5 Tips for Planning an Educational Vacation for Families

July 10, 2023 byEmily Ewen

5 min to read

Student with his parent on a hike out west during their Connections Academy summer break.

Taking a vacation is often about relaxing and spending time away from your responsibilities—but it can also be a fun way to explore and learn as a family, especially during the summer season when school isn’t in session. Whether you’re planning a cross-country road trip, jet-setting to another nation, or simply taking a day trip, you can create engaging and enriching educational opportunities for your kids as well as the whole family—ones that can’t be replicated at home or in a typical learning environment.

To help you make the most out of your educational vacation destinations, we rounded up the following tips for planning and executing a successful trip.

5 Tips for Planning Educational Vacations

1. Make an education plan for the trip.

Before you go, spend some time researching your destination. Look for educational benefits that focus on curricular subjects your kids enjoy—or ones they need to work on.

For example:

History: Historical landmarks, museums, and more.
Geography: Bring maps to look at how the geography of your destination may look different than at home. Discuss any mountains, oceans, or other types of landscapes you’ll see
Language Arts: Consider reading books about or set in your destination.
Science: Historical sites often have ecological tours or museums that let you explore nature and other science-related topics.

2. Embrace the outdoors.

Spending time in nature has so many benefits for our physical and psychological well-being—as well as a child’s education. Being outside inspires wonder and creativity as your kids see awe-inspiring sights for the first time.

Plan a scavenger hunt and include items that can only be found at your vacation site (for example: looking for cacti in the desert).
Go on a hike and talk about what you see. What do you see here that you don’t see at home?
Learn about the ecosystem and identify new plants and animals.

3. Socialize.

Being in a new place is a great opportunity to meet people and learn more about them, especially for online students. On your trip, make it a point to talk to other families and meet people who can help expand your kids’ horizons. Go to a children’s museum or playground where you can find other families with playmates for your kids. This can help teach you them how to meet new people and interact with strangers in a safe way.

4. Keep a journal.

Have your kids write down their thoughts and journal about their experiences during your educational vacation for families. You can also let them take pictures of sites or things that inspire them along the way. This will help develop their writing skills and creativity skills as well as give your family something to look back on and remember the trip once you get home. Don’t forget to bring a journal or paper and pens or pencils.

5. Talk about what you learned.

Help your kids get more out of the trip by facilitating a fun discussion at the end of each day. Here are some questions to get the conversation flowing:

What was your favorite part of the day?
What was your least favorite part?
What did you learn today?
What new things did you see?
Did you meet anyone new?
What did you learn about them?

3. Socialize.

There are so many fascinating places for travel and learning. Here are several examples to inspire you to plan your next trip.

Washington, D.C., and Colonial Williamsburg, Va. – These are great places to learn about American history and explore statues, art, and museums.
Hawaii – The Hawaiian Islands offer amazing beaches, hiking trails, volcanoes, wildlife and so much more.
New York City – From Broadway shows to seemingly endless museum options, The Big Apple is sprawling with fun and educational opportunities for families.
Sedona, Ariz. – The mountains, rocks, and deserts of Arizona offer days of hiking, nature exploration, and wildlife spotting for the whole family.
Home Sweet Home – You don’t have to travel far to find educational opportunities. Be a tourist in your city for a day and explore local history. See if you can learn something you didn’t already know!