Inspiring Learning and Creativity While On Vacation

Going on vacations together as a family is important. It gives parents and kids a chance to relax, escape the everyday routine, and experience new and exciting things. Plus, it’s a great way to boost family bonding and get to know each other on a deeper level.

Whether you’re relaxing by the beach, going on a road trip, or exploring ancient ruins, spending time away from the stresses of everyday life can be inspiring. You can use your time away as an opportunity for your kids to learn in a more hands-on way. By letting your surroundings spark your creativity, you can help to keep your children’s minds active, even when they’re relaxing.

Let’s take a look at different ways you can inspire learning and creativity while on vacation with your family, and why doing so when you’re away from everyday stress is beneficial for everyone.

The Importance of Taking a Break

Approximately 35% of American children deal with stress-related health problems. That stress comes from a variety of situations and factors, but it can lead to lasting issues that carry over into adulthood.

While looking into what’s causing your children’s stress is important, you can combat it by spending some time away from their everyday routine (and stressors). You might benefit from a mental health leave from work, too. Some of the biggest mental health benefits of taking a vacation include:

• Reduced stress

• Better sleep

• Improved focus

• Reduced burnout

• Boosted happiness

If you want to take even more advantage of these benefits, consider downloading some apps you and your kids can use to unwind, including guided meditation apps or exercise programs featuring kid-friendly yoga.

You should prioritize safety from the start of your vacation, so you don’t have to stress over being prepared and secure the entire time you’re away. Keep your kids safe during the trip by having them wear recognizable clothing, setting a designated meeting spot wherever you go, and using child tracking apps and software to know exactly where they are if they wander away or get lost. Once you’re ready to relax and you have everything in place to keep your family safe, you can really take advantage of your time and experience to inspire learning and creativity.

Bringing History to Life

Whether you’re exploring the rich art history of a European country, learning about the battles that shaped America, or visiting a museum to educate yourself and your kids about a specific person, seeing glimpses of the past is always interesting and exciting. It’s a great way to spark curiosity in your children, so expect plenty of questions if you tour any historic sites.

Thankfully, no matter where you go or what you see, there are always opportunities to learn more. One of the easiest ways to keep the conversation going about historic events or people is to use tech to your advantage.

There are plenty of virtual museum tours online. You can enjoy them with your children at your own pace so you both can learn more about the pieces of history that interest you. You can also check out videos and additional pictures of historic events to spark your children’s interest even more. You could have a history buff in the making, so let them soak up as much information as possible if they find something of interest while you’re away from home.

Exploring the Great Outdoors

Many family vacations are centered on spending time outside. Whether you’re camping, road-tripping, or just exploring a new city, you’re going to be outdoors more often than not.

You can use that opportunity to educate your kids on a multitude of things, including:

• Ecosystems

• Wildlife

• Plant life

• Outdoor safety

• History

• Biology

While you might not immediately think of tech and the great outdoors going hand-in-hand, you can enhance your nature experience by utilizing just a little bit of technology. Taking plenty of pictures is a given — you want to create lasting memories, after all. However, you can also enhance the learning experience by downloading apps that will help you and your kids identify different plants or insects, so they can learn which ones to avoid and which ones can actually be helpful.

You can also make your outdoor adventures more exciting by “gamifying” them. Consider bringing a metal detector along, and taking your kids on a treasure hunt. Whether you’re hiking or taking a beach vacation, metal detecting is a great way to teach your kids about science and technology, while allowing them to feel like real explorers.

You know your kids better than anyone. Consider their likes and interests, and take those into account as you plan for your next vacation. The more interested they are in a particular subject, the more likely they’ll be to want to learn more about it. You can use that to your advantage wherever you go. Don’t be afraid to lean on a few digital resources that can help you inspire learning and creativity while on vacation, but most importantly, make sure you enjoy every educational moment by being as present as possible.