We’ve all seen the now viral videos of parents surprising their kids with vacations. The reactions are often ones of shock, dismay, delights, and all out screaming, but the end result is usually one of pure joy. Kids love surprises and they love to explore new places, so a combination of the two is as heartwarming as it is funny.
If you’re planning a Niagara Falls vacation and want to surprise your kids, these are just a few clever ways to let them know they’re about to go on a trip they’ll never forget. You may want to have the camera on your phone at the ready so you can share your surprise with the world, if you so choose.
‘Someone’s in Trouble at School’
This one might be better suited for older children, but if you can enlist the help of your child’s school administrators this is a surprise that will go down in the history books. Arrange a meeting with your child’s principal or guidance counselor and explain the situation. Arrange a date and time when you can be at the school and the administrator can call your child out of class for a meeting in the school office.
When your child arrives at the office to see his or her parents there, a surprise trip will the last thing on their mind. Ask the principal to pull a folder from his or her desk, under the guise of talking about less than stellar homework. However, the folder will be full of brochures about Niagara Falls and a copy of the itinerary. While initially your child might just be relieved that they’re not really in trouble, but the end result will be sheer joy about the upcoming trip.
Backyard Chores Turned Scavenger Hunt
Kids and chores don’t usually get along very well, and most parents know the whining, excuses, and other various tactics that kids use to avoid even the smallest of household tasks. However, what if you could turn a chore into a secret scavenger hunt, and the final prize is the realization that you’re all taking a trip to Niagara Falls!
The night before, after your kids are asleep, gather up Niagara brochures, photos, copies of plane tickets, and other pieces of paper and scatter them all over your back yard. Maybe crumple the pieces a bit for added effect. When the kids wake up in the morning tell them that a huge storm came crashing through overnight and all the “trash” in the yard needs to be picked up.
After the inevitable complaining ends and they head out to complete their chore, tell them that they should take a look at the papers to be sure it’s not all trash. If they do as they’re asked they’ll eventually connect the dots and realize that they’re going on a fantastic vacation!
For most parents, seeing the excitement on their kids’ faces when they realize they’re going on vacation is almost as much fun as the vacation itself. Just be sure to have your camera ready for these pranks; yours may be the next viral video!
