My Vacation

by Steve Bennett

For: Kids 9 and up.
Required: Travel literature, magazines, reference books.

In this variation on a traditional "back-to-school" activity, family members combine their creative abilities with their research skills to impart fictionalized accounts of their summertime adventures. Each participant chooses an interesting city, state, or country, and collects information -- pictures and text -- about its tourist attractions, culture, language, famous citizens, and the like. (You can get this information from the library, reference books you have at home, or by writing to chambers of commerce.) Then, once everyone is an "expert" on his or her location, the real fun starts.

On a designated "Summer Vacation" family night, participants take turns telling what they did during their imaginary trips. You might want to prompt younger "travelers" by asking such questions as: How long did it take to get there, what were some of the places you visited, what did you like best about the meals, what kinds of clothes did you bring with you, who were some of the most interesting people you met, and so on.

When all your adventures have been related, perhaps family members can agree on a real-life destination for next year's summer vacation!

More on: Geography