Pin Trading Bingo

One thing I enjoy is having a little free fun while on vacation. Since I live not too far from Orlando, I visit the theme parks several times per year. I love to go to Disney World with my husband and friends and trade pins at the parks and the hotels.

Pin trading is absolutely free (though the pins you start with are at a cost) and is one of the delights of visiting the parks to me. Since I have several friends who also enjoy pin trading, I put together a friendly competition for us that you are also welcome to use. You could even use it by yourself, if your friends aren't traders, or you're making a solo adventure to the area.

Here are the rules:

1. Save the 3 images below to your cell phone.
2. Bring a set of 10 "trader" pins for each person who will be playing as well as a lanyard.*
3. Have each person pick a number between 1 and 30. Note: If you are playing with children who will need help with the game, have everyone pick a number in the same bracket (1-10 or 11-20 or 21-30) so you are all on the same card and don't have to keep switching between cards to assist them. 
4. To be fair, have someone else choose your number, since you have seen the cards. 
5. With your group, trade away any pins you have that meet your win criteria.
6. Trade pins all day at the parks, hotels, and gift shops! Keep any pins that you love. Track your collection at PinPics.
7. At the end of the day, compare what you have collected against your card and see if you have met your win-condition of all 5 pins. Whomever in your group has done so is the winner! Award a special prize - maybe pick out a pin for them from a shop, gift them with a new lanyard for next time, or the losers buy a round of cocoa for the winners. 

You may play as cut-throat or friendly as you choose. The rules are written in such a way as to be interpretive. For instance, when it says Chip & Dale, will you accept either character, or does it have to be the pair of them? Decide in advance, and cut the kids some slack. After all, it's just for fun.

Share your pictures, if you like. Who won?

*A note on traders & lanyards: You can purchase trading pins on eBay or Amazon for a fair price. You can also buy them at the parks or the Disney Store, but you will spend more this way. Lanyard can be purchased at the parks or Disney Store, or you can buy them where keys are made, such as the Home Depot or Lowe's. To be extra special, you can order custom lanyards from places like Lindsay's Lanyards, but these take a little extra time.

Autumn Hahn is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist practicing at Clear Mind Group in Weston, Florida. Call 954-612-9553 for a consultation. Follow Autumn on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+. Sign up for the e-newsletter HERE.

Have a Great Family Trip

Every family loves the idea of taking a bonding vacation together. But the logistics, a sour experience from the past, or witnessing meltdowns of kids around you may inhibit you from planning that dream vacation. Plan your trip with these simple tips and inspire others with your great fun!

Start small.
Maybe a trip to a theme park would be a lot of fun, but you've never even had your kids out in public for more than a few hours at a time. Start with a trip to the park for a couple of hours. Once they can tolerate that well, plan  a half day at the zoo. Move up to a full day of adventuring at 2 locations, and so forth. This will give you a threshold to know how much your kids can take at once. Maybe they need frequent breaks so they don't become overstimulated. Maybe crowds make them (or you) cranky. Once you have tested the waters a few times, you will know how deep the pool is and can dive in.

Consider the age of your children.
What would they enjoy? What will the whole family enjoy together - even if you have to split the time up between bigger kids and smaller kids. Who is able to ride thrill rides and who needs a lap to sit in? What are your child's fears? Do they run from people in costumes? Do they not like the dark or loud noises? Consider these factors to avoid consoling a crying or screaming child. After all, you want wonderful memories for all of you, including the parents feeling awake, alert, and happy! If you have children with a significant age gap, to where the older ones are more independent, consider allowing a friend to come along.

Plan around their schedule, whenever possible.
Children are frequently creatures of habit. Try to maintain their usual sleep and waking schedules. Plan around naps, even if it means you go back to the hotel for a couple of hours mid-day. Try to keep their foods similar to what they are used to (not too much sugar), and around the same times they normally eat. A hungry child may not tell you they need food, but will show you with tears or agitation. Consider the stamina of your child. Consider also what entertainment is available at your hotel. Is there a pool or a playground? Maybe your kids would like to enjoy the park for the first half of the day, have a nap and lunch at the hotel (kinder on the budget), and run around at the playground or wading pool in the later part of the day, and watch a movie by the pool at dark. Trying to pack everything in will run you all ragged and no one will enjoy that.

Bring help, if you need it.
There is no shame in asking for help. If you think that taking 3 children to Universal Studios will be too much for you and spouse alone, bring an adult friend to act as an extra set of eyes and hands. Do consider this a paid favor, and offer to pay for park entrance, if not the whole trip. (See answers to this kind of question and submit your own at Clear Etiquette.)

Plan ahead.
There are theme park maps available online and you can see what you might find fun or what you might skip. You can ask each child to pick 1 or 2 things they absolutely want to do and make sure to include those so they are part of the planning process and can look forward to their special featured item. Caution: do not use the removal of these items as punishment! This kind of bait-and-switch destroys trust. If you said you would go see a show, go and see it, no matter the child's behavior. After all, they've been planning this trip, too.