Travel games to get the kids’ attention

I’ve been with my kids (7 and 11) alone in Paris for two weeks now. My wife didn’t join until yesterday, so it’s been just me keeping up a steady tourist monologue and trying to get the kids to pay a little attention to what they are seeing. After five days of repeating the same things without any nod of retention on their parts, I decided to make it more interesting. I told them that from now on, they would each get a point if they answered my constant quiz questions correctly. At the end of the week, I would give a prize for whoever had the most points. There could be multiple winners for each question to avoid screaming and fighting. I also gave them the option to work cooperatively and share a prize, but they immediately declined this option.

Participation and attention immediately went through the roof! Suddenly, they hung on every word and detail I said, repeating pronunciation and asking for explanation. They were asking ME the name of every church and person on a statue. They even watched a documentary on the creation of the Louvre museum with me.

Yes, they fought mercilessly over who really had one a point or not, but I was clear that there would be only one infallible, omniscient judge, ME.

Finally, and maybe most surprising, is that the grand prize was….Wait for it… A PACK OF GUM. They paid attention and actively participated the whole week because of a promise of A. Pack. Of. Gum. Which all goes to prove that to motivate kids you don’t have to give them an iPad. I suppose you do have to have a house where gum and candy bars are not given freely.

I’m always amazed at things I learn along the way about being with them, and not getting too frustrated when things don’t go as planned. But sometimes, I find a trick that makes it fun for both of them and me and we all have a good time together.