kids Archives | Olympia Moving & Storage

Sometimes the hardest part of a move isn’t figuring out how you’re going to get your things from point A to point B, it’s breaking the news to the kids and helping them through the transition. Whether you’re moving around the block or across the country, moving is one of the biggest events in a child’s life. Below are a few tips to help your kids cope on moving day.

Stock up on some books that are specifically geared to explaining moving to kids. For the little ones, we suggest The Berenstain Bears’ Moving Day and Big Ernie’s New Home. The Moving Book: A Kid’s Survival Guide is a great handbook with activities and tips for kids. Moving can be even tougher on older kids, but reading some young adult books on the topic might help. We recommend Lois Lowry’s Anastasia Again, or Judy Blue’s Starring Sally J. Feedman as Herself.
Have your kids participate in the packing process. Have them pack a special box of toys they can’t live without for the car, especially considering it could be days before your things arrive at the new house. Buy stickers for the kids to decorate the “their” boxes. Not only is it fun, but it helps identify which boxes hold their belongings.
Put together some special activities to help kids understand the transition. Help them write and decorate a card to leave for the new owners, welcoming them to your house. When you get to your new neighborhood, bake some cookies to bring to your new neighbors to break the ice for introductions, and more importantly, to scope out potential playmates. For more fun post-move activities, check our our blog on building a box fort.
There’s a lot going on on moving day. Keeping the kids around on move day is potentially distracting for the movers and confusing for the kids. It’s probably a good idea to drop the kids off with grandma or friends’ houses on move day, or hire a babysitter.
It might be corny, but it’s important to help kids feel like the family is going to face the changes together. As important as it is to point out all the benefits of your new home, mentioning the things you’re going to miss about your old house helps kids know that it’s okay to have different feelings about the transition. Be sure to take the time to plan some special family activities and outings after the move.

Your move is finally over, and it’s time to enjoy your new home with your kids. What are you going to do with all these boxes and packing materials? Why not let the kids have some fun and help them build a box fort?

This craft is a perfect way to re-use moving supplies and let your kids’ imaginations run wild.

Supplies you’ll need include boxes (the bigger the better!), a box cutter (for adult use only), duct tape, paint or markers, and packing paper.

Start by having your kids put together a plan for the fort. The possibilities are endless!

Following are some options:

Stack and tape together some small (1.5 size) boxes “brick-style” to create three walls and use a disassembled box as a roof. This will give your fort a “house” like feel.
Flip a large box (such as a refrigerator, wardrobe, or mattress box) upside down and cut off one side for an entrance.
Completely disassemble some boxes and tape them together into a wide, standing cylinder, then cut a hole on one side for an entrance. This should give you a silo-style fort with some good height. Use another disassembled box or a blanket as a ceiling.
Disassemble only the bottoms of the boxes, then layer the boxes inside each other to create a large tunnel or crawlspace.

Once the body of the fort is assembled, it’s time to let your kids start decorating! Lay some packing paper under the fort so cleanup is easier. Give your kids markers, paints, stickers, sequins, glue, construction paper, and kid-safe scissors to work with.

When the fort is finished, help them make it a fun place to hang out. Furnish the inside with blankets, pillows, beanbag chairs, and Christmas lights.

Be sure to build the fort in a basement, playroom, or bedroom, because once your kids have their fort, they won’t want to take it down!

Here’s some examples for inspiration:

For more moving tips, tricks, and fun, check out these awesome resources.

Tag: kids

Tips for Moving with Kids

Post-Moving Fun: How to Build a Box Fort