Help Your Kids Develop a Sense of Wonder This Summer

June 6, 2022

You’ve seen the ads: two smiling kids, happily carrying their backpacks, all look in the direction that their grandfather points. Together they laugh and almost skip off in the direction of the next exhibit.

But you also have lived the reality.

Traveling with kids can be a challenge. Car rides and a change of routine can be hard for some children. They don’t seem to be interested in the same things you are, and their attention spans seem a lot shorter after lunch.

Here are a few tips from educators and parents to help your next trip flow a little more smoothly.

Prepare your children in advance for the trip.

A month or two, or maybe more, before the trip, allow your kids to see the website or the brochure for the place you will be visiting.

Ask them to name one or two things they would most like to see. Use this to form the start of your itinerary. You now have a couple of items that will capture their interest based on what they told you.

Then ask them one or two things they really don’t care about missing. Unless these are your key items, make a plan that skips these entirely. This way you have at least outlined a day designed for maximum fun – for them.

And if they are having fun, you will be having more fun.

Build excitement leading up to the trip

Put the event on your calendar, putting special emphasis on some part that appeals to them. Mention it regularly. Circle it.

Count down to it.

With just a couple of seconds of excitement each day, you can help prepare for a rich learning experience.

Review the itinerary with them, and ask for their input. Spread their favorites out a bit, and include chances to rest and eat.

On game day, be flexible

After all that planning and preparation, here’s a simple fact we all need to learn: it still might not go according to plan. And in those moments our children and grandchildren are learning from us.

Make an effort to do their favorite things but be ready if not everything is open, or goes as planned.

Or if your little ones have changed their minds about what they are interested in.

That’s okay! Ultimately, the plan is to spend time with them. That time is most enjoyable when they have a sense of autonomy and control over parts of the day.

Help your kids develop a sense of wonder.
Photo by Oleksandr Pidvalnyi: https://www.pexels.com/photo/child-putting-her-arm-on-a-dinosaur-s-mouth-5578920/