not gonna reach around in the brush without them. Especially after we had seen two snakes and a HUGE slug on our walk up. I take full responsibility for this bust.

We finally reached our destination Priest Point Park, Olympia, and I found myself in no mood for walking around the woods with these creatins anymore. The name calling, poking, prodding...etc, etc, etc... Now, PPP, is supposedly filled with boxes, and I do not see myself getting there anytime in the near future, so what gives?

What is the trick to LBing as a family? I have 10, 8, and 6. I thought I had planned for every contigency, including luch, snacks, extra water, etc...the problem is an hour into our trek I was tired of listening to the talk. How do I get them to be quiet and respectful of the wilderness and not ruin everyone else's time by constantly chatting?

Any advice would be appreciated, JetFuelOnly wants to be Crewless
Re: Rethinking this as a family hobby
Board: Kid Shenanigans
Reply to: #22775 by Jet Fuel Only
May 14, 2006 11:15am
Thread (disabled) Board
Wow! (Flashbacks of my own childhood with two brothers in the backseat of a Volkswagon Beetle)....

I'm the mom of one three year old, so i hesitate to give you advice... Team Randalstik has written a wonderful article on this very topic in Letterboxine. He may have much better tips for you.

The only thing that I could possibly think to tell you (and this will take a bit of time) is to take each one of them out on a 1:1 trip (or several times each on 1:1 trips.. to get them more interested. The 1:1 time would be good for each of you, and it would give you an opportunity to have some undivided attention from the child. Maybe try to decode what appeals to each child (as far as motives go)... the thrill of a goal accomplished might be one kid's view of a hike through the woods... or the opportunity to possibly see some wild animals (and i dont mean coyotes..but more like lizzards, bugs, squirrels, chipmunks, beavers???, birds, etc), or maybe plants and trees are more interesting... (starting a leaf collection, on one of the trips?)

Then maybe try one or two small bite sized outings on different days with all three instead of a day trip.

I have to admit, I'm pretty blessed to have a kid who loves to ride. (Well, and being an only child helps too!).

cam of 3Ms, who would like to be "the lone M" at times, too.
Re: Rethinking this as a family hobby
Board: Kid Shenanigans
Reply to: #22775 by Jet Fuel Only
May 14, 2006 12:29pm
Thread (disabled) Board
Mine kids are five and one, and I find that once we get out, things improve dramatically. It's being in the car to get to boxes that is so miserable. I usually have everything packed up the night before, and give the kids a few minutes to run around outside before we get in the car.

Then we get going as early as possible, while everyone is still fresh. Even with lots of car-friendly activities I find a one hour trip is the maximum I can do, and still remain sane for hiking. I also must admit to having resorted to promisng that good hikers get happy meals at McD's (we don't have enough LB's in our area to make this a health hazard, yet!). Sometimes, I mark the box locations on a map and let them choose the boxes they would like to try for.

I also have to watch the cues from the kids when they are getting tired, sometimes they're having fun running around and exploring and don't realize they're really out of steam. Otherwise this can make the car trip home an absolute pit of hell. But when we have a good day, we all come home tired, happy, and with lots of stories about what we found, animals we saw, places we went, etc.

Trailfeathers
Re: Rethinking this as a family hobby
Board: Kid Shenanigans
Reply to: #22775 by Jet Fuel Only
May 14, 2006 4:20pm
Thread (disabled) Board
Quote I have 10, 8, and 6. I thought I had planned for every contigency, including luch, snacks, extra water, etc...the problem is an hour into our trek I was tired of listening to the talk.


I have 3 sons ages 10, 8, 7. There is no such thing as quiet so if you are looking for this-- just forget it. Outdoors is for outdoor voices: running, climbing, talking, noise. I am just thankful it is not inside. I have a video in the van and they take items to entertain themselves as well. Once outside, it is fun for them. They have their own letterbox bags, own water bottle, and a reserve emergency lollipop or 2 for a break on the trail. I give them a clue at a time and they run to look for it. Despite the noise, they are learning. They are just learning like boys that age do. I share in their fun instead of fighting it. I let them "help" pull me uphill or make a human chain over a creek. I let them take a few minutes to rock hop or chase the anole they spotted. I could get more boxes without them but in a few years they will not want to be with me-- then I will be alone again wishing for the few years that they ran wild through the woods. :)
Re: Rethinking this as a family hobby
Board: Kid Shenanigans
Reply to: #22775 by Jet Fuel Only
May 14, 2006 5:35pm
Thread (disabled) Board
gosh, don't think I can really advise you well, (except maybe, take a deep breath, send them to their rooms, and pour yourself a glass of wine!) but I can tell you what works for me...

in my family, LBing is NOT a "family" hobby. It is "Mommy's hobby" which the family indulges me on occasionally. I tried to start this as a family hobby but I too cannot stand the squabbling and bickering and whining. (I have two, aged 9 and 6.)

