Everyone needs to learn a new skill!

We all know our kids need more stimulation than the average kid and that they love learning new things. More on that shortly, but first, Story Time!

When I was about 12 and lived in northern interior Maine, my family went on a vacation to the big city of Bangor, 200 miles away and the closest mall/shopping area. The only reason I tolerated it was because they had a mall with a great arcade! My parents would usually give me $20 (a king's ransom back in the early 80's) and tell me to go play all day at the arcade.

On this particular trip, tragedy struck... the arcade was closed! After wandering bored for a while, I ended up in a bookstore where I bought a "Juggling for the Complete Klutz!" book with 3 juggling balls. My older brother and I each spent the next few days trying to learn how to juggle. It didn't quite take for my brother but it did for me.

Fast forward more than 4 decades and I don't juggle much but I never regretted learning! It is a fun skill to whip out every now and then that always makes people go "ooh, you know how to juggle?!?!" It is also something that, once mastered, can really help kids needing tons of mental stimulation, like a fidget toy on steroids.

My goal for the trip is to spend some of the downtime teaching kids how to juggle! I'll be bringing along 36 juggling bean bags. Any kid (or adult) who wants to give it a try is welcome. I'll give a quick crash course on the steps to learn how to juggle and help coach people.

My hope is before the end of the trip, at least a couple of kids (or adults!) will have learned a new skill they can use to impress their friends for the rest of their lives.