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Good Aquariums for Families with Young Children

Thursday, April 17th, 2008

Good Aquariums for Families with Young Children


Family Travel Ideas - Great Aquariums to Take Your Young Children and Toddlers - These Aquariums Make a Great Family Vacation

Good Aquariums for Families with Young Children

When searching for a nice family friendly activity, there are quite a few options to consider. One wonderful activity for families to take part in is visiting an aquarium. This is an especially good choice for families with young children. The following will list some of the more popular choices of aquariums for those individuals who have small children.



Sea World

Good Aquariums for Families with Young Children



Known as the aquarium of all aquariums, Sea World is a great place to visit, especially for those families with small children. This aquarium is in a few different states including Florida, Texas and California. From dolphins to whales and every aquatic animal in between young children will absolutely love all that Sea World has to offer. Since this is such a well-known and longstanding aquarium, it is no wonder that families with children keep coming back for more.



New England Aquarium

Good Aquariums for Families with Young Children

The New England Aquarium in Boston, Massachusetts is another great aquarium for small children. This aquarium has a section called the Curious George Discovery Corner which is suited for younger visitors. Within this section kids can look at toys, videos and take part in hands-on demonstrations. In addition to this area, children of all ages will love the penguins, harbor seals and the multitude of fish which swim through the areas of the New England Aquarium.



National Aquarium in Baltimore, MD

New England Aquarium - Family Friendly Aquariums

Another famous aquarium which is perfect for kids of all ages but especially the little ones is the National Aquarium in Baltimore, Maryland. Two of the newer exhibits at the aquarium which young children will especially love are Frogs! A Chorus of Colors and Play! The Dolphin Show. These shows bring children close to favored animals like frogs and dolphins and provide educational fun. In addition, the normal exhibits of a vast array of fish and water mammals are perfect to delight the little ones.



Monterey Bay Aquarium on the West Coast

National Aquarium in Baltimore Maryland for Good Aquariums for Families with Young Kids

For those who are on the West Coast the Monterey Bay Aquarium is a must see for families with young children. The kids will really love the Splash Zone exhibit which features a wide array of fish and animals ranging anywhere from sea anemone to penguins. The daily sea otter program will also provide so much fun and entertainment for kids big and small.



Texas State Aquarium

Monterey Bay Aquarium on the West Coast is a good aquarium for young kids and toddlers

In the South one of the larger aquariums is the Texas State Aquarium. Perfect for families of any size and children of all ages, the Texas State Aquarium has fun exhibits for the young kids including Dolphin Bay, Otter Creek and Living Shores. In the Living Shores exhibit the young ones can interact with sea creatures in the touch pools and have interactive fun on the computers.



Shedd Aquarium

Texas State Aquarium Great Aquariums for families with young children

The Shedd Aquarium in Chicago provides a great day for young children. This aquarium has all of the usual exhibits seen at other aquariums such as dolphins and sharks but also has a really neat lizard exhibit. The little ones will love seeing the lizards climb around and learning all about their habitat.







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Posted in Family Travel Ideas for Vacation, Family Travels, Lists, Travel with Kids, Traveling with Kids | 1 Comment »

List of Things to Keep Your Child Busy and Quiet on an Airplane Trip

Saturday, April 12th, 2008

List of Things to Keep Your Child Busy and Quiet on an Airplane Trip

List of Things to Keep Your Child Busy and Quiet on an Airplane Trip

Traveling with children can be challenging at times, especially when flying on an airplane in order to get to your destination. The good news is that one will find plenty of things available to occupy the child’s time from start to finish and keep them as quiet as possible on the airplane. Some of the following items will be better than others, depending on the age of the child.

MP3 Player

Give Your Child a MP3 Player to keep them satisfied and quite and happy on plane trips

MP3 players are everywhere these days. They provide a way for kids to download their favorite music and take it everywhere with them. For older kids, this is a great thing to bring along on the airplane. An MP3 player can occupy a child from the time they walk onto that plane to the time that they exit it, minus the taking off and landing periods where electronic devices have to be stowed away.

Handheld Video Games

Let your kids play handheld video games such as gameboy, nintendo ds, and leapfrog during long airplane trips

Even if you aren’t a huge fan of kids playing video games in public, it is a good way to keep your kids happy during a long car trip or plane trip. My children are allowed to play Game Boy (for us old people, they are now called Nintendo DS or Nintendo SP) during long trips and it makes things a lot easier for everyone. It is well worth the investment. If you despise this idea, maybe you should consider purchasing an educational game system instead such as Leapfrog Leapster handheld system or a child’s pretend laptop system. There are many electronic toys that you can buy that can be both educational and entertaining to children.

