How to plan a day at an amusement park

Originally posted at A Bloggy Mom

1. Before you even begin loading up the car to make your way to the Amusement Park, log onto the computer! You will want to verify the weather forecast for the day. You can log onto www.weather.com and enter the zip code of the park for a very accurate look at what your day may hold.

2. If the weather looks agreeable, start packing your survival kit! Most parks allow you to bring a bag full of necessary items to better survive your day with them. Pack basics such as sun screen, sun glasses, a hat, a swim suit and towel (if they also have a water park). If you're going to the water park, you should also bring a little bottle of shampoo and conditioner. The better you can protect yourself from the sun, the better you will feel during the day.

3. Another way to help protect against the sun and dehydration: Drink as much water before entering the park as you can. Most parks provide free Ice Water (not bottled)at their refreshment stands. Drink as much water as you can stomach (and not get sick on rides!). This will help you feel physically better throughout the day.

4. Choose an outfit that covers sun burn prone areas of the body such as
shoulders. Also, wear clothes that aren't heavy and will dry quickly if they get wet. Clothing made from jean material is not a good choice of clothing.

5. Wear comfortable shoes! You will be standing most of the day, keep the most worked part of your body as comfortable as possible. A comfortable pair of tennis shoes are a great choice. Flip Flops are not.

6. When you arrive at the park, get a park map! This is a great way to find the newest attractions and rides as well as bathrooms, lost parents booths and refreshments.

7. If you are bringing small children, stop by a park office as soon as you enter the park. Most parks will have a lost parents booth as well as a method for finding children if you become separated. A lot of parks now provide lost parents wrist bands for children. This is information you can find out before making your trip to the park. Call or email ahead of time and make a plan!

8. If you are bringing small children, know their height! This will help avoid waiting in line just to be turned away if the child does not meet ride requirements. Some parks will measure your child and give them a wrist band showing which rides are available to them based on height requirements.

9. Though we live in an age where everyone has a cell phone, agree on a meeting place and time before your group separates. Someone's phone may be lost while riding a ride or get wet and quit working all together.

10. If you are taking a cell phone, bring a water proof container to place it in. Plastic Sandwich bags are great, some small cosmetic bags are also water proof.

11. Only bring necessary keys with you. You don't want to lose your entire set throughout the day. You can rent a locker at most every amusement park to store this type of stuff throughout the day. Be careful not to lose the key to the locker! Most parks will not open the locker for you until they have closed for the evening.

12. Enjoy your day and know your limits. Riding something that may make you sick at the beginning of your day, could completely ruin your day. Take appropriate motion sickness medicine if you feel inclined.

Tags: amusement, park

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Permalink Reply by Kirsten Mendelsohn on October 26, 2010 at 3:28pm

I will use my expertise as a former teacher, in both the general and special education realms, to help parents to create a behavior modification plan.

Some kids have a difficult time portraying to those around them all that they're capable of, because their behavior is unruly or their demeanor is, well, difficult to deal with at times.

These children may be hard to control for parents, school teachers, and anyone with whom they come in contact.

These step-by-step instructions are aimed to modify the behavior of any challenging child and may be altered to fit a child's particular needs.

Hold a meeting with the child in order to explain the plan to him and get his input. Consider the child's viewpoints to make him see that this is not necessarily a decision that is being made for him.

The points system: Though the child may not yet understand the value of points necessarily, she certainly knows the value of stickers! Reward stickers can be purchased rather inexpensively and the books contain sometimes a thousand of them (try a teaching supply store to obtain them). If a certain amount of time elapses without a behavioral issue (or a certain responsibility is accomplished) by the child, she earns a sticker. These “points” or stickers may be kept in a book by the child.

It is imperative that a child who has not demonstrated model behavior during this time DOES NOT earn a sticker. This is called “positive reinforcement”- the child is rewarded for good behavior, and simply not rewarded for behavior that is not good.

There is no consequence for poor behavior, the child simply does not earn. Life moves forward.

The reward: Once a certain number of stickers has been attained by the child (determine this amount before you begin the plan), a larger reward or certain privileges are earned. For example, it may be a physical object (like the toy truck he's had his eye on), or something that you allow him to do (like going on the computer for an hour, playing a video game, or watching a certain television show).

Children who continuously succeed with this plan may earn a permanent accolade, such as a later bed time.

*It is critical for parents to remain true to the system. DO NOT give the child any of the stickers, points, or rewards unless they've been earned!

*Additionally, the plan should be discussed with any caregiver for your child as well. Teachers, nannies, even grandparents should be aware that this is something you are going to try.

If you do try the plan or are going to, let me know, I'd love your feedback.

Dinner With Kir

Bloggy Moms

How to plan a day at an amusement park

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