Mess-Free Play for Traveling with Kids

One of the biggest things we put a lot of thought into when traveling with our kids is what to pack to keep the kids entertained. No matter their age, toys are a must for kids. Whenever we take a road trip, it’s easier because we can bring more…but during our recent flight in April, I had to rethink what to bring based on getting through security and having minimal space.

It was trickier, but we did it. You may have to get more creative with what you bring, but there are still plenty of mess-free toy options to keep the kids happy! Here’s my top list of our favorite mess-free toys for traveling!

Moldable Clay

My son loves playing with magnetic sand, Play-Doh, and molding clay. While the sand is his favorite, I knew we could travel with it because of the mess. So we opted to bring our moldable clay. He can still build and shape it, but it doesn’t crumble and leave a giant mess everywhere.

Magnetic Toys

Magnetic puzzles, books, or character story boards are another great option for kids who want to play with multiple pieces, but you don’t want to constantly be losing them. I’ve also heard of someone who took a cookie sheet pan to have her kids play with magnets on so they didn’t fall.

Window Cling-On Decals

There are so many great reusable sticker/window cling-on options these days. I’ve even gotten some at the dollar store. You could get some books or just the window cling-on decals/stickers, and the kids can play with them on car windows and/or airplane windows.

Fidget Toys

The current obsession with little fidget toys like the spinners, poppers, etc. is another great option to keep your kids entertained and in one spot, mess-free.

Writing Tablets

Probably our favorite mess-free toy options are the erasable writing tablets. Both of my kids love drawing and coloring and could do it all day. These tablets are great because they can draw and erase and draw again over and over. You can also play games on them like tic-tac-toe, hangman, etc. So many options for ways to use them. No more crayon or marker mess. My kids used these on every flight and layover we had during our trip in April. We don’t go on a trip without them!

I hope these tips help to keep your little ones entertained during long travels and keep you sane with no messes! Do you have any other mess-free play ideas for traveling that I didn’t mention? Let me know in the comments below!

New Year's Bucket List Activities

New Year's hasn’t ever been a big There are so many fun things you can do to make New Year's fun and enjoyable for the whole family.

Are you in need of some New Year's activity ideas? I have compiled this list of fun activities to add to your New Year's Bucket List!

Decorate for New Years

Break out the winter and New Year's décor. Think lights, mirror balls, confetti, and hats. Change out your garden flag and door wreath. Switch your mantle décor to New Year's items, grab the New Year hats and glasses, get your whistles ready, and put out the festive hand towels.

Make a New Year's Craft

Craft time is always a great activity to do something new. Search Pinterest and find some fun New Year's DIY crafts to make.

Make a New Year's Treat

Think holiday cookies with a New Year's twist! Use sprinkles and decorate with the New Year number, etc. Get creative and have fun with your festive baking!

Have a New Year's Movie Marathon

I am obsessed with holiday movies! There, I said it. And anyone who knows me knows this is 100% accurate. While I specifically love all the Christmas movies, I also love New Year's ones. Anything with a good holiday theme is so fun. There aren’t as many New Year's movies, but there are some. So look some up and press play.

Read New Year's Stories

We love reading holiday-themed books/stories during the holiday season. New Year's is no different. There aren’t nearly as many options out there, but you can still find some.

Do a New Year's Photoshoot

Maybe get a new outfit, get dressed up, and take some photos. You could easily do a cute photoshoot yourself or hire a professional photographer to take them.

Have a New Year's Eve Party

Attend or throw your own New Year’s party. Ring in the new year with friends and family and don’t forget to catch the ball drop at midnight!

Watch the Ball Drop

If you can stay up late, watching the ball drop on television is one of my favorite highlights from childhood. While I don’t always catch it now as an adult, I try whenever I can. You don’t want to miss it.

Watch a New Year's Parade

Get the family together and watch a New Year's parade in person or on television. It’s a fun activity for everyone of all ages.

Have a New Year's Kiss

Whether it’s with a spouse, partner, or child, share a New Year's kiss with someone you love. It doesn’t have to be a romantic kiss on the lips. A kiss on the cheek will do too.

Make New Year's Resolutions/Goals

List out your New Year's resolutions or goals. I personally set goals every year, things I hope to accomplish throughout the year. I love looking back at the end of the year to see how far I’ve come and all that I have accomplished.