So, I started boxing by myself. Or with only one child at a time. Eventually, I would show the kids the stamps I got when off by myself, and they started realizing they were missing out on something. My older one especially would ask me to wait until she could go with me to find boxes.

Now I choose our "family" boxes carefully. Usually they are on shorter hikes in places that have some other attraction for them other than a trail. If there is a series of boxes, or a park full, I know my kids are good for about a maximum of four if there is nothing else to distract them. If I have more than 4 on *my* agenda, I save the rest for later.

It makes for slow going, I suppose, if you want to look at it that way, but I don't think of it as a race. I do "drag" them along occasionally, because I think it's good for the kids to understand that the world does not revolve around them. If I have to take them to Chuck E Cheese every now and then, they have to go 'boxing with me every now and then. :)

I think that thinking of this as "my" hobby helps me keep it in perspective. I don't want to hog all the family's free time for any one goal of mine, any more than I would want to spend every weekend on an off-road trail or at a playground or making "art projects" out of cardboard tubes and tissue paper.

It's all about the balance. :)

MoonBunny
Re: Rethinking this as a family hobby
Board: Kid Shenanigans
Reply to: #22775 by Jet Fuel Only
May 14, 2006 6:11pm
Thread (disabled) Board
Are your children new to hiking? Is the conversation about their environs or something else (TV shows, video games, other activities in which they participate, etc)? I usually don't even tell the kids we're going letterboxing--they just know we're going some place to explore & get exercise and they don't have much (any?) say in the matter. Once we get there on the hike, they usually entertain themselves by finding 'jousting sticks' or building ferry cottages around the tree roots, collecting pine cones, etc.--sometimes I try to engage them in solving the letterboxing clues but not always.

We log lots of miles in the car (& in the skies) each year (1,000s+) & we don't have any sort of entertainment system in the car beside the constantly changing images outside their windows. ;) They don't bicker in the car--the oldest has a large spiral-bound sketch journal and a bag of colored pencils & markers. The youngest just has an etch-a-sketch with changeable 'screens' that provide maze outlines, puzzles, games--that sort of thing. We listen to narrated classical music CDs (Classical Kids, Beethoven's Wig series, etc) or gasp!--AM talk radio--whatever topic I'm interested in at that particular moment (the driver gets to choose & since none of the kids can drive...). I'm also constantly asking them questions about the region/state/country or playing I Spy with them--we're homeschooling & school's never out of session for them. ;)

Hope you find some of these ideas helpful,

daelphinus
Re: Rethinking this as a family hobby
Board: Kid Shenanigans
Reply to: #22775 by Jet Fuel Only
May 14, 2006 7:21pm
Thread (disabled) Board
Like MoonBunny I have to say that this has become "Mommy's" hobby too. My guys are only 8 and 4 so they really aren't up to logging the miles you sometimes have to go between boxes. If it's a series of boxes in a relatively confined area they do fine, but longer hikes between boxes don't work. Don't even start trying to go to one box by car here, hike for an hour, then back in the car to go somewhere else!

I went boxing by myself today (yes, Mother's Day and I didn't spend it with my kids), but there were several boxes far removed from my house that I wanted to try for but I wasn't sure I'd find them still there. As it turns out, this morning I was 0 for 2 until I searched for the third box which was there. In all I looked for eight and found six, but if the kids had been with me I never would have found those six because not finding the first two would have demoralized them.

I take the kids on short trips, to do maintenance on my own boxes or when my husband can go along to keep them entertained while I stamp in. Hopefully in a few years they'll be better able to do the romping through the woods thing and understand that the box isn't always there.

Knit Wit
Re: Rethinking this as a family hobby
Board: Kid Shenanigans
Reply to: #22775 by Jet Fuel Only
May 14, 2006 9:07pm
Thread (disabled) Board
Well, I say training, training, training, training!

I have a 12, 10 and almost 8 year old, and there is always the pickin-pokin and bickering, but I try to keep it in check. I always tell them that I expect more; more respect for adults, more respect for the outdoors, more respect for the other people in the park/trail, etc. We are a homeschooling family as well, so I am with them 24/7.

