Last weekend I had the opportunity to take my girl’s to a place I spent many summers of my childhood…Morey’s Pier.  Growing up in PA, going down the shore is a tradition.  We spent every summer for the first 17 years of  my life in Wildwood, NJ.  I have such fond memories of the piers which overlook the ocean.  Both during the day and night, I can still envision what the boardwalk looks like.  So after a 14 year hiatus, I was invited to a Mom Blogger event at Morey’s Pier and I knew we would have a great time.  I traveled with Jen from Sisterly Savings since our kids get along so great.  As soon as we arrived, all the memories came back.  The smells of boardwalk fries and sites of the rides and games were wonderful.  My kids were on a mission to ride all of the kiddie rides at Mariner’s Landing.  The first stop was the bumper cars,  an old favorite.

Although it was the last day of the season, it wasn’t overly crowded.  The face painting line was long so we skipped that.  It was a beautiful day.  We were also given vouchers to play the watergun game, so we came home with lots of prizes.  We also ate the biggest slices of pizza I’ve ever seen, and the best Curly’s fries.  It was a great way to officially end summer.  Thanks again for the fun event!

*disclosure My family and I were given free wristbands to ride the rides, vouchers for free fries, pizza and watergames and a stuffed animal of the mascot.  All thoughts and opinions are my own

It was a brisk yet sunny Sunday afternoon when me and Jen from SisterlySavings.net ventured to Lancaster PA to one of our favorite spots, Strausburg Railroad.  Collectively, our 5 kids, age 3 to 16 screamed with delight to be reunited and of course see Santa.  Everything was lit up with beautiful Christmas lights, so we posed for a few photos before boarding the train.

The train ride had Santa and helpers along with carolers.  The kids had a blast and the mommies had a chance to relax. 

We all had a great time.

*We were given free train tickets.

Traveling with kids can be fun.  Sometimes your vacation is a planned adventure, othertimes it turns into one.  Here are 5 fun vacation activities kids will love.

1. No matter where you go on vacation, always have a backup rain plan.  From outlet mall shopping to movies, do your research.  There is nothing worse that being stuck inside.  Even if you have to get creative mama, build a tent with the bedding, bring crayons and coloring books.  Anything to keep the kids occupied.

2.  Play games in the car.  I honestly believe this helped my parents keep their sanity.  We drove from LA to Yosemite, to Lake Tahoe, to Vegas to Grand Canyon.  Me and my brother joke now about all the driving we did, but my parents wanted us to seee everything when we went somewhere.  I’m thinking of something was a favorite game of ours. My 5 year old knows how to play too from her beach trip with Oma and Papi.

3. I am fortunate to live in PA.  There are tons of attractions around here and we are close to the beaches in NJ and MD, close to DC, close to NYC.  There are tons of free things to do, including free museum days.   You don’t have to spend a fortune for the kids to have fun.  My kids are young but older kids might enjoy going to see exhibits on topics they studied at school.  My daughter loves looking at dinosaurs.  Most museums are also air conditioned and can give you something to do if it rains.

4. Another great thing about summer-daytrips.  We live so close to go to 6 Flags, HersheyPark, SesamePlace and DorneyPark.  All of these destinations are kid friendly and can occupy a whole day.

5. The final key to having a great vacation, give the kids input.  Let them feel like a vital part of the fun.  Let them help pack, let them pick their own snacks to bring.  Have them document the journey by coloring their own postcards or maps.  Kids will have a great time if you make them have a great time.  Even a boring cross country trip to grandma’s can be fun if you make it.  Happy Travels!