It started with the 9th birthday. We were in New York and I walked by the giant, orange 9 that stands on 57th street. My daughter was about to turn nine and I had her pose by the statue for a picture. I then sent the picture out on her birthday to family and friends. It was such a big hit that I started making it a tradition on each family holiday.
The Game
Her 10th year corresponded with a family holiday to Paris. I knew this was going to be fun. Every time we saw a 10 on a building or sign, I had her pose in front of it. It turned into a game for the family. Who could find the 10? It kept her eyes open and we found so many interesting shops and buildings all due to her excitement of finding a 10. Each night when we returned to our apartment and went through the pictures on the computer so she could choose her favorites of the day.
“Such a great educational activity.. She was learning all over Paris!”
This ended up being such a great educational activity. She was learning the names of streets, monuments and museums all over Paris. If a particular picture didn’t turn out as planned, she made a list of streets where she wanted to return and retake the picture. We also used it a bit to our advantage. Many afternoons on the walks back to our apartment, we knew her little feet were getting tired. We would encourage her to keep her eyes open looking for that “10”. It really kept her mind off of her feet! When we got home from the vacation and went through the pictures, we quickly chose a favorite and turned it into a cute card that went out just before her 10th birthday.
This tradition has created a whole new element to our family holidays. It really keeps us on our toes and has us searching for the unusual setting to make the perfect card. My daughter is now 17 and travels a bit on her own. Not only does she know her way around Paris but she has surprised me several times with pictures friends have taken of her in front of the “15” or the “16”. It makes me smile each time I get one.
Feature Photo Credit – Sophe89
