Vacation ideas with kids

Written By: Bosky Singh, Moms on Maternity Columnist.

Well, many of us think that vacations and kids don’t get well together, but actually kids enjoy vacations, they love the feeling of getting around, exploring, and trying out new things. I read someplace online, 'Having kids is a reason to travel never a reason to stop.’ We have to keep in mind that not only us but our kids too should enjoy the experience. I know it’s a daunting task to pack and mentally prepare, especially with a toddler/kids in tow but it is worth it!

Having a kid has never stopped me from taking vacations and my little guy equally enjoys the experience. I took my first vacation with him when he was 4 months old and have never stopped since. He too enjoys and looks forward to our next holiday. Our next trip is going to be a destination wedding in a mountain resort. My son is already getting all charged up about it.

Now let’s talk about where to go and where to stay!

BEACHES- The classic, old fashioned holiday getaway. People have started saying beaches are monotonous but nothing can beat the charm of the sands and waves especially if you have kids. Tell me about a kid who doesn’t like sand and water, or who doesn’t like to make sandcastles? There are so many things to do on a beach or in and on the water, for example, snorkelling, bodyboarding or surfing, boating, finding shells, keeping an eye out for marine life like dolphins and whales or just reading a book and making a picnic.

Some of the best beaches to visit are:

• Santa Cruz, CA: it’s a delight for both adults and kids alike with a wide array of activities for kids to do. There is a century-old Giant dipper wooden roller coaster, Twirlin’ teacups, arcade games, laser tag, etc. just to name a few. It is said to have the best beach boardwalk in the U.S. which offers all kinds of kid-friendly foods in case your little one gets hungry. Other attractions in the area are the Seymour Marine Discovery Centre and Santa Cruz Surfing Museum.
• Short Sands Beach, York, Maine: This beach offers a playground, an arcade, and of course the sand and the surf. And let's not forget the Wild Kingdom Zoo and Fun Park.
• Myrtle Beach, South Carolina: It boasts Ripley’s Aquarium which attracts kids like honey. It is perfect for a family getaway as it has fewer crowds and an awesome beach pier.
• Miami Beach, Florida: Miami beach has a great number of pools and water parks. It even has a zoo, the Miami Zoo. Flamingo Park, Seaquarium are other attractions.

Other popular beaches to explore with kids are :

• Destin (Florida)
• Sanibel Island (Florida)
• Maui (Hawaii)
• Honolulu (Oahu)
• Bahamas
• Cayman Islands

KID-FRIENDLY RESORTS: If you are going on a weekend getaway and don’t have much time to explore then try to find a kid-friendly resort. Such resorts are perfect to visit with kids as they offer a wide array of activities for kids of all age groups and have kid-friendly meals as well. Last year we went to such a resort for a 3-day trip, they had a lot of kid-friendly games and a kid zone with activities like kite making, pottery, tattoo parlor, etc, and even a fun ramp walk. My favorite was the fashion show for toddlers. Such resorts even have nanny services which truly is a blessing if you want to take advantage of the spa or hit the casino for an hour so.

ZOOS: Take your kids to the zoo if you have don’t have much time on your hands and even on a vacation visiting the local zoo is fun for your to-visit list. Kids love to visit the zoo and pet animals if they are allowed to touch. And almost all zoos have kid eatables, so make a picnic of it while you are at it. Many zoos have toy trains that travel around the entire zoo and this is a favorite thing for kids to do besides seeing the animals.

Some of the best zoos around the world are:

• San Diego Zoo, USA
• Singapore Zoo, Singapore
• St. Louis Zoo, USA
• Lisbon Zoo, Portugal
• Henry Doorly Zoo, USA
• Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, USA

PARKS (THEME PARKS/ AMUSEMENT PARKS/ WATER PARKS): There are all kinds of parks everywhere, theme parks and water parks. And such parks have always pulled little ones into excitement. Theme parks have all types of activities for kids to do and keep them engaged over a long period.

Some of the best parks are:

• Dinosaur Valley State Park: 75 miles from Dallas, this part has some of the best-preserved dinosaur tracks in the world. And we all know how much kids love dinosaurs. One can even take a wagon tour and mountain bike on the trails and visit the museums in Glen Rose which is said to be the dinosaur capital of the world.
• Disney World (Orlando, Florida): It’s a perfect family getaway. Imagine your kid's excitement on seeing their favorite Disney characters come to life. There’s so much to do and explore like Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and Disney Springs to name a few.
• Sesame Place (Langhorne, Pennsylvania): A paradise for toddlers and preschoolers. It boasts of some water attractions like The Count’s Splash Castle, Big Bird’s Rambling River, and the Teeny Tiny Tidal Wave. It has in total 27 attractions, 2 roller coasters, 9 water rides. Cookie’s Monster Land And Elmo and his friends are favorites among toddlers.

Some other Kid-Friendly parks are :

• Wizarding World of Harry Potter (Universal Studios Hollywood)
• Cedar Point (Ohio): said to be the roller coaster capital of the world.
• SeaWorld (Orlando and San Diego)
• Tokyo Disney Resort

RANCH / FARM VISIT: It’s a beautiful way to connect kids with the farm and ranch life. Many farms and ranches have a day-long visit where kids get to meet the animals, pet them and get to know about them. Take a break from city life and plan a visit which is a bit different yet so fascinating. Old Macdonald had a farm…. Someone wise summed it up well when he said, ’Not all classrooms have four walls.’

VISIT FAMILY/ FRIENDS: Plan a visit to family and make a vacation out of it. We have two holidays where my little guy gets to go to see both of his grandparents and one to visit his uncle who is an army officer and more than often posted at the most beautiful locations. My son enjoys them very much, what kid doesn’t like to be pampered by grandparents and family? We don’t have to go to some exotic or international place to have fun, we can do that right in our home town and in that process make our kids connect to our roots.

On Christmas last year we were at my parent's home and my brother took my little guy to show him his mommy and aunt’s and uncle’s school. Needless to say, he was super excited about that and it took him a while to grasp the concept that mommy too was a kid at some point and even went to school.

There’s no lack of places to go for a family vacation but it depends on your pocket and time. If you have both you can plan a getaway to any of the places you think your kid would love and if not try to find your local attractions like the zoos, local amusement parks, water parks, and places where your kids could have a picnic and play. Even factory visits are super fun if your kids are a bit older. How about taking them to a local porter if you have one in your area and letting them have fun with clay for a while? There’s so much to do with kids we just need to rattle our brains to come up with ideas.

Remember, ‘When you are traveling with children you are giving them something that can never be taken away…experience, exposure, and a way of life.’ - Pamela T. Chandle

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