Books

Read books or have your child read a book to keep them happy, quiet, and behaved on airplane trips

Books provide another great type of entertainment for children to have on an airplane. Reading is a quiet form of entertainment which is often educational as well. If you can get your child to take a book or two on the airplane with them, this will often go over well with not only your child but the other passengers as well.

Word Puzzles

Give Your Child Word Puzzles, Crossword Puzzles, and Sodoku to keep them behaved and quiet

Many airports sell crossword puzzle books and Sudoku books which provide wonderful entertainment for older kids. Again, as with books, this type of entertainment will keep the kids quiet and educate them as well. Therefore, if you forget to buy some word puzzle books before you head to the airport, simply stop over at the convenience store within the terminal and buy one there. It will pay off in the long run by keeping your child busy and quiet during the flight.

Snacks

Give Your Child Snacks on the Airplane to Keep Them Quiet and Behaved

Eating is another way to pass the time quietly on an airplane. Although many airlines make passengers pay for their food these days, opting to have a drink and a snack or purchase a meal on the plane might be worth it. This will take up perhaps 20 minutes or so of the flight time and the kids will be quiet while having a snack.

Look at Travel Guides

Child Looking at Travel Guides on the Airplane

For older children who can read, having a travel guide on hand for them to peruse is another great travel entertainment idea. If you have never been to the travel destination, allowing your kids to look through the travel guide will not only keep them entertained and quiet on the plane but will help to build excitement about the vacation as well. They can look through the book at the various activities which they can engage in once they get to their designated location.

Drawing

Child Drawing on Airplane

For younger kids, drawing and coloring is a good way to pass the time and make the plane ride go faster. This is usually a quiet activity which will entertain them for a good amount of the trip. If you don’t have any paper or crayons with you try asking the flight attendants if they have any on the plane which your children can borrow during the flight.

Fun Travel Games

 Fun Travel Games for Kids to Play on Airplane and Keep them busy and quiet

There are tons of great travel games that the toy manufacturers have been selling lately. I have put together tons of links of the best travel toys that I could find. Take a look here … Best Airplane Travel Games for Your Kids.

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Eating When Traveling with Your Kids on Family Vacations

Thursday, March 13th, 2008

Eating When Traveling with Your Kids on Family Vacations 

 

I have to admit that one of my favorite things about travel is that it’s the only time when I really indulge in fast food.

 

� But, I also know from experience that the highs and lows of “road food” aren’t very good for either the body or the state of mind when traveling.

 

� So, when traveling with kids, I make extra sure that we’re all eating right.

 

� By making healthy eating selections, we all have a happier time traveling together.

 

� And by making smart eating decisions while traveling, we avoid spending an abundance of money that is better spent on other fun travel things.

� It’s tempting to go for the fast food when you’re traveling because it’s all around and it’s easy to access. � However, the energy that comes from eating high-sugar, high-carb foods can wear off quickly. � This can create a lot of spikes and lows in the travel experience for families which tends to make for some bad times during travel. � Instead of going this route, I’ve learned to pack the right snacks and choose the right restaurants so that we have a healthy energy level throughout the day. � We might still grab some fast food at the end of the day as a bit of a treat but the bulk of travel finds us eating well and feeling right. � The main thing that we do to eat healthy when traveling with kids is to bring a lot of our own food along. � We have snacks and mini-meals throughout the day. � This allows us to eat relatively healthy without spending money, effectively killing two birds with one stone. � However, for this to work right, we have to have a good breakfast and a good dinner to balance out the throughout-the-day snacking that we’re enjoying. � We do a combination of in-hotel breakfasts (such as oatmeal and healthy cereals) and restaurant breakfasts to keep costs down while still getting in good, healthy meals. � Then we eat our snacks throughout the day and enjoy a sit-down meal again at night. � If we’re going to eat fast food, dinner is the time that we do it. � Of course, sometimes we do eat meals throughout the day. � It’s too tempting to be out among all of a travel destination’s restaurants and to be hungry and then not eat there. � But we choose our restaurants wisely and we always share lunch meals to reduce the cost. � This allows us to try the foods at different locations without spending a lot of money on our meals. � We also make use of the grocery stores when we travel. � By having some easy meals that we can eat on the road (sandwiches and such), we further reduce our costs and don’t cut as much into travel time as we would if we stopped for a sit-down meal. � Picnics at rest areas make an excellent break in road travel and get everyone fed and feeling happy. � By coming up with creative approaches to the meals we enjoy our travels, we can make sure that our kids get the nutrients they need at a cost that doesn’t compromise the travel plans. � We all like to indulge sometimes and there’s a place for “road food” on every trip, but if we sprinkle it in with some wise decisions, we can have our cake and eat it too.

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How To Keep Kids Happy During Plane Travel

Thursday, March 13th, 2008
How To Keep Kids Happy During Plane Travel

Airplane travel with your kids can be a stressful experience.

