ABC Home Preschool Blog » Traveling with Kids

Take Your Preschooler on a Hike

TheNanny612 — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 04:36:20 +0000

Fall is a great month
to take your preschooler on a hike.
Hikes are great because of the obvious physical exercise that they give to your
child. They are also a terrific way to teach kids about nature. Kids can learn
to interact appropriately with the plants and animals that live in your area
and can gain an appreciation for the world around them. Hikes can also be used
for many different lessons including teaching the skill of observation, learning
about the culture of people who once lived in the area where you are hiking
and starting to understand about the weather and terrain. Plus, taking
your preschooler on a hike is a great bonding experience.

The
most obvious way that a hike benefits your preschooler is that it offers
physical activity. We are increasingly aware of the importance of physical
activity for kids of all ages. The earlier that kids find physical activities
that they enjoy, the more likely they are to develop a positive attitude
towards exercise. You just might be getting your child started on a lifelong
love of hiking. Additionally, physical activities like hiking are a great
time to talk to your kids about how their bodies work. This makes hikes
with your preschooler a great learning experience.

In addition to learning about
their own bodies and the importance of physical fitness, kids can learn about
the world around them through hiking. When you take your preschooler on a hike,
you’re likely to run into a number of animals out in the wilderness. You
can teach your children about the birds, rodents and wildlife that you may see
on the hike. Additionally, you and your preschooler can study the plant life
in the area to learn more about that kind of nature. This will not only be a
great science education for your preschooler but will also teach him or her
to interact kindly with the earth. Hiking is a great time to teach your
kids about the environment. And of course fall is a great time for
other hiking lessons since the area is changing so much.

You can explore these changes
(such as the new colors the leaves) with your preschooler during a hike. Learning
to be observant is one of the key tools needed for studying science.
You can also use this experience as a springboard for other lessons. Watch the
weather changes. Do some research yourself about the native people who used
to live in the area so that you can teach your child about this. Study the terrain
and talk about the geology of the area. Kids love to collect rocks and leaves
to take home for art projects. Make a diorama about your hike to reinforce the
lessons that were learned. Alternatively, take a camera along with you when
you and your preschooler go hiking. Kids’ cameras give great motor skills
and encourage your children’s creativity.

And of course you’ll
be able to take pictures on the hike to capture the memories that you are making
while you are out there. Even if you aren’t actively using the
hike to teach your child specific lessons, you will be creating a special experience
between the two of you that will last a lifetime. Many great conversations
happen on hikes. This may be something that you can use to continue to build
and grow your relationship with your children over time.

Technorati Tags:hiking with kids, children, physical education, preschool, hiking

Family Vacation Ideas

TheNanny612 — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 17:24:35 +0000

Summertime
gets everyone thinking about taking a family vacation. And it should.
With the break in traditional routines and the relatively good weather
that most locations have during the summer months, it’s a perfect
time to take your family out exploring. Plus, summer days are long and
they are enjoyed most when filled with activities which is what vacations
are all about. But where should you go with your kids and what should
you do during your family vacation?

Here are some
family vacation ideas that you might consider if you’ve gotten stuck
on he road to planning your summer trip:

Major
vacation destinations – This is the most obvious choice
for a family vacation but it’s tried-and-true for a good reason.
Major family vacation spots like Disneyland are geared towards making
family travel affordable and convenient. Similarly, outdoor recreation
spots like Yellowstone have their own routines and deals. Families that
aren’t too interested in doing a lot of creative planning on their
own might find that this is a good way to go for a summer vacation.
Parents’
hometown
– Sure, there’s a good reason that you left your hometown
but there are probably also a lot of great reasons to return, at least
for a family vacation. Your kids will get a kick out of seeing the places
that you used to spend your long summer days. And if you’ve still
got friends and relatives in the area, you can probably make this kind
of trip cheap. You might even get built-in babysitters so you can get
a day of summer vacation to yourself!
Road
trips – Some families love ‘em and some families
hate ‘em but road trips are a family vacation that will never
be forgettable. If you aren’t exactly an RV family, pick a nearby
destination and a scenic highway with lots of roadside attractions.
This will make the drive pleasant and give you plenty of little stopping
points to break up the trip. Spend the hours in the car playing road
trip games and just having conversations with your kids. A family vacation
on the road is one that lets you really get to know each other.

The
next state over – If you don’t have a lot of time
for your family vacation or don’t want to go too far from home
for one reason or another, consider taking a family vacation to a neighboring
state. By leaving the state, everyone feels that they had a “real”
vacation but you don’t have to travel very far. Plus, this gives
you the chance to find the differences in an area that’s probably
relatively similar to your own.
Stick
to your city
– You don’t actually have to leave you city to have a family
vacation. Instead, plan a weekend vacation in your own spot. You can
stay at a hotel if you want. But make it a point to only go and do things
in the city that you haven’t done before, and that you would do
as a tourist in the area. Find the museums, historic landmarks and spots
in nature that you’ve never seen and go check them out. Be sure
to take lots of pictures since that helps give home that vacation kind
of fell.
Vacation
at home – If you’re really on a budget, maybe you
shouldn’t leave your house at all. But that doesn’t mean
that you can’t have a great family vacation. The key to this kind
of trip is to indulge in imagination. Working parents should take two
or three days off. Telephones, Internet and other daily distractions
should be put out of sight. And then the world is yours for exploring.
Fill the house with travel brochures, encyclopedias, maps and picture
books about other places. Have picnic lunches in your backyard. Dress
up in different clothes for each spot that you’re learning about
together as a family and be sure to take photographs. Be silly and have
fun. You can travel the world without ever leaving home.

A summer family
vacation is a unique experience and one that you can all go back to again
and again in your minds. Whether you make it a full-blown Disney vacation,
head off on a scenic road trip where you get to know each other and the
landscape of an area or visit the world through books and pictures in
your own home, you can make the days of summer seem more fun-filled with
a family vacation.

Technorati Tags:family vacations, trips, vacations, kids, children, ideas

Save Money while Traveling with the Family

TheNanny612 — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 18:46:26 +0000

I
came across an interesting site while I was surfing the Web today. The site
is called H.E.L.M.
Travel. H.E.L.M. stands for Home Educated Learn More while
Traveling. Basically, it is a

Home
Exchange. You would exchange your home, time share, or summer residence
with another homeschooling family. This will enable both families to save
money while traveling.

This is what
H.E.L.M. Travel states:

"H.E.L.M.
Travel is organizing a pool of homeschooling families who are looking to enrich
their children’s education through hands-on learning experiences. You
and other homeschooling families will exchange their
primary residence, a second/vacation home, maybe even a timeshare that isn’t
being used OR you can choose to host a family in your home rather than exchanging
during one, two or three pre-designated dates."

I’m not sure how
I feel about this yet. On one hand I love this idea. It could save a family
a great deal of money. However, on the other hand, do I really want another
family staying in my home? Hmmm… definitely something to think about. Since
other families are giving up their homes to other homeschooling families then
aren’t they at the same risk that I am by giving up my home too?

What are your
thoughts on this?

Technorati Tags:family, vacations, traveling, homeschooling, cheap, money saving tips