Telling 1st grader 2 weeks before trip so she can enjoy prep. Tips?

[ChicagoJ]

i really want our first grader to enjoy the anticipation of getting ready for WDW so we’re telling her two weeks before we leave (in 2 weeks!). We’re going to set up a scavenger hunt ending with her using her playset binoculars to find the hidden sign saying “we are going to Disney World!”

What are some fun things we can do with her during the two weeks leading up to the trip?

I don’t want to show her YouTube videos of the parks but I was thinking of watching a packing video because I know she’ll love packing with us. I’m also going to have her pick out a new princess dress to bring. Any other special/fun things?

 

[unrequited23]

Countdown chain. Special trip to pick out airplane/car snacks. Watch Disney movies of rides she will be going on or characters she might meet, that she may not have seen yet. Learn about the countries in the World Showcase (if going to Epcot) so she has a better understanding/appreciation of what you are experiencing. If your kid likes maps (mine are obsessed) break out the park maps.

With just two weeks to go, I would focus on keeping her well-rested and healthy...maybe you could find Disney hand soap or sanitizer.

Have a great trip!

 

[LoriWV]

My nephew was just a bit younger when we went and really enjoyed reading a few of the "Disney With Kids" type guidebooks.

 

[dakotix]

We get Disney tattoos and tattoo our Magic Bands.

 

[Padstack]

We did a countdown board. She was excited to mark off each day and it kept us from having to answer "how many more days left" all day long.

 

[Rach3975]

My youngest was in 1st grade on our first trip. She loved reading the Birnbaum's WDW for Kids book. (Fair warning--if you get the book, she's going to want input into what rides, restaurants, etc. you do. So only give her a guidebook if there's flexibility for her to help shape your plans.) In the guidebook there's a countdown of things to do for the last 10 days before your trip. My daughter is in 4th now (our 2nd trip), and she's decided to repeat the 10-day countdown this trip.

We also do a countdown for the last 30 days, and the kids really like that. The first trip I made a small dry erase board with a Disney frame and Disney stickers. This trip I have a picture of Mickey and Minnie with a stack of 30 pre-marked post it notes, and we just pull one off each day.

We've also done a few family movie nights with movies that relate to our Disney trip. For example, the first trip we stayed in a Cars Suite so one of the movies we watched was Cars. (It had been a few years since they'd seen it.) This trip we'll be doing Pandora and Be Our Guest for the first time, so Beauty and the Beast and Avatar were two of the movies we watched.

We also went to buy some Disney merchandise before the trip. Last trip we found everything we wanted at Target, and this trip we went to the Disney Outlet. Each member of the family picked out a Disney shirt to wear on the trip. My kids don't like the characters enough for us to buy them princess gear or Mickey backpacks or anything, but if yours does than you'd probably save a lot buying a few items with her now to use on the trip vs. being begged for them in the parks.

Have fun with your countdown activities!

 

[Gafnorin]

Ooh fun!! We’re going w our first grader and preschooler next week. So far she’s enjoyed marking off days on the calendar, watching Disney cartoons on Netflix, decorating our magic bands w vinyl stickers and today we printed and laminated our plans (yes a bit OCD. My hubs happened to have a laminator. Otherwise you can use plastic sleeves), we punched holes, connected the pages w yarn to make a book and she’s super excited she can draw on them w dry erase markers. She also drew a picture for the cover (she chose the avatar banshees) that we laminated.

And we braided some yarn as a stroller marker.

The anticipation is the best!