Best vacation for 6 and 8 year old
The best vacation for 6 and 8 year old can include different activities, games, museums and other things. In this article I will recommend 10 top quality family-friendly vacations at affordable prices from around the globe.
You’re probably planning a family vacation as we speak. Maybe it’s a trip to see your grandparents, or maybe you’ve been invited for the weekend at your friend’s house. Whatever your reason for getting away, here are some helpful tips for finding the best place in which to vacation with your 6 or 8-year old.
With a view to planning your kid’s vacation, one thing you have to keep in mind is that the best time for kids to travel is during their elementary and primary years. Because later on in life, kids will be more prone to get sick or get over illnesses. That is one reason why travelling during this age group makes perfect sense.
The best vacation for 6 and 8 year olds is a trip to the zoo.
Zoos are great places for young children to get out of the house and see animals up close. They’re also a good way to teach them about different kinds of animals and how they live in the wild. It’s also an opportunity for parents to learn more about their children and connect with them on a deeper level, which can be really helpful for parents who have trouble remembering what happened in their own childhoods.
If you have a 6 or 8 year old, there are plenty of fun places to go on vacation. Here are our picks:
- The Grand Canyon – This is a must-do if you have kids. You can take them on a helicopter ride over the canyon, then hike down into it. It’s not too hard for them to handle—they’ll just want to go faster and faster!
- Disney World – If your kid is ready for the big city, this is a great place to visit. There are lots of rides and shows that will keep them entertained for hours! And if they don’t like their favorite ride? They can always go back on another!
- Universal Studios – Being able to see movie sets from all different kinds of movies is pretty cool for anyone, but especially for kids who want something new every time they go somewhere new! This place has lots of rides and attractions so no matter what kind of day you’re having, there’ll be something here to keep yourself busy while your kid enjoys some downtime with friends or family members who may be visiting as well!
Kids have an innate ability to be impressed by the world—one that also has an expiration date. So use travel to capitalize on your child’s sense of wide-eyed wonder now, before the tween years steal it away.
“The 6-10 year old range is the sweet spot for families,” says Cate Caruso, an adviser for luxury travel agency network Virtuoso and the owner of True Places Travel. “Their mind is open, and travel can be truly formative.”
Cruises and safaris, Caruso says, offer the ultimate bang for your buck, and she recommends more intimate cruises like Lindblad Expeditions, which offer personalized tours through destinations like Alaska and the Galápagos. “Raising global citizens is in [Linblad’s] DNA,” she says. “They get the young traveler, they understand you should never underestimate your children’s abilities to experience the world, and they push kids to do things that their family may have thought they couldn’t do.”
Landlubbers should consider safaris with operators like Micato and Abercrombie & Kent, both of which can move at a family’s unique pace. For ages 6-10, Caruso recommends safaris in Africa’s southern region, where in addition to marveling at animals, kids can also interact with the local community and connect to history. South Africa, she says, hits all the marks.
“That’s where Gandhi became a global citizen with his race consciousness, and it’s an ideal way for families to help kids connect the dots,” she says. “It’s also mind-blowing—you’ll see lions, giraffes, and elephants, but also meerkats, penguins, and pangolins.”
Traveling with this age group also presents a great opportunity for teaching responsibility. When Jermaine and Sarah Griggs took their three kids on a yearlong journey around the world, Jadyn Griggs was 11, Layla was 7, and Brendan was 6. They played a game called “fun versus fact” on the road, pairing every educational outing with a fun one like a trip to a water park. But each child was responsible for packing and carrying their own luggage. “Even Brendan was able to pull his own suitcase,” says Jermaine. “Once we made that switch, they became travelers. It increased their maturity.”
The gear
Stories bring the world to life for school kids, so load up on simple chapter books that are set in your destination to help your young reader feel connected. Allow your child to pack and carry their own kids-size roller suitcase—and don’t forget an iPad or tablet to make long plane flights a breeze.
Buy Now: Lil Flyer suitcase, $140, younglingz.com
—Debra Kamin