Pick a Word for the New Year

I only just started doing this one a couple of years ago, but it is a tradition I now love. Picking one word for the whole new year can seem daunting, but I love finding one and listing out why I picked it and what it means to me.

If you’re looking for some more winter family activities, then check out my Winter Bucket List Activities and Snow Bucket List Activities. What are your favorite New Year's activities? Let me know in the comments below. Happy New Year!

Snow Bucket List Activities

Are you dreaming of a white Christmas? I’ve never been a huge fan of the snow or cold, but I do enjoy a good snow day for a bit and warming up by the fire with a big mug of hot cocoa. There are so many fun activities to do during a snow day.

Are you looking for some snow activity ideas to do this year with your family? Then look no further. I have compiled this list of fun, winter snow activities to add to your Snow Bucket List!

Go Sledding

The first thing that comes to mind when I think of a snow day is sledding. Growing up, this was my favorite activity when it snowed. On our family farm, we had hills and lots of fun places to go sledding. I have so many fun memories sledding in the wintertime. And I can’t wait to be able to take my kids sledding one day too.

Make a Snow Angel

Snow angels are one of the best snow activities! It is fun for kids (and adults) of all ages, and you can easily make them even with little snow or snow that isn’t good enough to pack for a snowman. Whenever I am around snow, I always make a snow angel!

Have a Snowball Fight

There is nothing like a good snowball fight. As a kid, I used to love balling up snowballs and throwing them unexpectedly at my siblings. You can have a snowball fight with a couple of people or a big group, and it’s just as fun either way.

Build a Snowman

“Do you want to build a snowman?” If there is snow, a snowman is a must! As a kid, I used to love it whenever it would snow. As an adult, I’m not as big a fan of snow anymore, but I do still enjoy it in moderation. My daughter experienced her first snow last year when she was just a baby, and my son has yet to experience his first snow. We rarely get snow where we live in North Carolina, but there is still something magical about when it does happen. Building a snowman is just the thing to do when it does snow!

Build an Igloo

If you have enough snow, building an igloo is something you must try. It doesn’t have to be perfect; half the fun is just building it. You could try different designs and have fun with it.

Catch Snowflakes on Your Tongue

One of my favorite things to do as a kid when it snowed was trying to catch snowflakes on my tongue. I still try it to this day whenever I’m where it snows.

Eat Snow Cream

Collect some of that fresh snow and take it inside to make your own snow cream (aka ice cream with snow). The perfect treat for a snowy day! You can find some recipes online on Google or Pinterest if you’ve never made it before. Play around and see what you like best.

Eat a Snow Cone

Why not take advantage of snow by collecting some and using it to make your very own snow cone? Just add some flavored syrup and ta-da, your very own snow day treat with some free ingredients.

Make a Snow Craft

You can’t have a bucket list without crafts! There are so many fun options for snow-themed crafts. Paper snowflakes are a classic and so cute! You could also draw your own winter scene.

Most people associate winter with snow, and these are perfect activities for any snow day for everyone in the family! If you are looking for some more generic or holiday-specific bucket list activities, make sure to check out Winter Bucket List Activities and Christmas Bucket List Activities. Happy Winter, everyone!

Autumn at Oz

Ever since we moved to North Carolina and I found out about it, I have wanted to visit the Land of Oz. It is a Wizard of Oz theme park located in the mountains near the North Carolina/Tennessee border. It’s only open to the public for a couple of weekends during fall for a festival called “Autumn at Oz”. Living on the coast, hours away from the mountains and park, made it harder to plan a time to go. But this year we finally crossed that bucket list item off in September!

The Wizard of Oz has always been one of my favorite movies. My hubby has a connection to it, being from Kansas. My daughter’s first Halloween, we all dressed up as Wizard of Oz characters, and she even had a Wizard of Oz-themed 4th birthday party (her choice). So you could say our family's love of the classic film runs deep. I don’t know who was the most excited to visit the park out of all of us.

Land of Oz is located at 2669 Beech Mountain Pkwy, Beech Mountain, NC 28604. You can learn more about Autumn at Oz, info, events, etc., on their website here.

