Countdown idea...

[B3LM]

Our long-awaited trip is only four days away! I picked up a great idea a while back from someone on these boards and I wanted to share it again.

At 30 days out, my DD and I took construction paper and made a "Countdown chain". We cut the different colors of construction paper into strips, put Disney stickers and a number on each of them, then linked all of them together.

Each day, my DD and DS take turns taking off another link. They've really had fun counting down the days and they're so excited now to see how short our chain is!

Beth

 

[Dr. Happy]

Cool idea! This would really give kids a better sense of time and days remaining! Way-2-go!!

 

[Bunchkin]

Thanks for the great idea!!

 

[melindaandrob]

I LOVE this idea! We have 4 birthday, Christmas, and our upcoming trip to WDW so this would be a great way to answer the how long til.....

Thanks for posting this!

 

[catwho]

This is a great idea! We did this with our (then) 5 yo last trip. We made a paper chain and put all the days and dates on it and any special events that were happening. It helped let her know that time was indeed passing. Each night when I tucked her in bed she would take a chain off and we would read the next day's chain so we knew what was in store (great way for moms to keep up with what's going on as well LOL!) We had 2 chains linked when we arrived in our hotel and the next to the last link said, "Sleep in the hotel." And the next one said DISNEY with a on it! She danced around the room when slept with that last link on her arm that night!

We plan to start the same thing again starting December 1st as we have lots going on over the next 62 days (like calling for PS in 2 days!)

 

[ABCMom]

We did this before our last trip and started it a year in advance. We hung it around the room near the ceiling and just let a section down to tear off pieces at a time. The chain went all the way around the room 1 1/2 times!

 

[JennSaint]

I currently am making a chain and on each link I've put each theme park on a link and just about all the rides etc. I did it on the computer so now I just have to cut the strips and put the chain together.

 

[laurenk]

Cool idea! My DD informed me that at 10 days out we are starting a countdown. That would be TODAY!!!

 

[DISFANS3]

COUNT DOWN- WE have a Count down chart on a door in my daughters room, We mark off a day each morn. Starting counting at 365 now down to 239, Got to go time to mark off a day.CBR99 Allstar Movies Feb2001, Allstar Music Aug 2001.....

 

[Crow]

What a great idea, our sons school just did this as a countdown for christmas...I love the idea for disney...you could also do and advent type thing with little disney gifts...or pictures!

 

[*Robin*]

Neat, neat neat ideas!!! Thank you...I'm so excited to get started!

 

[Defessa]

We had plans for over a year to visit the Orlando area, staying at a timeshare as a prospective buyer. This summer we became DVC members and decided to use some points to tack on a few days at OKW. About a month before we left, the kids did not know that we were going there, so we made envelopes with clues about our "Secret Destination"! Each day a different kid (16, 15, 11, 7, 6) opened a clue envelope and wrote it down on a chart to keep track of the clues (rather than tiny slips of paper!) We found clues from Disney's website about OKW--for example, Olivia cooks there, An oasis in the heart of the World, Near Downtown, A Key Location, Points well taken... It was fun to see the kids try to figure out where we be going. One night at dinner, about 3 days before the end of the clues the kids went over the clues and brainstormed till they got the answer. They said it was the best countdown they had!

 

[crusin'minnie]

We bought our DD's (5 & 10) a Mickey and Friends 2002 Calendar from Barnes and Noble online. With a black marker I wrote in the corner of each page the number of days remaining until we leave. Every page is different with different characters. We did this last year with a Winnie the Pooh calendar. The girls loved it and took turns each day tearing off the pages.

Hey just thought of this, the discarded pages could be cut and pasted in the home made autograph books people are doing.