Museums made fun!

This week I had a wonderful chat with a family of a single mom and 3 girls( 11, 13, and 14). I had sat next to them in the Air & Space building of the Smithsonian. The girls were filling out these questionnaires and I thought perhaps they were here with their school. However, it turns out they were just here for fun and their mom types up these fill-in-the-blank worksheets before ever trip. Then they fill in the answers and if they complete them then they all get to enjoy a surprise bonus on their last day.

I thought this was truly genius and when I asked the mom more about it she confessed that it's actually turned out far better then she even imagined! When the girls were younger they spend hours of each vacation fighting, now they're working together so they can have that prize. Although she confessed that they have yet to not complete a quiz. She wasn't sure how she'd end up handling it, but she doesn't anticipate that happening since the girls are allowed to assist each other- but NOT give away answers.

I asked if it took her long to compile these quizzes. "About an hour one evening", that's it! She does 3-4 questions per museum and she's found that it's promoted team work, excitement, museum interaction and family bonding. 

The girls also seemed very excited about traveling too. When I told them I had lived in Germany they had loads of questions. They're trying to get their mom to take them there this summer, but she seemed worried about cost. I gave her a few links which could really help cut down on that and I think she's actually considering it.

All I do know, is this woman was brilliant. I can only imagine how intimidating traveling as a single mother must be. She's really inspired me and I hope to use her tricks if I ever become a parent!