Whether it was a visit to Philadelphia’s Liberty Bell, Boston’s midnight ride of Paul Revere or Jamestown’s inhabitant of Pocahantas, it not only created an insatiable appetite for traveling, it created a thirsty ambition for historical knowledge as well.
According to Dr. Helen Eckmann, education expert and co-author of Simple Principles to Raise a Successful Child and Simple Principles to Excel at School, instilling this passion for curiosity is important and it’s never too late to instill a school-friendly slant to your family trips. “Every vacation is an educational one. We teach our kids as we go.”

And away we go!
So the question is, how do you implement the game plan? The key, says Joan Rooney, vice-president tutor management at Tutor.com, is getting them involved with planning some vacay activities.

“Just don’t tell them that they are learning and don’t give them “homework” that’s for the school year. If you involve the kids with planning some activities, you know they will be engaged. Talking about your favorite part of the day or the “coolest” new fact they learned are great ways to review what they’ve learned in a casual way that is still fun. Parents should add the new facts they’ve learned, too because learning is a lifelong adventure.”

For instance, on a recent trip to Italy Joan’s teenage son was in charge of reading the guidebooks and looking at maps to decide what sites to visit along with the best routes to get there. “He loved the responsibility and the power to help plan our trip around his interests. Did he realize that he was learning? No. And that’s a key part of an “educational” trip. It has to be fun first and foremost. Let the kids take the lead on some of the planning and the activities to make sure they’re having fun while they’re learning.” Sometimes, you see, lessons learned may not so much focus on the actual destination but the journey itself.

Click here to read the full article from She Knows Travel

Smart Phones Make a Debut During Summer Vacations!

Click here for a list of some of the best smart phone applications to use during vacation. From Historical Travel Markers to a fun game of Travel Bingo, these apps are sure to please. And for those long road trips – there’s even an app for those looking for pit stops to tinkle called “Sit and Squat”! This is a website not to be missed by those vacation planning experts out there!

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