Why Use CAP Notebooks at the Cottage? It's June, & Our Thoughts Turn to Vacation Time

Not my Cottage

Cottages are for stories, fun and games. Not just the big fish or the wild storm stories, but the quiet, thoughtful ones—the stories of who we are and who we’re becoming.

Using a CAP Notebook helps you:

• Unplug from devices and reconnect with each other

• Capture cottage moments in words, drawings, and memories

• Write what the cottage means to you—what it gives, what it teaches, what it reminds you to appreciate

• Reflect on people you meet, places you go, and things you do

• Create traditions—turn to the same pages year after year to see how far you’ve come

Every time someone claims a page, it becomes theirs.

That space can be revisited year after year—a personal time capsule of growth, friendship, and reflection. Be selective, your writing space is limited.

Add Some Fun: Play the WAY Game

The CAP Notebook isn’t just about quiet reflection—it’s also about interactive fun.

Each entry can be turned into a Game Card for the WAY Game, a tool that helps families and guests learn about each other through lighthearted questions and challenges. Games Card Q & A's should be used right out of the book when you are at the cottage. Create Game Cards with your technology when you get home, and share your cottage creations.

Visitors can write:

• Questions and Activities based on life experiences at the cottage

• Record the details of your day or trip in drawings. Practice drawing.

• What the cottage, family and friends mean to you, or another topic if that doesn't work

Just one rule: Be thoughtful.

Since future guests may use your questions, keep them respectful and inclusive. Avoid getting too personal or writing anything that could make someone uncomfortable. Let the game bring people together, not drive them apart.

They’re simple enough for kids to use, but meaningful enough to capture insights from all ages.

No perfection needed—just honesty, creativity, and a bit of improvisation.

Leave It on the Table

Put the CAP Notebook in a place where everyone will see it. Encourage guests to contribute. The stories will add up—just like driftwood on the beach.

And in a few years, you won’t just be looking at a book. You’ll be looking at a legacy of shared experience.

Final Thought

Every cottage has stories. Some get told around the fire. Others are forgotten by morning. Let your CAP Notebook be the place where those stories live on. So before you pull out your phone or switch on the news, try this:

Pick up a pen. Open the notebook. Capture the day while you’re still in it.

Ready to start your cottage tradition? These are Brian's memories; what are yours?

Order your CAP Notebook at playway.ca or thewaygame.ca and bring your stories to life—one page at a time.