Playing games to make your removal process go smoothly

Posted on 14/08/2014

If you have a family including young children, you may find that moving homes can turn out to be one of the most daunting and regrettable experiences of your life. Packing, cleaning the house and moving to a brand new home is bad enough for adults, but when children are involved you may it virtually impossible to get anything done. Well now there is a solution which could help make the whole removal process a lot easier, for you and for your children.
Children do not like change, which is why they may cause a little trouble whilst you are packing away or planning a removal. Similarly, they often get bored since you will be too busy making preparations, leaving the children with nothing to do. This can cause in a little retaliation, since it may be the only way in which your children can get a little attention.
Turning the whole removal experience into an adventure will help you and your children become a part of something that is more amazing that simply a removal. You could pretend that you are secret spies moving to a new location. Or that you are going to be moving to a magical land. This will get your children involved, making them just as excited to move as you will be.
No matter what you do, always ensure that your children are a part of every stage of the removal process. For example, during the packing stage, allowing your children to pack some of their items such as toys etc. You could play a game to see who can pack their items in a box the quickest, or the neatest etc. You could also imagine that you are pirates packing treasure away, ready to be buried somewhere. No matter what scenario you use, try to make it fun for your children, and get them involved at any time.
When travelling to the new location, playing games such as the licence plate game will keep your children busy and focusing on playing the game, rather than the fact that they have just moved out of their home.
If you are able to get to the new house before your children, arranging a scavenger hunt will be an excellent way of getting your children used to their new environments. They will spend the first hour trying to find the treasure, which will in actual fact get them used to the new rooms and the new layout of the house.
If you are planning on decorating your house, allowing children to pick their own wallpaper patterns or paint colours can also make them feel more relaxed and help them settle in into their new homes.
When the actual decorating time comes, allow your children to be a part of this experience. You could pretend that you are all famous painters or decorators who are painting a famous building etc. Anything to get the imagination going, especially since children have very vivid imaginations.
When it comes to unpacking, once again, allow your children to participate, even if it means them having to open all the boxes, or to read what each box contains. You could pretend that you are working in a supermarket and are stacking the shelves.
Children can often make the removal process very difficult, but this can be overcome by getting them involved in all stages. Playing games and imagining scenarios can make the whole experience a lot more enjoyable, for both yourself and your children.