But, I also try to make it fun for them by providing their own logbooks & sig stamps. They are used to day trips in the car, so they are pretty good, as long as we have all the necessities (snacks, and more snacks, gameboys, books, journals, small toys). And it is not all boxing, I try to incorporate things they like to do, too - like playing on the beach or lakeside, getting their pictures taken (or being the photographer!), playing on playground equipment, being the leader on the trail, etc.

On the hunt for a box, usually I am the reader of the clues and they are the finders, but sometimes I have my 12 year old be the reader, and me and the boys find the boxes.

It all boils down to what I said at the beginning; training. Give it some time, and trust me, they will begin to appreciate the same things you do.

~SHH :-)
Re: Rethinking this as a family hobby
Board: Kid Shenanigans
Reply to: #22804 by MoonBunny
May 14, 2006 9:09pm
Thread (disabled) Board
"It makes for slow going, I suppose, if you want to look at it that way, but I don't think of it as a race. I do "drag" them along occasionally, because I think it's good for the kids to understand that the world does not revolve around them"

When I was a child, my father would take me into the woods. In Maine in the 60's there was nothing that would harm a child who was respectful of living things. He would leave me under a tree and go off hunting. Because I was content with my own company, I often drifted in my imagination only to be startled out of my daydreams by a deer wandered that wandered into view or a partrige launching into his drumming act. I believe these experiences helped me to become a keen and patient observer, and thinker. As an adult, I sometimes come accross these spots where I sat, waiting for my dad --a certain ridge of beech trees, or a place lush with fiddlehead ferns, and I am always surprised at how close these places are to the main road or farm or picnic spot. When we hiked to these places my child legs felt the distance as long walks. The waits felt long too. Looking back, it wasn't far or long at all. It helps me Know that there is adult concept of time/distance and child time/distance. It's relative, you know?
Re: Rethinking this as a family hobby
Board: Kid Shenanigans
Reply to: #22824 by eaglewatcher
May 14, 2006 9:45pm
Thread (disabled) Board
Wow! I am so impressed! Yes, I remember the days where my mom would let us ride bikes through the woods, and all around the little town where i grew up. It was nothing to leave saturday morning on our bikes, race each other up the road to find our friends and ride all day and way until sometimes after dark.. coming home dirtier than dirt, and tired but not wanting to really come in.
No more of that though... I wonder what life will be like for my son's kids.. and if I am so blessed to be around when they say incredulously to my son "Wow, Dad you got to hike in the parks without a stungun and flak jacket??????""
sigh...

cam, feeling a bit cynical tonight huh?
Re: Rethinking this as a family hobby
Board: Kid Shenanigans
Reply to: #22775 by Jet Fuel Only
May 15, 2006 8:28am
Thread (disabled) Board
We have 2 kids (boy, 7 and girl, 5) and have been letterboxing for 3 years. The whole reason we started letterboxing was to provide the kids an opportunity to stretch their legs on a long road-trip (central Ohio to southern Tennessee). Since then we've been hooked!
The kids love the treasure hunt aspect of letterboxing. They have their own backpacks with snacks, water and logbooks. They even carry their own trinkets for trading if we go to a geocache. They used to complain about the walking, but we have learned to keep the shorter hikes and drive-bys for kid friendly trips and the longer hikes for when we don't have the kids with us.
Just last week we went to find a new one in a local park. We followed the trail to get to it, but my husband thought he could get us out quicker if we walked straight "as the crow flies" instead of following the trail back to the car. After about 1/2 hour of up the hill, down the hill, up the hill, down the hill, off-trail, through the woods; my knees were not happy. But the kids didn't complain a bit!
I guess they are just used to it by now. Maybe they've learned that we can get it done faster if they don't complain.
Re: Rethinking this as a family hobby
Board: Kid Shenanigans
Reply to: #22775 by Jet Fuel Only
May 15, 2006 12:29pm
Thread (disabled) Board
I agree with the others who talked about balance. When we're doing the family thing, we stick to the ones at parks and other places where there are not long walks (in terms of our youngest group member's endurance). We factor in time for playground visits and other pit stops, so we won't get to as many boxes, but it's much more enjoyable when everyone's happy.

