Family Driving Activities

Left/Right Tours

As a child I remember going for drives with my Grandpa John.  We would get up early on a Saturday or Sunday morning and he would show me the world that he knew. 

Grandpa John was a Street Sweeper and so his world was a world of nocturnal animals wondering back to day time burrows.  Of sunrises, and the world of the daylight waking up. 

With Grandpa John I saw a deer and her two fauns cross the road right where Grandpa said they would.  

I tasted hot out of the oven Greek sweet buns from a canteen truck vender, that Grandpa like to visit.   

Most importantly I saw the world my Grandfather saw.

Being in a vehicle with a child can be a wonderful experience for everyone.  Key is that like my Grandfather the adult has to be willing to engage with the child, to be present in the experience of driving with them.

It was this strong and pleasant memory that motivated in me a desire to recreate this experience with our grandchildren.  These Sunday or Saturday afternoon car trips have become known as left/rights tours. 

Left/right tours must have no destination in mind only a point from which to start.  Every person in the car takes a turn determining the direction that the car will travel when a decision point presents itself.   

The driver usually is the first to set the direction.  The next person then determines when the driver will turn left or right, and so on.  With a GPS it is hard to get lost and if your staring point is rural you can find some amazing things.

Left/right tours are leisurely drives and anyone can call stop in order to take a picture or look more closely at a point of interest.  As stated previously it is not the destination that is important it is the process of discovery for everyone in the vehicle.

Some our best left/right tours with James have ended with ice cream and some great pictures.  James always takes his camera and from his vantage point in the car captures what he sees.

With our Granddaughters we have found unique school playgrounds to play on and of course ice cream.   Okay I will admit publicly that I love Ice Cream and next summer will blog on the best places in Grey and Bruce Counties to get ice cream

Children as young as 5 enjoy the experience of choosing which direction the car will go and the anticipation of new discoveries. Left/right tours are a great inter-generational activity.

Pack a picnic lunch and away you go creating memories.

Grandma Snyder

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