Travel is an enriching experience for adults and children alike. Parents who love traveling will not waste a cent with the lessons their children get to experience and learn as they saunter out there. Parents who wish their children great learning will do no wrong when they take their kids to great destinations. While books remain to be outstanding tools for boosting their development, travel can augment that in many fun and wonderful ways.
If you are a parent wondering what the best destination for your kid/s, check out Karen Cicero’s post 10 Trips to Take Before Your Kid Turns 10 for Parents Magazine. Her experience with her own daughter made her realize there were destinations that are best included in your child’s own bucket list before they get older and miss the fun suitable for younger kids. If your child is still under ten, here are her suggestions and why.
- The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Amherst, Massachusetts“In its large, colorful art studio with lots of natural light, kids create the most amazing projects.” The museum has a toddler area and a library that very young travelers will enjoy. “Outside the library, don’t miss an Instagram-worthy photo op: a giant, two-sided Very Hungry Caterpillar reading cubby. Take a scavenger hunt through galleries featuring Carle’s original artwork plus some from other picture-book creators. ..”
- Legoland Discovery Centers
- “Like a cool children’s museum, these centers, located in Atlanta; Schaumburg, Illinois; Grapevine, Texas; Kansas City, Missouri; Yonkers, New York; and Somerville, Massachusetts, woo little Lego fans with building contests, short 4-D movies, soft play areas, and building workshops…” The David F. Bolger Playspace in Sarasota, Florida
- “For your budding acrobat, The Ringling (of circus fame) recently opened this imaginative playground that’s attached to its free Bayfront Gardens.” Your active child will have a blast in the play center’s basket-like swings, colorful mini trampolines, “… and a three-story, 12-foot tunnel slide.” Children’s Museum of Indianapolis
The largest children’s museum in the country — with five stories of fun — does a great job of engaging toddlers and pre-tweens in the same exhibit. ”
Playscape, the museum’s main attraction for kids under 5 offer innovative contraptions that even kids at a tender age can experience and get lots of excitement. The amenities are fantastic, making your life a lot easier.
5. California
Started as a tree sanctuary, this park has become a haven for the stroller crowd. It is a park that offers safe and gentle rides while learning about fruits and veggies. There is even a water area where young kids who love water can have great, unforgettable moments as they get sprayed and misted by a flower and a geyser.
6. The Polar Express Train Ride
“Inspired by the classic holiday book, railroads in more than 30…” What’s more, the kid’s appetite for hot chocolate drinks and cookies is whetted as it is served by no less than Santa in his sleigh.
7. Walt Disney World and Disneyland in Orlando and Anaheim, California
“Your kids might never outgrow wanting to hang out at Disney’s parks, but there is a short window when their reaction to meeting their favorite characters is so joyful and endearing that it’ll make it worth all the time and money you spent to get there.” When traveling with bigger kids, this is one WINNER indeed!
8. California
“… its incredible Splash Zone section — with crawl-through tunnels, textured walls, and low exhibit windows — caters to young kids. There are 45 interactive exhibits, from sea animals to play with to a wide array of sea animal costumes, which older kids can enjoy.
9. The Crayola Experience in Easton, Pennsylvania
“The majority of the 25 attractions in this crafty kids’ paradise … are surprisingly high-tech…” Your artistic kid will be engaged when they do digital artworks using computers.
10. Keystone Resort in Colorado
“At this mountain retreat … kids have their own life-size snow castle to explore when they hop off the gondola at Dercum Mountain.” The castle at Kidtopia program will not fail to stimulate your child’s imagination as they look out from a tower, slide down on ice slides and sit on an ice throne.
All these destinations and travel ideas make you realize that taking your kids abroad need not be a downer to adult fun. More importantly, your child stands to benefit from these experiences as they grow with wisdom tucked under their belt.