The bickering is just going to happen, but is especially bad if they're tired, so I'd avoid the long hikes when you have the kids with you and enjoy those when it's just the adults. Or, use the day only for the one longer hike and allot plenty of time to stop, rest, and examine the mushrooms, bugs, rocks, or whatever along the trail. It will take a lot longer, but you'll see many things you may have missed. It's fun to see things from the kids' perspective sometimes. Items long deemed ordinary become special again when viewed through the eyes of a child. *sigh...going back to my Wordsworth...*

We come up with games to occupy their minds. For example, there's the alphabet game in which the kids take turns identifying something they see with the correct letter, going alphabetically (or in reverse). This works in the car as well as on the hikes. Do a scavenger hunt for things you might see along the trail (or while on the road). Make sure they're actively participating in the hunt by following the clues. My two girls (8 and 6) enjoy running ahead to find the next point mentioned in the clue. They have their own logbooks and stamps, and they only get the stamps for boxes they visit themselves, so that's motivational for them.

Car trips can be boring for kids. I try to make sure they have a variety of activities to keep them occupied, but even so, this is the toughest part. My girls bring books and crafts (like spool knitting) to work on. They are going to bicker, though. At that point, it's time to get out of the car and move around a bit, even if it's just for a minute.

As hard as it is to quit when there are still boxes on the agenda, sometimes that's the only solution. When it stops being fun, it's time to go home!

Sorry this is so long. It's a subject that definitely hits home for me, though!

Good luck!
Booknut
Re: Rethinking this as a family hobby
Board: Kid Shenanigans
Reply to: #22824 by eaglewatcher
May 16, 2006 10:05am
Thread (disabled) Board
Makes you think, what are our kids missing because of our current culture?

What a great experience that is to just be left alone and ending up with some REALLY great moments as a child. I can't even imagine doing this with our kids now. Probably just fine, but boy I think the police and DSS may not like it.

Team Randastik
Re: Rethinking this as a family hobby
Board: Kid Shenanigans
Reply to: #22775 by Jet Fuel Only
May 16, 2006 10:36am
Thread (disabled) Board
oooo. That sounds like a painful letterboxing expedition. I think you should get the Boo-boo box for that one. Psychological boo-boos count don't they?

I agree with everyone. My two kids are only 5 and 6 and we started at 4 and 5, so I can only give young one advice. Mine don't bicker that much yet, and I if they do they are still at the age where I can just yell at them and it can stop it . . . for about a 30 seconds.

They LOVED letterboxing last year, but this year . . . as Eyze on the Prize says, "the magic is running out." Analyzing the situation, I see that last year all the boxes, 80 or so, were fairly close by, less than an hour. We could do them with short drives and hit 3 or more. Our record is six.

This year, now that we've done all the closeby ones, we are left with boxes that take a good hour drive or more. I have learned quickly, you can only do one or two.

Like I mention in my LetterboXINE, it takes twice as long to box with kids. If the clues say 45 minutes round trip, it will AT LEAST take you an hour and a half. And that's without the guarantee that you still don't kill them in the end. Keep that in mind when you go.

I have learned, as many have said, to let THEM do what they want and to enjoy it with them. An hour of throwing rocks into a pond or stirring the mud with a stick is actually really relaxing. Of course as my mind slowly turns into a useless blob, I start to make the play a bit more creative such as sailing a stick out and SHOOTING IT DOWN WITH ROCKS!

Or making "Grandma Soup" with the mud by adding leaves, sticks, and other various things and than putting a stick in it and SHOOTING IT DOWN WITH ROCKS!

I have learned to let the letterboxes go. We went to do a a few letterboxes that were right in the same park and only ended up doing one even though the others were RIGHT THERE. They were having too much fun and I wasn't going to spoil it.

Yup, it sure takes a lot longer to reach that F100 goal but at least the kids are OUTSIDE, running around through poison ivy, getting bit by mosquitos, picking ticks off, and getting really dirty. And I'm there to enjoy it with them.

I have actually gone letterboxing by myself a couple of times thinking that I can get a lot of boxes and it would be great fun. . . I did get a lot of boxes, 15 of them once and they were really far away . . . but it just isn't the same. It was a bit lonely. And I just didn't enjoy the hike as much since I was SO FOCUSED on the hunt. Of course with practice I am sure I would enjoy it more, but boxing with kids has its advantage.

Keep training them and hopefully it will work out. . . because mine will be that age soon enough and I need to know how to continue to drag them out.

Team Randalstik
Re: Rethinking this as a family hobby
Board: Kid Shenanigans
Reply to: #22775 by Jet Fuel Only
May 16, 2006 12:08pm
Thread (disabled) Board
Like many, this has evolved in to "Mommy's hobby". My kids do enjoy it--in small doses, and in their own ways. My three are 9, 7 and 4. Each will ask to go out with me and each enjoys different aspects of boxing. I have come to learn that they are constantly evovling and i need to repsect their tolerance and limitations.

