Sometimes you are sitting in the car, the road ahead of you stretches endlessly and if those little feet kick the back of your chair one. more. time you might. just. snap.
Ever been there? Please don’t tell me it’s just me?  I mean, my kids are fantastic travellers, but there are always those moments.  Maybe it’s just that I’ve listened to Raffi Radio for the fifth time through and the fan is just at the right pitch to give me a headache and the swing-swing-swinging of the size 11 feet is happening on the wrong beat…  In those moments, you need a little something.

Spark your family’s imagination and enjoy the conversation and crazy ideas that flow!

Here we are… it’s mid-December, it’s way-freezing outside, we are just getting off the Arrow Lakes ferry, we’ve been in the car for three-and-a-half hours already and I don’t know where we are going, let alone where we are!!

Spark!

“Hey guys!  If you were an insect, what kind would you be?”

My 5 year-old couldn’t make up his mind and was everything from a bumblebee to a dragonfly and then a worm or maybe a butterfly with black and red wings and they are so cool and the dragonfly would breathe fire and, and, and…

My 3 year-old daughter was a sparkly pink and purple butterfly, but really… there was no surprise there.

What would your child be?  Ask them the question and then share the answer here!  We’d love to see what kind of creative answers you get.  In fact, we’d love to see it so much that I have been given six sets of the Spark Your Imagination Cards to give away.

Spark Your Imagination cards were designed by local Mom, Tamara Vukusic.  She’s designed 50 great conversation-starter situations that you can ask, or just use as a little inspiration.  These cards have been designed and printed and boxed and are available in a number of local stores!  In fact, I’ve seen them in Tumbleweed Toys but know that they are also available in Frou Frou Monkey, Lizzie Bits Baby Co, The Kids’ Room, Mulberry Bush and Full Boar Bike Shop, here in Kamloops!  Fantastic!  If you can’t make it to those stores, you can also get them online.

For those of you that are iPhone or iPod or iPad users, these cards are also available as an app from the iTunes store (will be available again next week)!  So cool!  There have been a number of times that I have thought “Sheesh, I’d love to pull out a fun question from my Spark deck but I don’t have them on me!”  For example the other night when my family of five (plus four guests with another two kids) waited for an hour to be seated for dinner in a local restaurant!  We made do and the kids were surprisingly tame for finally getting dinner at 7pm.  But!  I wish I’d had the cards!  Download the app (search “spark” in the app store) and you won’t have that problem. (It’s on my to-do list.)

In my grade 5 class, my students are currently designing a way for an elf family to get past the troll that is blocking the bridge on their path home.  I’m anxious to see if the poor elves survive these creative ten-year-olds the troll.

How would you or your child have the elves outwit the nasty troll blocking their path home?  Or, is he a friendly troll??

Share your answers for another entry to win one of the Story Starter Packs that I have to give away.  These cards are great to have in the car or in your purse.  They are great to give as a birthday gift or to keep for dire moments.  They are fantastic for people of all ages and stages because you can ask the stories to open a conversation, or you can use it as inspiration yourself!!

Did I tell you that Tamara has given me six packs to give away??? That means that there will be six winners!  Awesome!

For another entry, you can go and check out the Spark Your Imagination page on facebook.  Like it, and tell me that you do.

Comment on their facebook page, telling them that you came via KamloopsParents.Com for another entry.

Then, tag them in your status and send more friends their way to get another chance to win!

You can enter once every day and when you enter (by e-mail to elizabeth@kamloopsparents.com or by commenting here) let me know a situation when you would use these terrific story starters!

The lucky winners will be drawn with Random.Org on February 3rd, after 10pm!  So, get commenting!!

Good luck! 

Related Posts

About your Author | Elizabeth
Elizabeth is a Kamloops lifer. Born at RIH, she is happy to be raising her family here. Married with three wonderful children, Elizabeth is a full-time teacher and enjoys working with parents as she learns more about this "Mommy gig". Elizabeth is passionate about parenting and enjoys networking with other parents. She has been running KamloopsParents.Com since March 2010.