Planning a vacation that pleases everyone is one of those tasks that nobody likes to be saddled with, and whether you’re traveling in a large group, or you are keeping it simple, the key to planning a proper vacation is that it ticks all the boxes. If you are travelling as a family, this can be quite difficult. Firstly, there is the difference in age, but also, if you, as a parent, are trying to sneak in a few educational aspects to the vacation, you’ve got to be underhanded and devious so that the kids don’t notice! How can you do this?
Plan Fun Expeditions
The key to educating your kids while on vacation is about sneaking it in very subtly. Of course, if you remember back to when you were a kid, did you want to learn anything? No, of course not! So, the best way to slip in a tiny amount of education is to make them ingest it by doing other things. Expeditions like a safari are one of those great little examples to pack in a wealth of adventure, but also, because there is so much going on, your kids won’t notice that they are being subtly educated. One of the best ways to make sure that your children are having a steady stream of culture imposed upon them is to pick a place that is steeped in history. It’s very easy to go to a European city, and by walking around and not doing that much in terms of activities, the feel of the place can rub off onto you. Places like the Loire Valley tour is somewhere that might not look steeped in history on the surface, but there is a rich royal heritage, and you can easily book a Loire Valley tour just to catch a glimpse of French history. And much like a national park, where there are so many things to do, the history of these locations aren’t thrown in your face. And this is the best way to sneak some education into your kids vacation time. While there are parks like the Yellowstone National Park, it’s a very simple way to give your kids some first-hand experience of what life is like in these places, but also, much like a safari, you can see various aspects of nature close up. If you are trying to educate your kids, don’t be obvious and say that you’re doing so! This will only result in furrowed brows and folded arms, not to mention a flat out refusal to do anything!
Cram The Itinerary Full To The Brim
If you’ve got picky children, you are always best off filling the calendar full of activities and expeditions. Much like when your kids are very young, and you want them to eat something that healthy, by overloading their plate with vegetables, in the hope that they eat just one of them, is an approach you can take if you are trying to educate your children. Yes, there are so many expeditions and things to do that cost money, but it’s feasible to do things without paying a lot of cash. While the word “museum” may bring the fear of God into your kids, there are museums that are catered for kids now. For example, the Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix, Arizona, it’s a place that provides so much to do in terms of music, it becomes an interactive experience, rather than one where you have to follow a tour guide and hear pointless facts reeled off, facts that your kids will have no interest in anyway! But, if you overload the itinerary with things to do, consider it a moral victory if your children at least complies with one of those.
Pick Adventure Vacations
Much like a safari, by picking adventurous expeditions, this sneaks the education factor into your kids. But also, there is a far more exciting trend of interactive guided tours nowadays. So, if you’re keen on getting your kids a bit more knowledgeable in terms of history, there are various ghost walks and guided tours of the history of a place, such as the Colonial Williamsburg tours. The great thing about these tours is that they are more like a living museum. If it’s done right, the kids can get thoroughly immersed in the culture and history of the place. The big problem many kids have in school is that they sit in class and don’t have to listen, so, the trick in making history come to life, pardon the cliche, is very important if you want your kids to learn anything. The same applies in terms of exploring the ocean, going diving with various sea creatures is one of the most fantastic ways to see how they live in the water. First hand learning is the BEST!!
Rewards!
As is the age-old standard of parenting, where you offer a reward for something done, you could sandwich an educational trip between two fun activities. This is particularly useful with older children, because it’s all about the act of compromise. And, don’t forget, you need to go on these educational trips with the kids! You don’t need to be glued to their side, but if you sent them off to museum, and you lounged by a pool somewhere, this isn’t communicating the right mindset.
Look into educational sites online. There are lots of fun options for online learning. Kids love being online so make it fun and educational. There are tons of schools offering summer tutoring and classes that are still fun. Look into the tuition rates and see if it fits for your summer plans.
So, while it’s not the easiest of tasks to get children educated while on vacation, there are always options for you. Traveling doesn’t have to be all about relaxation, but if you’ve got kids that need a little bit more educating, by immersing them in a place with a lot of culture, and helping them to interact with educational materials a bit more effectively, this is going to have a positive impact on their ability to learn And you never know, this might wake them up in an educational sense! Vacations can be fun, but you do need to have a bit of learning thrown in for the benefits of growing children.
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