Vacationing with your kids can be so much more than simple relaxation. Many holiday destinations offer immense learning opportunities for young children, and including these into your itinerary is a great way to stimulate and distract them from the TV or their iPads.
Let’s explore some tips on how to turn your next vacation into a kids’ learning opportunity. We’ve also included a list of great holiday destinations your kids will love!
Wildlife Watching With a Nature Guide
You may think it’s educational enough to take your kids to a wildlife park or nature reserve, but oftentimes, whatever we say goes in one ear and right out the other.
To solidify the information they learn on these trips, encourage them to use a nature guide where they can mark off things they’ve spotted. Kids love turning everything into a game! Animals, birds, rocks, and historical sights can be checked off using a marker, making your little ones more eager to play the ‘spot-it’ game with you or their siblings.
Cruise Ship Geocaching
Geocaching is a popular pastime for millions of families around the world. Many cruise ships also include geocaching into their onboard activities, giving children and treasure hunting adults alike something fun to do while they travel.
Why not cross the Panama Canal and include geocaching on your list of things to do? Your kids will love the idea of touring the ship, finding hidden lists of people who have been there before. In fact, they’ll probably be having so much fun that Mom and Dad will be able to enjoy some well-deserved relaxation time!
Cooking Classes with Local Ingredients
A bucket list idea that you and your kids have to try is attending a cooking class that focuses on the local ingredients of the region you’re staying in.
Whether you’re traveling to Western Europe or simply visiting another part of your own country, cooking with local ingredients can help your kids understand growing climates, as well as what food that region is known for.
Create a Nature Collage
Your kids will be enamored by the differences in bugs, tree leaves, buildings, and animals of a strange region. Give each of them a disposable camera, a large sheet of paper, and a generous amount of glue to create a collage of everything they discover. This not only keeps them busy, but it also acts as a cherished memory book of their trip once you return.
Educational Vacation Destinations for Your Young Kids
As promised, here are some great places for your next educational getaway with your kids:
- Yellowstone National Park, USA (junior ranger programs)
- Kruger National Park, South Africa (guided nature walks and safaris)
- Science Centre Singapore, Singapore (hands-on exhibits)
- Museo Nacional de Arte, Mexico (outdoor art installations)
- Galápagos Islands, Ecuador (eco-tourism and sustainable travel lessons)
- Sydney Aquarium, Australia (educational talks and marine animal feeding times)
- Sapa, Vietnam (cultural village with traditional craft workshops)
Making the Most of Family Trips
With this list, you can ensure your kids do more than just zone out on a piece of technology during your next trip.
Vacations are an excellent opportunity to spend quality time with your kids and teach them about different places, people, and ways of life.