The BEST Vacations to Take with Preschoolers
Planning a family vacation that is preschooler-friendly? Look no further! We have complied a list of excellent vacationing ideas that are not only fun, but that supports the growth and development of your preschooler, as well! Early childhood education experts agree that vacations build curiosity, social skills, and flexibility in preschoolers and beyond–not to mention the memories and bonding opportunities for the family that last a lifetime!
Here at Chester Child Development Center we love to take advantage of every opportunity to explore, learn, and build curiosity! We love to make every day EXTRA fun, but also know that your family wants to schedule some fun together, too! Call today to schedule a tour and also to ask about our vacation policy!
So, what kinds of vacations keep little ones happy and help their brains and hearts grow? Whether you’re hitting the road or finding fun closer to home, there are amazing vacation opportunities that are preschool friendly. Check them out and start planning!
1. Beach Vacations: Nature’s Playground and STEM Class
Beachers are always a fun go-to for time away. They offer an array of simple activities for running, splashing, digging, and more! The Child Mind Institue has found that outdoor play builds physical coordination, sensory learning, and emotional regulation which is all foundation for early childhood education. Additionally, the beach can be an entirely new experience for the land locked and provides a host of new creatures and habitats to explore! Your little one can collect seashells, explore tidepools and observe the new wildlife found at the beach. Science class and vacation all in one!
We LOVE outdoor play here at Chester CDC! So much, that we have it built into our daily schedules! Call today and schedule a tour to see our engaging outdoor play areas!
2. National & State Park Trips: Little Explorers Wanted
It is no secret that a preschooler loves to explore—and national parks are the perfect place to do so! National Parks are filled with a variety of new sights, sounds, and even textures for sensory learning. The National Park Service offers Junior Ranger activities that support observation and problem solving, building on and expanding skills that preschools practice within their early childhood education every day. Check out which parks are closest to you and start your explorations! Hikes can become scavenger hunts, you can swim as a family in a natural hot spring or even take time to play in the sand dunes; there are too many opportunities to list!
Exploration is pivotal in early childhood education and it’s a beautiful thing to watch children explore through both structured and free play. Come see us here at Chester Child Development Center to see learning in action!
3. All-Inclusive Family Resorts: Fun & Rest in One Spot
All-inclusive resorts are an excellent opportunity to enjoy the relaxation of vacationing, with little preparation and planning required. Places like Beaches Resorts or Club Med have kids’ clubs designed like mini daycare programs with age-appropriate activities (crafts, water play, games and more!) to keep littles busy and happy within a supervised environment.
Here at Chester CDC we truly value the learning nature of play and capitalize on it daily! Come by for a visit and see how we make learning fun!
4. Kid-Friendly Cruises: Floating Classrooms of Fun
Ships and destination experiences don’t have to be your thing in order to enjoy a relaxing family cruise. Stay on the boat, get off the boat, whatever works for you; cruises have everything you need for family fun. Additionally, cruise lines such as Disney and Royal Caribbean offer special toddler areas, character experiences, and splash pads to cater to the preschool-aged family members (Disney Cruise Line). Cruises allow preschoolers to experience new foods, places, and social settings—which are all important pieces of early childhood education. Port stops can also be an excellent and relatively simple opportunity to allow children to experience new cultures, languages, and animals!
Introducing children to different cultures, languages, and new experiences is important to us here at Chester CDC. Schedule a tour today to chat with our early childhood educators and find out how they bring cultural and world-expanding experiences into their classrooms!
5. City Adventures with Kids’ Museums & Zoos
Larger cities are packed with children’s museums, aquariums, and zoos. These outings can not only provide a day of family fun but are also rich with learning opportunities (source). Hands on discovery leading to language development, introducing STEM concepts, exposure to animals and environments unlike those found locally and more…these trips aren’t simply fun, but also support your preschooler’s early childhood education journey!
Our educators here at Chester CDC do an excellent job of planning exciting learning experiences for their students. From STEM to sensory to pretend play, we have it all! Schedule a tour to see our lesson plans and engaging classroom environments.
6. Road Trips to Family or Friends: Comfort + Exploration
Visiting grandma, cousins, or family friends offers preschoolers a safe space to build social-emotional skills and can be a more low-key experience for the family. Taking off the pressure to “see and do it all” can leave more time for meaningful connection and unhurried play. As an added and important bonus, experts remind us that positive family relationships help build resilience in young children (Harvard Center on the Developing Child).
Ample independent and unhurried play provides great opportunities for relationship and imagination building. Our educators here at Chester Child Development Center schedule their days to be sure an include unstructured free play, leaving their students’ imaginations time to run…or even to simply physically run out on the playground with friends.
Learning is Everywhere
Vacations offer preschoolers new environments to explore, people to meet, and challenges to navigate. Whether you’re building sandcastles, spotting animals at the zoo, or enjoying a cultural experience out of the country, learning is everywhere! And you’re creating lifelong learning memories in the process.
No matter where you go or what you do, the best part of any vacation is when you slow down and enjoy the journey…together!
Come see us here at Chester Child Development Center! We would love to share our lesson plans, learning tactics, classrooms, and outdoor areas with you!