What works for us:

A relatively short trip or a longer trip to a new place that offers more than just boxes ( state parks are usually good)

Minimal box hunting--one or two boxes or a short series or daddy along to take htem elsewhere while mommy boxes

Shortish hikes with "fun" along the way such as creeks or cool scenery (and mom willing to let them enjoy nature in their own way even if it includes yelling and getting wet feet)

Letting them read the clues and locate the box (under supervision, of course)

Good weather--too hot, too cold or too rainy and it is all over!

Minimal mosquitoes

A reward at the end, whether is is time at the playset, time on the beach, or an ice cream cone.

I can honestly say mine would never enjoy a 100 mile trip with multiple boxes unless it happened to be on the way somewhere--such as vacations, where we do break up our trip by stopping for letterboxes along the way!

We are also pretty much a non-electronics family, so don't have the distractions of in-car videa and hand held games--but maybe htsi is why my kids are still intrigued by the creeks, rocks, trees, bugs, squirrels, birds etc.

Really, I think it is a matter of changing expectations and letting your kids enjoy the experience at their own levels. I knowour family boxing has changed a lot from our first trip three years ago with our youngest in a backpack!

Relax, open up to the possibilities and enjoy.

Mama Stork (Who often takes a day to box sans storklings)
Re: Rethinking this as a family hobby
Board: Kid Shenanigans
Reply to: #22775 by Jet Fuel Only
May 31, 2006 8:38am
Thread (disabled) Board
Hey there! I'm new to letterboxing with a family, but not new to hiking with a family . . . My kids, now 2, 5, and 8 are seasoned hikers. I can remember our 8 year olds first few chatterbox hikes which led to listening hikes. He was 2, but it still works at 8, and I use it for scouts too. I would prepare pictures of things to look for, kind of like a bingo card. I laminated them for multiple uses and give each a dry erase marker. They have to be very very very quiet to listen for things like 'a tree falling', 'baby birds chirping', a 'woodpecker', the 'river', etc. They mark them off, careful not to tell the other kids what they have heard, until they get bingo. Then we wipe the cards down, switch, and play again. We can usually get 3-4 games in before they are tired of the game. Then we do a lot of quiet talking while we watch for wildlife.
Of course, my kids cannot remember 'not' hiking. And now that we are letterboxing - found our first one on Monday! They are super excited. I have to print of clues for both of our readers.
Good luck with yours. Kids are so different, each and every one.
Happy family letterboxing!
Love Bug (and crew - Billy the Kid, Nalla, Master Jaden, and Frogprince)
Re: Rethinking this as a family hobby
Board: Kid Shenanigans
Reply to: #24773 by Love Bug
May 31, 2006 8:45am
Thread (disabled) Board
Quote listening hikes...a bingo card. I laminated them for multiple uses and give each a dry erase marker. They have to be very very very quiet to listen for things like 'a tree falling', 'baby birds chirping', a 'woodpecker', the 'river', etc. They mark them off, careful not to tell the other kids what they have heard, until they get bingo.


Thanks for the great idea!

~SHH :-)
Re: Rethinking this as a family hobby
Board: Kid Shenanigans
Reply to: #24775 by SHH
May 31, 2006 8:49am
Thread (disabled) Board
I love that "bingo card" idea too!

When my kids were little, we discovered books on tape as reading in the car made each of us carsick. They are as enjoyable for the parents as they are for kids. You can often take them out of the library for free. Some of the readers are famous actors and they really make the books come alive. These books on tape have saved my sanity more than once.

Now that they are older, they fight over who is driving. So count your blessings!

LW
Re: Rethinking this as a family hobby
Board: Kid Shenanigans
Reply to: #24777 by Lock Wench
May 31, 2006 9:22am
Thread (disabled) Board
We spend a lot of time in the summer in the car going to different park and library activities. My kids (4 and 6) constantly were fighting. Then one day at the library I checked out some "Adventures in Odyssey" CDs. It was like I had hit the mute button on their mouths! They sat for HOURS listening to the stories. We decided to take them on our car trip from Ohio to Florida. Most peaceful trip ever.
Another thing that works for my kids is the "Veggie Tales" CDs. There are quite a few of them. The only problem with these is that they are quite addictive (even for the adults!)
Hello...my name is Stacey...I'm 36 and I'm a Veggieholic. I know all the words to "The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything" and "The Dance of the Cucumber".
Re: Rethinking this as a family hobby
Board: Kid Shenanigans
Reply to: #24783 by Mn8X
May 31, 2006 11:38am
Thread (disabled) Board
Are these Adventures in Odyssey the ones that are from James Dobson's Focus on the Family?
I have heard them on the radio on Saturday mornings (on the way to work :()
and they are quite compelling. I may get them for the kids if they come on CD

Diana
Re: Rethinking this as a family hobby
Board: Kid Shenanigans
Reply to: #24783 by Mn8X
May 31, 2006 12:10pm
Thread (disabled) Board
Quote I know all the words to ... "The Dance of the Cucumber".