� Getting through security, making your connecting flights, dealing with unexpected delays and worrying about the physical effects of travel on your kids can make you feel entirely overwhelmed.

� To reduce that stress, you want to keep your kids as happy as possible on the plane ride so that you can relax enough to deal with any problems that come up.

� You want them comfortable, entertained and feeling safe so that the plane ride goes as smoothly as possible despite the inherent difficulties of airplane travel with kids.



�

The first thing that you want to remember when traveling via plane with your kids is that they’re going to be happier if you’re happy.

� You should try to have as relaxed a trip as possible, giving yourself plenty of time to check-in so that you aren’t feeling rushed and upset during the flight.

� Problems will come up during plane travel, so just expect to deal with them.

� Having a happy parent present goes a long way towards making your kids feel comfortable on the plane.



�

Kids should also feel physically comfortable during the plane ride so that they are happy.

� This includes wearing appropriate clothing (light but with layers or blankets available in case they get cold), being fed (bring snacks on the plane for your kids to enjoy) and being well-rested.

� Try to schedule your plane travel with regard to your child’s sleeping patterns.� If you want your child to sleep on the flight, schedule it during his normal nap time, but take into consideration the fact that your child may be tired and cranky if he can’t sleep on the plane.

� You know your kids, so plan for what works for them.



�

Once your child is physically comfortable, he or she will need to be entertained because boredom is the thing second to physical discomfort that will make your kids unhappy on the plane.

� There are three things that you should have at your ready to keep kids entertained on the plane.

� One is media - headphones, video players, game boys - whatever suits your child.

� The next is toys or books; bring something small that your child can enjoy for awhile, whether that’s an action figure or a pre-teen novel.

� Magazines, puzzle books, and stuffed animals are other items that fall into this category.

� Finally, bring your imagination.

� If the flight is taking a long time and your child is no longer entertained by media and toys, you can engage him or her in conversation and no-toys-necessary games to pass the time.



�

Finally, you should remember that plane travel may frighten your child so you should make sure that he or she feels safe.

� Discuss the flight in advance and make it seem exciting and fun to allay any fears that your child may have about being on the plane.

� Bring an airplane-safe car seat for children under forty pounds and make sure to strap older children into their seat belts so that they feel secure.

� And remember to pay attention to your child’s concerns and feelings throughout the flight despite all of the other travel things that are trying to get your attention.

� If you have a happy, entertained, comfortable child on the plane with you, the rest going right is really just icing on the travel cake.

Posted in Airplane Travel with Kids, Entertaining Kids During Travel, Traveling with Kids, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

How to Keep Your Kids Entertained During Car Travels

Sunday, April 1st, 2007

Tips for Keeping Your Children Happy and Entertained When Travelling in the Car

 

Lego Family - How to Keep Kids Happy and Entertained in the Car

 

If you’ve traveled in the car with your kids for any length of time, the following phrases probably sound painfully familiar:

“Are we there yet?”

“I have to go to the bathroom.”

“Mom, Billy’s hitting me.”

“I’m hungry!”

“Dad, I’m bored.”

“Are we there yet?”

 

Keeping your kids entertained in the car can be a feat even when you’re just making the ten-minute drive to school or to Grandma’s house. It can take wells of patience when you’re talking about going on an actual road trip with the kids. But it can be done. Believe it or not, road trips create some of the best memories your children will have of the family travel you did while they were growing up, so it’s worth investing a little bit of time and energy in making sure that they’re entertained. Besides, car travel is often the least expensive route and you want to take advantage of it without going crazy right?

 

Here’s how to keep your kids entertained during car travel so that you can all have a great time on your road trip:

· Pack wisely for the car but make sure that you pack plenty of different things for each of your kids to do to stay entertained on their own throughout much of the road trip. Each child in the car should have their own little backpack or bag of things they can enjoy by themselves throughout the ride. Depending on the age of the child, these bags might contain items such as:

o Books, magazines and other reading material; bring mini-flashlights if you’ll be driving at night but the kids will be awake.

o Video games

o Personal DVD players with favorite movies; headphones are a good choice so the whole family doesn’t have to hear the movie.

o Mp3 players with headphones.

o Multi-colored pen and drawing paper

o Stuffed animal

· Choose seating in the car wisely. You know your kids best so you know if they can sit next to each other in a car for a long time without bickering or not. It may be unconventional for one parent to ride in the backseat but putting a teenager up front while you spend some time in the back with the kids can make a world of difference in everyone getting along. Do what’s right for your family.

· Enjoy group activities. These will vary greatly from family to family. Some families like to play road trip games like the game where everyone tries to find the letters of the alphabet in order on the signs as they pass. Other families do sing-alongs. Others just talk. If you can get the whole family engaged with each other for awhile, the time will pass more quickly and the memories will be more lasting.

· