Treat Your Favorite Toy to a Vacation

Choose a toy you know well, then set up a small area for a quick interview. It’s time to get to know their hopes and dreams! What does our tiny companion love to do? Have they been working hard and want to relax, or are they ready for a grand adventure? Will they be traveling alone, or bringing friends? Do they want to go somewhere hot, or somewhere cold? Day trip, or overnight? All great travel agents get to know their client.

We all want our client to love their adventure — whether it’s a beach, the outdoors, or a city escape. Using your notes from the interview, put together a trip plan, and then use craft time to create everything that will make the trip a success. Think passports, tickets, maps, a camera, and a little notebook and pencil for keeping track of memories. Bonus points if you have a miniature suitcase on hand.

When brainstorming activities, remember that outside is always an adventure. Try a nearby hike where kids play tour guide, pointing out what’s important for our tiny client. What would a toy be surprised to see outside? How many shapes and colors can they find in the leaves? This is a great place to bring along a little container for collecting grasses and flowers for taping into a journal. See what everyone discovers together.

As a toy, indoor vacations can be just as exciting as outdoor vacations; their small size means they can fit practically anywhere! Have a brainstorm of all the unexpected places a toy might find adventure. One helpful tip: Use prepositions for prompts. Where can a toy go above, across, inside, under? This is also a great challenge game for younger kids: Can they find 10 spaces a toy can fit above? Or 10 spaces a toy can fit below?

If your client is looking to relax (and is waterproof), consider building a waterfront escape. Think small: Fill a cake pan with water, fold some colorful napkins into beach towels, and add a few drink umbrellas. Finish the scene with a beach background photo (thank you, Google Image search), and make snack time all about pineapple or other tropical flavors.

Have lots of stuffed animals? Arrange them around the room and have your child play guide. Older kids can create a list of “Did you know” fun facts to share along the way, or use index cards for some DIY exhibition plaques. Did you know a snail can sleep for up to three years? Or that butterflies taste with their feet?

For those creating a city adventure, grab some postcards from a past museum visit (or pick up a pack online for under $15) and create a mini art museum in the living room. Tape a few postcards low to the ground, and host an “art study” of each painting. Feel free to add some research, or just keep it friendly and discover art through the perspective of your tiny client. What do they see in each painting? Which one is their favorite? How does each painting make them feel?

For a quieter activity, treat your toy to a favorite movie. The key is to create a premium theater environment: Print out a cinema marquee, create paper tickets, dim the lights, and pop some popcorn. Make sure your client has a front-row seat!

All good vacations mean a chance at a great meal. Create a “menu” of what’s being served, and then take your client’s order. No need to make it about the food — it’s all about the music, atmosphere, and leaning into the idea of lunch feeling a little bit fancier.

Whether it’s for a quick nap or to end the day, consider creating a special place for your all-star client to rest their head. For a quick DIY fort, turn a corner “L” from a cardboard box on its side to create an A-frame tent, then set up a few small “pillows” inside for an easy slumber. Remember to add a few candies or pillow mints for an extra treat.

The most important part is how you’ll capture the adventure. For those who love to write, grab a notebook and keep a vacation diary. Divide pages into three parts for the date and time, notes, and pictures. You can even try writing the diary from your tiny toy’s perspective: What was their favorite moment? What made them laugh? What did they see, feel, and hear? Favorite souvenir? Who did they meet? Anything they missed?

For every activity, be sure to have an instant camera or smartphone handy so your VIP client can feel like a star. Take a mix of “selfies,” photos against fun backgrounds, and group shots with their amazing tour guide, then add your photos into the vacation diary. The whole family will love looking back on the grand adventure — and then start brainstorming where they can’t wait to go next.