TEN WAYS TO GET KIDS EXCITED ABOUT THE FAMILY TRIP
Author: Ruth Lutnick
Article:
You, your husband and two children, ages 10 and 13 are going on
a long-anticipated—by you—trip to London and Paris. You and your
husband have been there before and loved it so much that you
simply must show your children those famous places and
mind-opening culture palaces.
Your children are not so thrilled. In fact, the 13-year-old, a
girl, has asked if she could stay with her best friend while you
and her whiny younger brother go to Europe without her.
How do you turn the scenario around? How do you detoxify the
inevitable, “Are we there yet?” Here are ten ways to go.
1 Get them into the mood of the place in advance. Watch movies
or read books set in that particular country or city. This will
involve them in the places on an emotional level, and they'll be
really keen to actually go to “where it happened.” Many of these
media offerings are about kids, and that's always an interest
builder. Some of these stories show the kids as the brave, the
bold and adventurous ones, while the adults in charge need their
help. Nothing like being more in control of a situation than the
grownups to whet your appetite for travel.
2 Find places that are intriguing, not-well-known and
“kid-friendly” to visit. As a former kid, I'm sure you remember
how PAINFUL “seeing” something can be. Plan to go to places
where you will be “doing” something. Active places win hands
down with kids. If you do go to a “seeing” place, plan an
activity, such as a scavenger hunt, to transform it into a
“doing” place. Imagine the fun you can have at spots such as the
perfume museum in Paris, Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum, or at the
City of London museum sound and light show depicting the famous
fire that destroyed London!
3 Plan shopping trips that your kids will enjoy and have them
save up for special stuff they like, or give them allowances.
Allow equal time for each in the shop of his/her choice. Getting
stuff is always a blast, and showing the stuff off to friends
gives them bragging rights as well!
4 Let the kids share in the planning. Set aside some days,
blocks of time, evenings as you write out your itinerary and
tell the kids that they decide what the whole crew does at those
times. This gets them involved and excited about the things that
THEY look forward to.
5 Go heavy on the local entertainment. Kids love music, movies,
sports events. Plan these kid-friendly events with your kids
input, and you're sure to have a blast. They'll remember the
joust, or football (a.k.a. Soccer) match. Go Beckham!
6 Leave some time for relaxation. Stay at a hotel with a
swimming pool, a tennis court or other game centres. Don't
begrudge them that important video arcade time.
7 Plan to meet local kids. Studies all show that kids love
meeting other kids. If you have friends or people you can
connect with in your destination who have kids, plan a visit.
You can also connect by searching the internet for kids'
interactive sites.
8 Put your kids in charge of the photography department, or at
least their own photography department. Provide each with a good
camera. You don’t have to bring a computer; there are plenty of
internet cafes and some hotels have web access. If they are
anxious to share photos with their friends back home and keep in
touch, this is a good way to do it.
9 This may be the only don’t in the list, but I feel strongly
about it: Don’t insist they keep a journal or diary. This is a
chore. Unless they themselves come up with the idea, mum’s the
word.
10 Have fun: this means you too. Taking your kids on a trip
will provide experiences and closeness with them that will last
until their own kids are ready to be launched. Nowadays, even
grandparents are travelling with their grandchildren.
Happy travels to you and your whole family!
About the author:
Ruth Lutnick is the CEO and founder of Four Corners Books, which
publishes children's travel adventure books . She is an
accomplished children's author and educator. Visit Four Corners
on the web, at http://www.fourcornersbooks.com .
Article
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