Travel has often been cited as one of the best educations a person can receive. Beyond what is offered in any classroom, travel has the capacity to broaden the mind, increase creativity, and introduce new places and people. Family vacations are no exception, and they offer a unique opportunity to broaden your child’s horizons. So wherever wanderlust takes you, these simple strategies below are designed to help add lessons to your family vacation!
1. Let Your Child Participate in Planning
Nothing drives passion for education more than personal interest, and that’s definitely true for children. Is your child currently obsessed with everything under the sea? Make sure to stop off at an aquarium and include your child in prior research to pick which ones look the most interesting. Have a dino-lover on your hands? A road trip to the American West can offer you a chance to see site digs where ancient skeletons were found.
2. Learn in Advance
Drum up anticipation and excitement for a trip by providing books and activities about the place you’re visiting. Take a family trip to the library and help your children gather books on the history, culture, local foods, and famous figures from the places you plan to visit. In this way, their mind will be primed for what to look out for. As a guided educational vacation activity for kids, have your child come up with a list of 5 questions about a destination. This can serve as a vacation challenge for your family to find out the answers on your trip.
3. Map The Way
There are so many creative ways to keep kids entertained in the car, but one of the simplest is handing them an extra map and some markers. Map navigation is not just a fun way to pass the time, it also offers several ways to learn about travel distances, routes, and geography. Even the youngest child will love scribbling and decorating the wide-open spaces of a travel atlas or map.
4. Create a Memory Book
During summer travel, it’s the little things we remember the most, and the best way to capture those times is in the moment. Before you head out on your trip, give each child in your family a small journal or scrapbook, as well as a disposable camera. Acting as a photojournalist, your child can record the places, people, plants, and animals they encounter on the trip. Each night, set aside a little time to write the highlights of the trip in the journal. When you return from your travels, use their printed photos to add to the scrapbook or create a family collage that you hang in a prominent location.
Keeping Children Engaged at School and on the Road
These tips for designing your next educational family vacation will increase your child’s knowledge and understanding of the world. They’ll also give you a chance to spend deep, connective time together. The Gardner School strives to partner with parents to help children be their best both inside and outside of school. See why parents choose us over other preschools by contacting us today to schedule a virtual tour at The Gardner School nearest you.