NYC Activity with Kids: Luck of the Draw

he's mocking me, isn't he? he can be so cheeky.

Last summer we let luck determine the events of the day. Each kid picked a subway line and a number out of a hat. Whatever they picked would decide what train we would take and for how many stops. Read how it was a wild success.

Last Saturday we did a modified version of the activity. . .


Owen picked the subway color out of a hat, Oscar picked a number of stops out of another, and Ella picked the type of food we would eat out of the last hat. I went into with little hope it would work. After everyone picked their choices, I tried to convince my family to use Yelp to find a different restaurant. However, my kids were oddly possessive over their picks. There was noway to convince them otherwise: We were taking the orange line 5 stops uptown to eat hamburgers . . .

Along the way, we spotted the yellow daffodils that inspired this post, and eventually made it to the closest hamburger restaurant. It was none other than Jimbo's Hamburger *PALACE*. Only the best for my kids. Here's their thoughts on the food:

Owen on his french toast and bacon: "So good so fresh that it was a 10. A"

Oscar on his pancakes and sausage: "They taste like candy but they are not candy." 

Ella on her cheeseburger and fries: "Well, it was good. It's wasn't the best burger ever."

We would have never eaten at the place had it not been for luck, but I'm glad we did. If we happen to be in the neighborhood again, I'd eat here for sure. The no frill food was cheap, the service was fast, and it was located in a lively part of Harlem. We'll probably be back this summer on our way to swim at Riverbank State Park. 

I'm trying to think how to modify this activity so it could work in the suburbs. Any ideas? It's so fun once I stop worrying if it's all going to work out. So far, it always has.