I know how challenging planning a summer vacation can be. I also know that just finding time for one can be the biggest challenge. I wonder if you ever considered having your children help you with your family trip planning.
It always sounds so idyllic to think about a trip. The family will get to have some fun together, but who usually does all of the planning? The parents do! Then the kids complain about the trip you worked so hard to put together.
If your child is at least in third grade, then they are able to pitch in and help out. I have some ideas to get the family together and plan your next trip.
I would suggest that you look on your calendars and decide what dates you want to take your tip on. This can be challenging when your kids are in a lot of activities, but you may want to consider taking some time off of those activities. I think you need to be realistic about what you can miss and what you cannot miss, but find a time, even if it is just 5 days, that will work for most of your family. I would NOT recommend missing any school for your trips. Why? You cannot get back instructional time. You can, however, find a few days that you can string together to sneak away, even if it is just a few miles from your house.
Some families really love amusement parks, some families love going to the lakes. Have you ever considered a road trip? These trips have provided some of our best vacations. We just decide the direction we will be headed and take off and go. We have ideas in mind about some things we can do on the way, and that is where the planning comes in. We look on Google Maps for ideas. We make lists of things that are free, low cost, and higher costs. Then we may have to think about how much money we are willing to spend, but we put these ideas down on paper, or on a Google Sheet.
We also consider where we can stay and get ideas for that as we stay overnight. We don’t always schedule our hotels, but sometimes we do. It depends on the season.
Now, how do you get your kids involved? Google Maps and Google Earth are awesome for visualizing things that you can do as a family. The Maps app will allow the kids to see what things are on the map in a variety of directions you may be heading. Google Earth will allow you to take a three-dimensional “field trip” to the area. The kids can see what it looks like in the actual area and then you can make a better decision about the trip.
You may want to let your children know that you may not be able to do everything that the family puts on the list, but the list will allow them to make decisions either before the trip or during the trip.
When kids know what to expect, it will lessen the stress of the unknown and they may be more apt to be as excited as you are about your summer trip.
And, you are teaching your children real-life experiences that will help them as they grow up and have to travel on their own one day.
I hope this idea has inspired you to plan a trip together! Not only is it fun, but it will help your child grow as a learner too!
If you are seeking summer learning support for your child, I have some availability in my tutoring schedule. Let me know if you are in need. I support elementary students in math, reading, and writing. I provide intervention and enrichment. What I described above, would be an activity that I would do with a student seeking summer math enrichment. We would plan and budget out a trip. Maybe your family would want to take it. I provide a free consultation/assessment for your child in the academic area you want support in. I then create an individualized plan for your child. Then we schedule our online meetings and enjoy learning and working together! I look forward to hearing from you. If this has been helpful, please share it with others.
Happy traveling!
You can find more information about Sheryl at midwesttutor.com.
Tutoring with Sheryl 