Even though some people think of family travel as an expense, travel education is an invaluable and often underrated way to help your kids develop! We have been traveling with our children since they were born. It is such a great way to supplement textbook learning about culture, history, geography, and so much more!
Travel education teaches children independence and gives them a sense of adventure that they can carry with them throughout their entire lives. If you are looking for motivation to take a family trip, we hope that our list below will help you craft the perfect itinerary!
TRY NEW THINGS
Step out of your comfort zone! If there is a must-do activity in a certain region, try to fit it into your schedule. Trying new things while traveling is a great way to expand young people’s minds….and adults perspectives too!
Some of our most memorable family travel adventures so far have been segway driving in Jamaica (I was terrible at it BTW), swimming with dolphins at Discovery Cove in Florida, and horseback riding in Utah and West Virginia.
EAT LOCAL
Eating is top of the must-do travel list for pretty much everyone! Exploring local cuisine is another epic way to feed your children’s sense of adventure.
Don’t just stick to the foods you know! Encourage your kids to try the local specialties. You may be surprised by what they end up enjoying!
Aside from eating out at local restaurants, some other ways to weave local food experiences into your family trip include heading to a farm to pick local produce, trying a family-friendly food tour, or a cooking class.
WALK
Walking around town is a great way to discover and appreciate sights! Look for statues and landmarks. You’ll never know what you may find!
Other benefits of using walking as the primary mode of transportation are that it saves money and ensures that you keep up with your exercise routine while you are away! Walking is also a fantastic way to teach kids how to navigate a map (or an app).
ATTEND FESTIVALS
Is there an annual tradition in town or a touring exhibit happening? Try to schedule your trip around it! Our favorite places to look when we are planning for travel are local tourism and community sites. They are an excellent way to find out what the area is known for and identify festivals and events that you may not be able to experience anywhere else.
TAKE IN NATURE
Whether it’s a hike, scenic drive or boat ride, make sure you bake in time to explore the great outdoors! Appreciate native plants, landscape, and scenery. Visit a National Park and talk with the rangers. Keep your eyes peeled for wildlife!
4th Grader Free National Parks Pass
For families with fourth graders, you can even get a FREE National Parks Annual Pass! To get a fourth-grade pass to the National Parks, head to the Every Kid Outdoors website and fill out a short form to receive a voucher that is good for an entire year for fourth graders and their family that includes up to three adults and all other children in the household under 16 years old!
VISIT MUSEUMS
Museums are one of the best ways to learn about the people, customs, geography + history of the area. That includes historic houses and sites too! Many places have scavenger hunts, self-guided apps, or other hands-on activities for kids that helps them step into the experience.
You and your family can stop at the top art, history, and science museums in the country — they’re popular for a reason! Many museums are free or offer reduced admission as part of the ASTC Passport Program.
ASTC Passport Program
Joining your local science center or museum can be a huge savings in two ways. First, the cost of membership is usually less than two general admission visits. And sometimes you can find discount offers too!
Our local center – the Maryland Science Center – usually has a 50% off Groupon in late fall too so make sure you keep an eye out for exclusive deals! To save even MORE money, you can use TopCashBack to purchase through Groupon and get cash back on your purchase! We’ve saved as much as 15% using TopCashBack for our Groupon purchase!
Second, when you join a science center or museum that is part of the ASTC passport program, you can visit other member institutions that are at least ninety miles from your base center and home address. The list changes over time, but currently includes all fifty states plus fifteen countries and about 350 science centers and museums! We have saved HUNDREDS of dollars visiting ASTC Passport members when we travel!
EXPLORE ART
Art trends vary from place to place and help tell the story of the area. And a lot of the art you can find when you travel is free. Look for murals, street art, art galleries, statues and monuments.
EXPERIENCE LIVE ENTERTAINMENT
Try to catch a concert or theatrical performance. Most major cities have summer concert series that are free for everyone. This makes it an excellent family budget travel itinerary option. Or jump in and make your own entertainment when hands-on opportunities present themselves!
BROWSE SHOPS
Shopping counts towards travel education too! It is another way to absorb local culture. We are not big on souvenirs, but we love to window shop and seek out things that are unique.
For instance, we spent a good hour looking at all the magnificent gemstones and minerals in Utah. Another time, we toured through a massive Bass Pro Shop in Texas and marveled at the native wild animal displays throughout the store.
Shopping is also a nice way to support local! Small towns especially rely on tourism to keep their commerce going, especially as we come out of the pandemic.
HAVE FUN
Last, but certainly not least…..remember to have fun! Theme parks, wildlife preserves, and playgrounds are great options to build lasting memories.
Build in time to take advantage of unstructured stuff too. Whether it is spontaneous photos at the resident tourist trap or taking silly pictures at a head in the hole.
Which travel education activities above are your favorites? Take a second and share your comments with us below.
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