Activities To Make Deployment Easier

The holidays can be tough when your loved one is deployed, especially when it is a parent or a spouse.  Here are some activities to help make deployment easier.

Deployment Wall     

Make a deployment wall in your home.  You can make these as elaborate as you want. Here are some ideas:

• Hang two clocks--one showing the current time and one showing the time where your loved one is stationed.
• Hang box shelves or some other object that would be able to hold letters from the loved one and you can hang another one for letters that need to be sent.
• Hang or tape a map showing where you are and where your loved one is. This could help your child understand the distance.
• You can hang many other things like picture frames, dry erase boards, calendars or other things you might like.

Count Down Ideas

These fun ideas will help show how much closer you are to your loved one coming home.

• Fill a jar or container full of candy and eat one a day till your loved one is home to stay.
• Make a sucker bouquet and each sucker represents a day your loved one is gone and eat one a day until they're back home.
• Fill a container full of kisses and eat one when you go to bed or wake up until they can give you an actual kiss.
• You can get creative and fill a jar or container full of different things to use to count down such as: small flags, shells, buttons or other things you might think of. Get creative!

Activities To Do And See

When your loved one is away your kids might need little things to keep their mind off of the situation and this can help keep you busy as well.

• Make a calendar of activities so you have something to look forward to each day or once a week. This will help you and your children pass time.
• Write on pieces of paper or popsicle sticks and pull one out of a jar or hat whenever you are looking for things to do. You can have your loved one help you come up with ideas before they leave so you feel closer to them as you are doing the activities.
• Go to an art, science or history museum to do something you wouldn’t normally do and maybe learn and experience something new.

Want To Help?

If you don’t have a loved one deployed at the moment or you are looking to clean up some space we have a great way you can do so. If you have a vehicle you are no longer using such as an ATV, boat, RV, truck or car you can donate it to Vehicles For Veterans. We are a vehicle donation program that helps veterans and their families. You can make some needed space in your driveway or garage today by calling us at 1-855-811-4838 or filling out our online donation form. We will take vehicles running or not and tow them away for free. Make a donation today!