Finding Educational Destinations for Kids

Family vacations are about more than just bonding and having fun together — they’re also a great way to make learning hands-on and spark further curiosity. 

Educational destinations turn vacations into unforgettable learning adventures for the whole family. You and your kids are sure to remember history or geography a little better when you enjoy it in person versus reading about it in a textbook!

Choosing the Right Educational Destination

There are tons of destinations packed with opportunities to learn about history, culture, science, geography, and more. 

You won’t have a hard time finding places to go for an educational trip, but here are some tips for booking one that will be a hit for the whole family. 

Align destinations with kids’ interests

What are your children interested in right now? Budding paleontologists will love natural history museums or the Dinosaur National Monument that borders Colorado and Utah. 

Aspiring astronauts will be thrilled by a visit to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida or the Space Center Houston in Texas. 

Consider age-appropriate options

You also need to cater your trip to the age of your children. Even dino-loving toddlers might grow wearisome from too many museums. 

Toddlers and elementary school-aged children need a good balance of educational destinations with hands-on experiences. Look for outings that allow children to experience, touch, and play while also learning. 

Older children and teens will have longer attention spans for museums that require more reading, like the International Spy Museum in Washington, D.C. 

Balance education with entertainment

Even the best-planned educational trips need downtime. Don’t jam-pack your day with just museums or sight-seeing. 

Plan for some fun too, such as enjoying a nearby park, theme park, or movie theater. 

READ MORE: Picking Family-Friendly Travel Destinations

Types of Educational Destinations for Kids

Museums and national parks might be the first spots that come to mind when you think of an educational destination, but there are many types of outings you can plan. 

Museums and science centers

Many cities have museums, science centers, aquariums, and planetariums. Look for children’s museums if you want a more hands-on experience. 

The Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. is free to the public and switches out exhibits often. Plus, the Smithsonian Zoo is the only place in the U.S. to see giant pandas!

Look into a Go City pass to see if the city you want to visit is available. These passes allow you to pay a lower, set price and visit multiple museums and attractions. 

For example, a three-day, all-inclusive Go City pass for Boston costs $129 per adult, but gives you access to 48 places of interest, including the Fenway Park tour and a costume-guided Liberty Ride tour.

Historical landmarks

Consider devoting time on your trip to visiting historical landmarks. Many of them offer reenactments or interactive experiences that can make history come alive for visitors of all ages. 

Colonial Williamsburg helps families step back in time with costumed actors, while you can partake in gladiator training schools near the Colosseum in Rome. 

Nature reserves and wildlife experiences

A lot of learning can happen outdoors, and in most cases, wildlife destinations can fit any budget. 

You can have an affordable family vacation by camping near Yellowstone National Park or the great redwoods in California. 

With more money and planning, you can have the wildlife experience of a lifetime with an African safari, or go snorkeling along the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. 

Workshops and guided tours

Workshops and guided tours will require more money in your travel budget, but can help you get the most out of your trip. Plus, many guides are passionate about their topic and make learning more fun. 

The Louvre offers free art workshops for visitors. In Hawaii, you can even take walking or snorkeling marine biology tours. 

Cultural festivals and events

You can also plan your trip around a city’s annual event or cultural celebration, such as the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. This event typically occurs in October, and features hundreds of hot air balloons. 

Another idea is to celebrate the Lunar New Year in a city in Asia, or if you want to stay state-side, San Francisco. 

Volunteer travel opportunities

One of the best ways to learn is to do. Look for kid-friendly volunteer travel opportunities, such as participating in wildlife conservation programs. 

For example, Discover Corps offers a volunteer adventure itinerary for families in Costa Rica. Families help with reforestation efforts, learn how cacao becomes chocolate, and have an opportunity to raft the Rio Savegre, among other things.

Preparing for an Educational Trip

Just like any vacation, an educational trip takes some prep work to ensure your whole family has fun and gets the most out of the experience. 

Introduce the destination before the trip

Here are a few ways to get your kids ready for the destination:

• Read books about the place you are going
• Watch documentaries
• Watch movies set in the area
• Try cooking a traditional dish from the region
• Look up pictures and find the area on a map
• Learn a few fun phrases in the area’s native language

Create a travel journal for kids

Travel journals are a great way for kids to document what they learn, plus it doubles as the perfect vacation souvenir. Encourage them to add the following to their journal:

• Writings about what they see (use fun journal prompts to help)
• Drawings of what they see
• Tape photos, postcards, brochures, and more in their journal
• Make a leaf or flower pressing from a special place they visited
• Record fun facts
• Interview the tour guide or a local 

Pack learning tools

These tools might be worth packing to enhance the learning side of the trip:

• Binoculars
• Sketchpads
• Magnifying glass
• Colored pencils
• Guidebook or birdwatching book for the area 
• Instant-print camera

READ MORE: Essential Packing Tips for Stress-Free Family Travel

Tips for Maximizing the Learning Experience

The best way to get the most out of this education-packed adventure with your children is to be equally excited to learn alongside them. 

Engage kids during visits

• Ask open-ended questions at the end of the day
• Share your favorite and least favorite part of the adventure, then ask your children theirs
• Look up more information on what you learned 
• Look up famous and influential people of the area and learn more about them
• Try new foods native to the area

Allow time for exploration

• Talk to as many locals as possible 
• Allow kids to explore at their own pace
• Set up a scavenger hunt to enjoy a specific area more
• Look for local workshops and events
• Remember that souvenir and tourist shops can be places for learning, too

Connect the trip to school or home activities

• Look up more books and influential people from the area when you get home
• Listen to the music of the area and look up past and current artists
• Find a penpal in the area and stay connected through mail or email
• Recreate some of the art or food dishes you experienced at home

FAQs About Finding Educational Destinations for Kids

What are some of the best international educational destinations for families?

There are so many amazing educational destinations overseas, especially in history-rich areas like Rome and Egypt. 

Planning a vacation in Europe can be a great way to see historical and educational attractions since countries are close to each other. 

For example, you can tour the Vatican City and Pantheon in one day and take a two hour flight to Athens, Greece to walk through the Acropolis, Parthenon, and Ancient Agora the next day. 

How can I find interactive museums that are great for kids?

Look for museums that are advertised as children’s museums, science centers, or discovery/interactive museums, since this will usually include more hands-on exhibits. 

You can also look for museums with live demonstrations, immersive experiences, or interactive technology like touchscreens or virtual reality exhibits.

Are there family travel companies that specialize in educational trips?

Yes. Many travel companies can put together a special educational trip for your family. 

National Geographic Family Journeys hand-crafts special trips around the world for kids ages seven and up. This takes the pressure off of you to plan the perfect excursion since the company handles nearly all of the arrangements, including tour guides. 

How do I keep older kids engaged at historical or cultural sites?

Avoid dragging your kids from one museum or landmark to the next without allowing them to process what they saw. 

It can also help if you get them interested in the history before your trip, then allow them to spend more time learning about what they were most interested in while you’re there.

TL;DR: Planning an Educational Family Trip

Family vacations are important to create fun memories and strengthen the bond between you and your children. Turning your trip into an educational one allows you to benefit from family bonding time while also cultivating your child’s passion for learning. 

There are so many fun, educationally-rich areas throughout the United States and internationally — almost any trip can be turned into a fun way to learn!

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