Quick facts:

• The Land of Oz was a fully functioning theme park that operated from 1970-1980.
• In 1975, a fire was set in Emerald City that destroyed a portion of the park. It was rebuilt and opened again from 1976 to 1980.
• Between 1985 and 1988, parts of the park were demolished due to vandalism and decay, including the original Emerald City and balloon ride.
• Funds from the Autumn at Oz Festival and other events go back into restoring and maintaining the park.
• The Autumn at Oz Festival is the largest Oz festival in the world.
• There is also a Wizard of Oz display in town located at the Beech Mountain History Museum.

We went to the park for the Autumn at Oz opening weekend on September 9, 2022. Parking is located at the Beech Mountain Ski Resort. There is a check-in point with some shopping, food, and restrooms located at the resort. Depending on your festival tickets, you could either take a shuttle up the mountain to Land of Oz or ride the ski lift for a scenic route. Both options leave from the ski resort. We opted for the shuttle bus since we have young kids.

Note:

Plan ahead to purchase tickets for the Land of Oz Festival as they do sell out and you have to pick an entrance time in advance. You can enter and take the shuttle anytime after your selected entrance time.

Once on top of the mountain, there are guides to direct you where to begin your Oz journey. When we arrived, it was chilly, windy, and cloudy. We couldn’t see the pretty mountain views due to the haze and clouds.

There were a couple of vendors set up at the Land of Oz entrance along with a fountain, banners, and a map of the park. Upon entering, we got a ticket for our family to enter Dorothy’s house and began our walk along the path to Kansas.

Note

You will need to use the restroom prior to starting your journey through Oz because the only bathrooms are located at the entrance and at the exit in the Emerald City. The only bathrooms on site are porta potty’s.

At the top of the path is the Judy Garland Memorial Overlook gazebo. Due to the clouds and haze, we didn’t get a good look at the mountain views, but it was still neat.

We continued our walk along the path, stopping to read the banners with interesting facts and information about the park and the Wizard of Oz film history.

Upon entering the Kansas section, you’ll find Professor Marvel's buggy and campsite, a gift shop, Dorothy’s house, and the farm. For the festival, they had character greetings/sightings and performance shows every 30 minutes or so. The characters would sing, dance, and act out parts of the movie. The shows were so cool, and the park really went all out for the festival.

After seeing the shows and sights, we entered Dorothy’s house for a tour. You could walk through the house and see some of the living areas and Dorothy’s room, and we met Aunt Em in the kitchen. You then walk down some ramps and stairs, which take you through the tornado exhibit. When you continue through the house, you see the damage to the same rooms from the tornado…including the house being on a slant. It was so crazy and trippy walking through the house on an angle!

After exiting the house, we encountered the Wicked Witch and entered Oz with the Good Witch and the Yellow Brick Road. From there, we followed along the Yellow Brick Road path just like in the movie! It was so magical walking along Munchkin Land, cornfields, apple trees, to the Witch’s castle, along a blue lake, through the forest of talking trees, and to the Emerald City gate.

There were character meet-and-greets, photo ops, and more shows along the way. It was so much fun! Walking on the yellow brick road was so magical, and the whole festival made you feel like you stepped into the movie. A dream come true for us Oz lovers!

The final step was entering the Emerald City gate. There were vendors, crafts, food, and a big gift shop inside Emerald City. You can take pictures in the hot air balloon, pet the horse of a different color, and see the final Oz show inside a small theater.

Note:

Due to the park being built on a mountain and in the 1970s, it is not wheelchair or stroller friendly. The paths are narrow and there are stairs throughout.

Being in the area, we made sure to check out the Beech Mountain History Museum as well. It is located at 503 Beech Mountain Pkwy, Beech Mountain, NC 28604. You can learn more about the museum on their website here.

The History Museum is in a small house, and they have limited hours, so we had to stop by the day after we visited the festival. They have a history of the mountain and area, as well as a Wizard of Oz and Land of Oz history and items.

It is a must-see if you are in the area and want to learn more about the history of the park and area. They even have a model of the theme park, which is really cool.

Our trip to the mountains and Land of Oz was so much fun and definitely worth the trip! If you are a fan of The Wizard of Oz and/or ever in the area, you should check it out. It’s one for the memory books for sure!