How to Keep Kids Learning on Holidays

1. Read up before you go. Not only is this a great way to get the kids excited about their upcoming travel, but it will also give them context about the countries they are visiting. Knowing the history of a destination can help the kids to understand more about the traditional practices and native cultures. The bonus? Reading up on a travel spot can help you plan what you want to visit while you’re there!
2. Turn it into a game! Isn’t this the secret when it comes to getting kids to do anything they don’t want to do? Turn travel into a scavenger hunt with kids earning points for every sight, native animal or word in a particular language that they spot.
3. Let the kids lead the way. Despite how potentially scary this sounds if you like to be in control, teach the little ones a valuable life lesson about leadership by letting them choose and navigate to a particular destination. They can learn to read public transport maps, look for signs at train stations and help plan out what you’ll do once you arrive at your sightseeing spot.
4. People watch. One of the most important lessons we can teach our kids is about appreciating diversity, especially when it comes to cultural differences. Help your children understand how and why other cultures are different and also how they are similar. Explain to your little ones why those of different nationalities might dress differently or speak different languages. The up side is you might also get to learn something for yourself here too!
5. Try new foods. There’s no better way to deeply immerse yourself in the culture of a new country than by trying the local delicacies! You don’t even have to go crazy (although the kids will probably be more excited than you to try that roasted scorpion or fried ants!) – just exposing them to new flavours and textures will be an exciting experience.
6. Write it down. Encourage kids to keep a travel journal of their adventures. Not only will it be fun to look back at the trip for years to come but it’s a great way to help them process new experiences.

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