There are few things that are more fun to do than make travel plans with your kids. We look forward to spending time with them daydreaming about vacations, whether real or imagined, and then talking over all that you would want to get up to. It is so much fun and always fascinating to see what they will come up with. Here are our four steps to travel planning with kids – enjoy every one of them!
The Destination
The best part? You can spend so much time on this one, chatting about all of the places in the world that you would like to see. You can set the limits at the outset here as you will understand your time frame and budget and so can throw out reasonable suggestions and then talk through what each one has to offer. See which ones really capture your child’s imagination.
The Practicalities
Now that you have chosen where you will want to head off to, you need to look into getting there and choosing some suitable accommodation.
Your children might be keen to fly, or perhaps they fancy a long road trip? Once you arrive, will they want a huge hotel complex with a fun swimming pool and splash park or will they go for a tranquil log cabin in the woods? When you have narrowed it down, you can check out other people’s reviews and look for the best prices before making your booking. You are then all set and ready to go!
The Adventures
More fun! Take a look at what’s available in the area that you will be visiting. You could each go away and research it and come back with your top three things that you want to do whilst you are there. This is a great way of encouraging your children to find out more about your chosen location independently, whilst also ensuring that everyone gets their say in what you’ll get up to on your break.
The children might decide that they want to look into Miami boat rental or horseback riding in Yosemite. They might be desperate to see the canals of Venice or perhaps they want to visit Raffles in Singapore? Whatever their choices, do your best to be flexible and take at least one idea from each family member.
The Itinerary
Now that you have decided on where you are going, figured out how you are going to get there, where you’ll stay and what you will do, you are ready to form your itinerary.
You might be easy going people, you might like to plan it down to the last hour or you might simply have to schedule things in as the holiday dictates it. Sometimes tours or experiences can only be booked at certain times, or you might need to work around a much-anticipated dinner reservation.
This will be a chance for your child to show you their logic skills and planning ability. Get them involved as your itinerary forms and take their suggestions into account.
Whether it is the pull of beautiful Nicaragua or the lure of the bright lights of New York, travel planning with kids is always going to be fun. What do you enjoy most about doing this?
Jennifer Wolfe
Jennifer Wolfe, a writer-teacher-mom, is dedicated to finding the extraordinary in the ordinary moments of life by thinking deeply, loving fiercely, and teaching audaciously. Jennifer is a Google Certified Educator, Hyperdoc fanatic, and a voracious reader. Read her stories on her blog, mamawolfe, and grab free copies of her teaching and parenting resources.
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