Instead of mowing the lawn or having a barbecue on Memorial day, my husband and I decided to pack up the kids and go to an auction.

Auctions and antique stores have been something we do as a family from time to time.  The kids actually enjoy going and they are getting old enough that we don’t have to worry about them breaking things.  At our house antique shopping is called treasure hunting and who doesn’t love a good hunt?

Idea of the Day:

Take your children to an auction.

I think there is so much a child can learn at an auction.  Today my son (age 6) kept track of the final sale price of various items.  It was also a great math lesson when people would bid on items that had a set - for example chairs.  He would have to figure out the final price per chair and multiple that by the number of chairs.  Besides math, an auction is filled with history.

I found that even my daughter who is only three, learned something today.  She was able observe and listen to the “culture” of an auction.  There was the fast talking, the shouting to confirm bids and the overall fast paced environment.  I admit that an auction will not hold a younger child’s attention for very long.  However it was fun to expose her to something out of the ordinary.