I know the spanish words, too.

now STOP BEING SO SILLY! ;-)

MoonBunny, who also recommends the "Veggie Rocks" CD - it is our favorite version of The Water Buffalo Song
Re: Rethining this as a family hobby
Board: Kid Shenanigans
Reply to: #24804 by Dale End Farm
May 31, 2006 5:15pm
Thread (disabled) Board
Quote Are these Adventures in Odyssey the ones that are from James Dobson's Focus on the Family?


Yes, those are the ones. They come on CD, and there is a animated/cartoon DVD for some of the stories.
If you are looking for some quality, fun shows for the kids, check out "Liberty Kids". Its a cartoon set during the Revolutionary War. My kids love it and they like "Cyber Chase" too. That one is a cartoon geared toward science and math. Both shows are very educational.
Re: (kids' TV) was: Rethining this as a family hobby
Board: Kid Shenanigans
Reply to: #24853 by Mn8X
May 31, 2006 5:21pm
Thread (disabled) Board
My kids love it and they like "Cyber Chase" too. That one is a cartoon geared toward science and math.

My kids love Cyber Chase and, if we are home, always turn on the tv for it. Just last week, I was driving somewhere in the car with my kids and my 6 year old daughter says, "I'm going to find the exact center of this square." She was holding a square piece of paper. Then she proceeded to do it while explaining the steps she was using. I asked her where she learned how to do that and she said, "Cyber Chase!" It was something really simple but proves that she's paying attention and learning things from it.
Re: (kids' TV) was: Rethining this as a family hobby
Board: Kid Shenanigans
Reply to: #24854 by Crochanna
May 31, 2006 5:40pm
Thread (disabled) Board
There's also a Cyber Chase game on pbskids.org
My son loves to play it.
Was: Rethinking this as a family hobby Now: Things on Tape
Board: Kid Shenanigans
Reply to: #24783 by Mn8X
May 31, 2006 5:58pm
Thread (disabled) Board
My favorites were Rabbit Ear Tales - famous actors reading short fairy tails, often with great music in the background. Things like How the Leopard Got His Spots read by Robin Williams (I think) with music by Ladysmith Black Mombazo. You get the idea. They're very very cool. And I thought so BEFORE I had children. They had a whole channel of them on the airplane armchair radio station when I worked for American.

Thunderbird
Re: Was: Rethinking this as a family hobby Now: Things on
Board: Kid Shenanigans
Reply to: #24857 by thunderbird
May 31, 2006 7:43pm
Thread (disabled) Board
I remember these! I absolutely loved them! I checked with my library system but they don't seem to carry them. :( I wish they had them so my kids could enjoy them as much as I did (I was in college when I saw them) Perhaps I will look by individual titles.

Padfoot Treehuggers :)

P.S. ~ The narration on 'How The Leopard Got His Spots' was Danny Glover ... the Rudyard Kipling stories were my faves. ;D
Re: Was: Rethinking this as a family hobby Now: Things on
Board: Kid Shenanigans
Reply to: #24867 by Padfoot Treehuggers
Jun 1, 2006 9:15am
Thread (disabled) Board
I actually have a lot of these on VHS. I taped them from Showtime 20 years ago for my oldest son.

Hmm. maybe I could get someone to put them on DVD, or digitize them somehow...

Diana
Re: Rethinking this as a family hobby
Board: Kid Shenanigans
Reply to: #22775 by Jet Fuel Only
Jun 6, 2006 8:07pm
Thread (disabled) Board
I have 2 kids. my 6.5 year old LOVES letter boxing, but in Ct, we don't drive that far to go boxing, nad if we go 30 miles one way, it includes other stuff. She has her own book, and she is allowed to find the box herself once we are at the box's destination. my 18 month old just goes along for the ride. We also go for the Easier boxes, so it is not considered too much of a bore. Hope this helps.
Weehawker