How to Get 8 Children on Vacation to Get Along

Eight children. Four boys, four girls. Ages 1 1/2 to 10. Eight personalities. Eight opinions. Seven days. One house.

Sound like a recipe for vacation disaster? It would be, if it weren’t for the best part of each day. I’m talking about “Game Time.”

Reporting to you live from our family vacation in Truro, seven adults watch these kids go from cousins to friends to teammates to adversaries to swimming buddies and then some – all before 9:00 a.m.

This circle repeats itself throughout the day, and as parents we jump from referees to adoring aunts and uncles and back again all day long. It’s to be expected. When you put that many kids together of varying ages, for a week at a time, with no real schedule – there is always going to be disagreements. After dinner each night, just when we’re about to throttle these tan little cherubs of ours, everything gets better.

That’s when it’s Game Time.

My sister Jennifer came up with this a few years ago, and it is nothing short of genius. Ever the hostess with the most-ess, she spends countless hours before we leave coming up with a different game each night for the kids to play. And while it serves as pre-bedtime entertainment, it also changes the dynamic from splintered to solidarity. No matter what has happened before Game Time, once 7:00 hits the five older children gather on the deck to wait for direction.

Gone are the arguments, gone are the attitudes. Welcome the unity.

This week, we’ve seen everything from beach scavenger hunts to a “dizzy bat obstacle course” and even a Jeopardy game with categories such as Disney movies, family baby pictures and pop song lyrics. She buys prizes for each night, and even though they might be $1 specials from AC Moore or $2 scratch tickets, the kids bring their A-Game. They attentively listen to the rules, break into teams and work together to figure out the answers.  As fun as it for them to play, the payout is SO much more than the prizes they win.

To the parents, it is a peaceful end to a hectic, sun-filled day.

I asked the kids what their favorite game of week was:

Mac, age 6: “I liked the game ‘Dada’s Special’ because it was like Survivor.”

Georgia, age 6 and Lydia, age 5: “I liked ‘Dada’s Special’ because we got to eat marshmallows.”

Luke, age 8: “My favorite was Jeopardy because it’s kinda like an annual thing for me.”

Ben, age 10: “My favorite was the dizzy bat obstacle course because I got to spin in circles.”

Notice that nowhere in these testimonials does a child talk about team unity, competitive spirit or even the prizes.

It’s so simple for a child on vacation. A game, whether it be stacking solo cups into a pyramid (Dizzy Bat Obstacle Course), Jeopardy (answering questions about families and pop culture) or just eating a marshmallow at a breakneck speed (Dada’s Special), it’s a way to unwind, have fun and put your differences aside. Once Game Time rolls around, there are no sibling rivalries, no sharing issues or egos. It’s all about having vacation fun and laughing with each other.

And the prizes don’t hurt either.