Kids always want to grow up. Being able to ride higher-level thrill rides is no exception. What do you do when your child goes from 48″ wristband to a 52″? You celebrate! Here is a list of a few ways you can celebrate your kid’s new achievements each exciting time.
When children get measured and get the next color level, it opens up new opportunities for fun and helps them to feel they are growing up.
Make it an event
When this a milestone moment arrives, get excited! Show your children that you are thrilled for having reached the next color.
As they approach, hopefully, you’ve been researching rides will soon be able to do. Maps of the park list the height requirement, so it should be easy to see new options. Invite your kid to choose which new ride they want to conquer first. You can keep a map at home, or look them up on the park’s website. Build the anticipation by circling each new ride with a thick magic marker.
Remember: It is not a good idea to push your child to ride something they don’t feel comfortable with, it can lead to them being afraid of it for a long time. When they are ready, they will be excited about it.
Additional Ways to Celebrate Your Kid’s New Achievements:
- Letting them pick where you’ll eat dinner.
- Getting ice cream or a special candy treat.
- Waiting the extra time to ride in the front seat for a special experience on a new ride they’ve been eager to ride.
Small adjustments
If your child is literally a hair too short, it wouldn’t hurt to boost up the height a little with some toilet paper in their shoes or foam insoles. Some kids wear cowboy boots for that extra boost. If you push this too far, some ride operators may ask them to remove the shoes. If you pay attention, some ride operators may be more strict than others, especially for spotting these small artificial tweaks.
I got lucky, back when King Cobra was in operation at Kings Island, platform shoes were in style and I was able to ride one year earlier because of those shoes.
Krystal
ID Cards
Some amusement parks offer printed ID cards with the child’s height on it. This is a fun option to consider when celebrating your kid’s new achievement. There is a good and bad side to these cards. The good, is you can show the card without having to get measured each visit. They will get the band that is on the card. The bad side of the card, if your child grows during the season you may have to purchase a new one. Last check they were about $12-15. Or you can just have them measured each time you go. Some families buy these IDs for their kids each year, but that is more as a souvenir and keepsake.
Incentivise
Also if your children are picky eaters, you can use their height to your advantage. Tell your kids if they want to ride the bigger roller coasters they have to eat more of their food.
Heights Can Fluctuate
A person’s height can vary during the day. You’re taller in the morning and the cushion in your spine compresses as you walk around. It is more obvious in taller people, but it is in your interest to get your official measurement with a bracelet or ID card as early in the day as possible.
If this daytime shrinking happens, or your child changes shoes or hairstyle, they might not make the same height requirement at a later time, even with a wristband. Some ride operators can remeasure a child that is on the line. If you’re conscious of this, you can avoid these frustrations.
» What do you do to celebrate? Does your family have a special way of recognizing when your kids grows to the next level? Let us know in the comments below!
Illustration credit: Mike Kunze