When summer break arrives, it is time for kids to relax and have fun. However, keeping education in the schedule is very important for retaining what they have learned during the school year and keeping their brain energized. Indeed, many educators agree that summer should not be a time away from learning. In fact, summer should include educational travel and vacations that are fun yet academically inclined. Thankfully, educational road trips can be an exciting way for kids to learn.
Historical Sites
Learning about history at any age can be fun and exciting. The ideal learning environment includes a trip to where history was made. Even better, children love visiting places where history is relived. Fabulous places to discover are the Smithsonian, Washington, D.C., local Renaissance Fairs and Philadelphia where you can see the Declaration of Independence and the famously cracked Liberty Bell. A great place for watching history relived is Colonial Williamsburg. It features “live” presentation of the reenactment of colonial history taking you back in time to the 18th century.
National Parks
One of the best ways to learn about history is to travel across America in a recreational vehicle, like those from Fretz RV. You can take your time and visit the numerous national parks across the U.S. From the Tetons and Yellowstone to the Grand Canyon, national parks offer incredible beauty and amazing educational insights. Kids will have an exciting adventure discovering the countless monuments, national historic sites, significant battlefields and other amazing parks.
Theme Parks
Amazingly, theme parks can offer numerous educational opportunities and adventures. Even Disney World has both informal and formal learning experiences. Other theme parks to consider are Epcot in Orlando, FL for their science and technology, KidZania in Britain where kids play at being adults and Six Flags in Vallejo, CA where children can learn in a classroom or be engaged with the animal itself such as in the water with dolphins, with a giraffe encounter or walk among a butterfly habitat.
Children’s Museums
You can find numerous children’s museums around the world. Some of the museums are interactive and hands-on while others are amazing tours offering hours of entertainment. The most popular children’s museums are the Please Touch Museum in Philadelphia where kids explore a mini Philly neighborhood with numerous exhibits, the Children’s Museum in Indianapolis with 29 acres of 120,000 artifacts and dinosaur exhibits plus real life digs, the Liberty Science Center in Jersey City, NJ where kids can learn about sound waves or see live animals and underwater creatures indigenous to the Hudson River.
Other opportunities for fun educational road trips include local sites of historical interest and zoos or activities such as geocaching and letterboxing.