Swag Hunting

July 30, 2016 - Some kids at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2016 want to explore and collect all the fun trinkets the air show and convention has to offer. My siblings and I have been collecting this week and have some recommendations.

Top on the list of places to visit are the Federal Pavilion, the Exhibit hangars, and the Education and Career Center in Aviation Gateway Park, which is also a great place for older kids to pick up and learn about colleges.

Don’t forget to be polite when asking for swag. That includes saying please and thank you. Or you can start by asking questions about the business or college.

A few of the awesome items we collected included pins and buttons, stickers, bracelets, hand sanitizer, water bottles, sunscreen, lip balm, key chains, airplane and shuttle pens, and flashlights. Posters are also fun wall art and at AirVenture you can get a whole collection signed by famous pilots.

The KidVenture area at Pioneer Airport also offers great swag, and fun activities.

Another activity is the Passport to Aviation program, in which complete to win a prize. Pick up your Passport  at the EAA Discover Aviation Center. You can also take part in a scavenger hunt. Download the Social Flight app, pick up a form at the Continental Motors or Jeppesen buildings, and collect at least six gold stickers to redeem a T-shirt. 

Have you ever flown a drone or wished you could? Check out the Drone Center in Aviation Gateway Park, and from 3-5 p.m. you compete there for prizes.

Editor’s note: Abby Oleniczak, 13, of Wheaton, Illinois, is an EAA member and hopes to be a columnist someday. With free admission offered to all scouts today, we hope her recommendations serve as a starting place for our younger visitors.