Traveling with your children helps bond the family through shared experiences, especially in those destinations that expand the family's horizons. Give your kids roles to play in the process, such a choosing activities or completing to-do lists to prepare for travel. Older children benefit from learning about places before you even go, such as natural phenomenon like the Grand Canyon or historical spots like Gettysburg.
Working Vacations
- Working vacations teach children how things were in the past, or how communities work together in the present. This instills compassion and responsibility, while giving your children a sense of accomplishment. Experience a true taste of the southwest in a domestic dude ranch like the White Stallion Ranch in Tucscon, Arizona (wsranch.com), which has horse-riding programs for children 5 or older. Take in the rich Pennsylvania countryside at the Mountain Dale Farm in McClure (mountaindale.net), where the kids can tend to such animals as geese, pigs and even peacocks.
Outdoor Adventures
- To keep the family active, choose an outdoor location that will show your kids the splendor of nature. Drive historic Route 66 to Arizona where you can witness the majesty of the Grand Canyon, which achieved National Park status in 1919. Visitors there enjoy hiking, mule or river trips. You may also choose to head to South Dakota to pay homage to the world's largest mountain carving -- Mount Rushmore. Park rangers are available for interpretive walks and talks.
Amusement Parks
- America's amusement parks are the quintessential vacation hot spots for families from around the world. Florida's Disneyworld (disneyworld.disney.go.com) comprises four theme parks and two water parks in Orlando. Disney also has a southern California counterpart in Anaheim's Disneyland, where kids can experience such familiar rides as Pirates of the Caribbean and It's a Small World. Six Flags (sixflags.com) operates 16 parks in nine states, as well as destinations in Canada and Mexico. For older kids try Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio (cedarpoint.com), which has high-octane roller coasters for more adventurous families.
Discover History
- Bring what the kids learn in their history books to life through family vacations across the country. Head to Plymouth, Massachusetts and see how the Pilgrims and Native Americans lived in 1600s Colonial America. Walk on the historic battleground in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, to learn about the American Civil War. Drive to Texas and check out the Alamo (thealamo.org), where the 1836 battle for Texas liberty made heroes out of a handful of notable men from history, such as Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie.
