First 90 minutes at a camper spot
2 hFree Calm
Every new camper spot starts with the same ritual for us. Shoes on, a walk around the camper, roll out the play mat, and take a quiet moment to get oriented. With a toddler, that's simply what works best.
The first hour and a half at a new camper spot determines whether the rest of the stay goes smoothly. For a toddler, an unfamiliar place is full of questions: where is she allowed to go, where are the other children, where is the bike, where will she sleep tonight. A fixed start ritual answers those questions before they are asked, and gives the adults ten minutes to get something practical done.
The ritual doesn't need to be elaborate. A fixed spot for shoes outside the door. A first walk around the camper together, pointing out four things: the door, the water tap, the rubbish bin, the play mat. Then roll out the play mat in a fixed spot, even if that spot isn't ideal. A toddler remembers repetition, not variation. Works at every camper spot, in every country, regardless of the weather.
Checklist
0 of 5
Speelmat boven in de camper
Schoenen-plek afspreken
Vier oriëntatiepunten weten
Stoelen pas na de mat uit
Praktische klus na het rondje
Handy & partners
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Park the camper and step outside with the toddler first, not the adults alone first.
Place the shoes in a fixed spot next to the door, the same spot at every camper stop.
Walk one loop around the camper and point out four things: door, water, rubbish bin, play area.
Roll out the play mat in the chosen spot before the tables and chairs are set up.
Give the toddler ten minutes on the mat before the practical task begins.
A fixed ritual works because it is boring, not despite being boring.
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For anyone copying this
Do as we did
Suggestions
- Use the same mat at every camper stop, not a clean one from a cupboard.
- Keep the walk calm; toddlers walk slower than you think.
- Put out the chairs only after the mat is down, so the mat doesn't end up in a corner.
- Plan the practical task (fetching water, taking out rubbish) last, not first.
Variations
- - Voeg een vast liedje toe aan het rondje, in plaats van aanwijzen.
- - Maak een eigen check-in-formuliertje voor oudere kinderen om in te vullen.
- - Verleng het ritueel met een tweede rondje na het avondeten, zo onthoudt het kind de plek.
by PlayTryBe team