Planning a trip can be a wonderfully educational experience for kids. There are plenty of ways to involve kids of various ages in the trip planning process. So put those little ones to work! Here are some suggestions on how to go about it. Ask your kids to research places to visit on your trip. Give your kids a general list of websites or books about your destination and ask them to find information about interesting spots to visit on your trip. Have them share their findings during a family trip-planning meeting and decide which sites you will see. Older kids could do extensive research and serve as “tour guides” the day you visit their choices on the trip. Have your help you book travel reservations. Kids can learn a lot by researching transportation, accommodations, restaurants and prices. Sit with them and walk them through the booking process. Discuss the pros and cons of getting travel insurance, what a “non-refundable” reservation means, etc. Ask your kids to plan one day of the trip. This activity is especially fun for older kids. When you ask them to plan an entire day of the trip, it helps them develop a personal investment in the experience and enhanced appreciation for the overall experience. When planning the day, your child can be partially responsible for all of the transportation, meals, sightseeing activities, etc. This also provides an opportunity for kids to share their particular interests with the whole family. Have your kids help plan the trip budget. Budget planning is a life skill, and what better way to learn how to do it than in the context of a trip. Teach your kids how to use a budgeting app, spreadsheet or other tool, and have them come up with a trip budget that includes travel, food, shopping and sightseeing costs. Have your kids help preserve and share trip memories. There are so many ways to record trip memories; journaling, scrap books, photo sharing sites, postcards, blogs, apps, social media, etc. Ask one of your kids to come up with a plan for preserving and sharing trip memories. For example, if one of your kids has an interest in photography, make him or her the “official” trip photographer. Like us on Facebook for more tips on family travel!
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A Toasted Ravioli Tour of St. LouisComments: 0Rating: 0 / 0
I was just like other travelers before me as I stood under the Arch in St. Louis. I am in the Gateway to the West not for any particular reason, other than toasted ravioli tasting. The stomach filling and diet-breaking dish was reportedly born out of the Italian neighborhood southwest of the city. Ravioli can just be ravioli, but in St. Louis it is fried up like a fluffed up pillow and served as an appetizer, even if that palette starter is heartier than the main course. In order to understand this quintessential St. Louis food, you must do as I did, go taste it at some of the supposed best restaurants for toasted ravioli. Here are three tastings of toasted ravioli in St. Louis that are sure to leave stomachs bursting and taste buds satisfied....read more
Visit Kid-Friendly Oslo, NorwayComments: 0Rating: 0 / 0
Norway’s capital city of Oslo is one of the most kid-friendly destinations in Europe. Here are some ideas for great ways to spend time as a family (and learn about Norwegian culture and history) in this vibrant and cosmopolitan city....read more
Dealing with Homesickness While Traveling: Four Tips for Making Yourself at Home on the RoadComments: 0Rating: 0 / 0
The travel deprived often never see the open road as somewhere that might cause aches for home. However, seasoned travelers know that the grass is always greener on the other side. In lands where you don’t speak the language or merely those weekly business trips to points on a map that are certainly not home, homesickness can creep into the traveler’s itinerary. It is only natural, but it shouldn’t put a rain cloud over your trip. If you are battling the homesickness blues on your travels, try implementing a few of these tips and tricks to make the road feel a little bit like home....read more
Taste of London Celebrates 10th AnniversaryComments: 0Rating: 0 / 0
The perennially popular Taste of London restaurant festival marks its tenth anniversary this summer with its biggest and best line up to date. The event will be jam packed with world class restaurants, celebrity chefs and lots more foodie fun and activities. The festival takes place from Thursday the 20th to Sunday the 23rd of June in London’s Regent’s Park. The theme of Taste of London 2013 is one of “collaboration and reunion” that is to be realized with UK and international chef talent coming together to celebrate a decade's worth of “culinary magic from the food capital of the world.”...read more
Rennes (France) for KidsComments: 0Rating: 0 / 0
A short 3-hr train ride from Paris, Rennes is a wonderful city to visit with kids. Here are my recommendations for kid-pleasing venues and activities in this historic Breton city....read more
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