Sometimes parents are so concentrated on preparing for the trip that they forget about the youngest family members.
The anticipation and preparations for the family vacation can really excite children and make them feel like an important part of the experience. Besides, this will get your kids crave for traveling from a young age. Below are a few ideas on how to inspire and excite your children for any future travels.
Buy a world map or a picture atlas
The act of merely showing your children what the world looks like will set an important process in motion – they will start to realize how many places there are to visit. The pictures in the atlas, on the other hand, will inspire their natural curiosity.
Create a vacation wish list
Tell your children where you will be traveling to, what they can see there, the places you can stop by… Ask them to create their own list (with words or drawings) of the things they’d like to see and do.
Include them in the preparations
The vacation you are planning is for the whole family, so it’s best that everyone feels included. Delegate small responsibilities to your children, according to their age, and thus make them feel important. Some sample tasks may include asking the neighbor to collect your mail, finding the snorkel from last year’s vacation, etc.
Let everyone pick at least one holiday activity
To make sure that everyone is satisfied with the trip, let each member of your family decide on at least one leisurely activity, to be included in your itinerary. The children may want to spend a day in a water park or to meet a pirate. If you do this, you will guarantee that your kids will be anticipating the family trip with excitement.
Organize a countdown
Counting down the days left until vacation time can be especially exciting for children (adults also get secretly excited, although they often don’t want to admit it).
Prepare a small backpack
For each of your children, find a small backpack and let them pack their own luggage in it. Some of the things that may end up inside are favorite toys, games, paper and drawing pencils. Your children will feel calmer if they know that they are carrying a piece of home on their backs.
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