3 day yomtov very oot

amother

Green

Tue, Apr 28 2015, 7:39 pm

After being out of work for over 3 years, dh took a job in a very oot American city. The nearest city with an Orthodox shul is a 2 hour drive away and we don't know anybody there. DS is 7 and has some pretty serious behavior issues for which he requires a special school, so we decided that I would stay here with DS, and DH would come home as often as possible for Shabbos and yomtov. DH came home for Pesach and for various reasons it became abundantly clear that he will not be able to come home for Shavuos. I do not want to be alone with DS for a 3 day yom tov. OTOH, I am not really looking forward to a 10 hour drive to sit in dh's apartment for a 3 day yom tov. There are no parks within walking distance, so we will be stuck indoors (except to go for occasional walks). DS is very addicted to his computer and games and has a hard time on Shabbos, often complaining that he "hates Shabbos" and found Pesach with 2 days of yomtov to be very restrictive- and that was with friends and family around. This will be 3 days with no friends, no shul, no relatives, just me and dh.

Assuming we are going, any suggestions for keeping a "lively" 7 y.o. boy occupied for 3 days??? All suggestions are welcome!! Suggestions for the 20 hours (total) driving time are also welcome! TIA!

Kumphort

Tue, Apr 28 2015, 7:57 pm

Are there any programs near where u are that you can work at?

Have you searched all possible flights to have a easier way of getting to dh?

Assuming ur in the U.S. It's a holiday weeked is there no way you can have dh come to u?

Any friends or relatives who can host you? Even if there is no park. Does ur dh have a parking lot where you guys can play ball. Walk around ppl watch etc?

amother

Mauve

Tue, Apr 28 2015, 8:18 pm

First ,sending you loads of hugs .this whole set up must be so tough, I hope things look better soon.
For the travel, you can take along a DVD player if you have or a lap top.
This might be way off but,would you take a guest along? Maybe a family member that you and dh feel comfortable with?
Traveling at night might be easier for ds but you have to be up to it. Or plan an itinerary for the route, you can Google for places on the way,that will keep ds excited and breaks up the trip.
Would ds enjoy helping with the cooking? you can cook on yt that might keep him occupied a teeny bit.
Is a 7 yr old" lively" kid allowed to ride a bike or scooter on yt?( Ask a rav)Maybe it pays to take one along.
Maybe you can borrow some games from pple. that your son never played with and take it along.
You can download some yt crafts to do on the way.
Remember there is someone looking out for you even in far flung who knows where.

imasinger

Tue, Apr 28 2015, 9:16 pm

If it is very OOT, then you have to keep in mind that there is likely no eruv for Shabbos. Save your best activities for that.

Does your hashkafa permit Legos? A good lego kit can fill a few hours. "Where's Waldo", riddle books, magnet toys, jigsaws, a marble run, other put togethers like clix, puzzle games like Traffic Jam can all offer him some choices for independent play.

Buy or borrow some new stuff for higher interest level. And don't forget games you can play with him. A deck of cards can give you many games.

My active kids enjoy using a soft rubber ball indoors (catch, bowling, elimination), jacks or kugelach, hide and seek with me, and making our own obstacle course out of chairs, tables, blankets and pillows. If there is enough space, you can even bring a jump rope and use it inside on Shabbos. Have dressing up races in funny costumes or hats that you bring.

By the time you get through Shabbos, YT will feel like it's easy. Bring a Little Midrash Says or otherage appropriate Jewish books to learn from. Let him sculpt a Har Sinai out of ice cream, and decorate with chocolate bar luchos and flower and green sprinkles. Go on a "looking scavenger hunt" (prepare a list in advance of things you may be able to find on a walk), then try to find the things on your list. Or play "Follow the Leader."

Make a basic schedule in advance, and include about 10 more activities as a backup in case one gets boring.

Hatzlacha!

amother

Green

Tue, Apr 28 2015, 9:25 pm

Awesome Imasinger!!! This is great! I was also thinking of making a schedule of sorts. I love the idea of a scavenger hunt! Thanks so much! Even more ideas would be great! I will be sure to post a follow up after Shavuos to let y'all know how it went!

Miri7

Wed, Apr 29 2015, 12:05 am

Wow - Imasinger really takes the cake for amazing ideas! Cooking is a great idea too for YT. For shabbatot with no eruv and wiggly kids, my DH has done "ninja training" or "Jedi training" indoors with the kids. Just make up some moves - the kids loved it.

A schedule is a great idea - DS can know to look forward to building an ice cream sculpture, etc. my boys at that age loved the Lego sets where you can make 3 different cars out of one set.

7 is a great age to start some really great board games - settlers of catan, carcassone, hanabi, splendor, or dungeon. My 7 year olds got really into board games at that age. They can be mildly addicting, which is great for passing time! And it's fun because everyone is together and having fun together.

I would do electronics for the ride there. Anything to stay same. Books on tape if you find something that is fun, appropriate and engaging. My kids liked the lemony snicket series of unfortunate events series at that age.

For YT, have you considered a scooter or skateboard? With helmet, of course!

Good luck!!

Raisin

Wed, Apr 29 2015, 8:44 am

What sort of city has no parks? Unless you mean within 10 or 20 minutes walk. I must have over 20 parks within an hours walk of my house. There is no reason why your son can't walk up to an hour, especially on yom tov. You can take food, books and drinks along. You could even make a picnic in a park for yom tov lunch. (even a bbq if you figure out how to carry a flame along)

Even a green area would be nice, maybe a lake or river.

another option is to book into a hotel in the nearest city with a shul. If you call them maybe they can arrange meals for you.