"Mom - I'm Bored"

How often do your children say that during the summer? They can't wait for school to get out and then soon enough those dreaded words come . . . "Mom, I'm bored. There's nothing to do." This year, instead of responding the way YOUR Mom probably did ("Well, I can find you something to do - you can scrub the floor or mow the lawn or clean your room!") - here's an idea:



The Town of Vienna is having a Scavenger Hunt! When we were growing up, scavenger hunts were a popular thing to do at birthday parties. You would divide into groups and then set off in the neighborhood in search of silly items on a list. There was a deadline and the group who collected the most items on the list won. (There were versions of this game played in college too - but that's a story for another day!)

Well this Scavenger Hunt is a little different. It's called "Vienna's Hidden Gems Family Scavenger Hunt". And it's a photo Scavenger Hunt. The idea is to search all around Vienna for "hidden gems". Vienna defines a hidden gem as a "little known about place in the Town of Vienna". There are 7 categories and you have to find one gem in each category.

Here are the categories:

1) Play in a Safe Place
2) Explore Nature
3) Celebrate the Arts
4) Follow a Trail
5) Play a Sport
6) Explore History
7) Make a Lasting Memory

Each picture must include a family member in the photo. (And you can even include family pets!)

We think this is a great idea. What a fun way to reconnect with your children (especially your teens!) and discover some really interesting places in your own hometown of Vienna. I'm betting you can be pretty creative in both your selection of "gems" and in how you construct each photo!

The deadline is August 20th. Here are the rules and application for the Vienna Hidden Gems Family Scavenger Hunt.

We LOVE living in Vienna, Virginia!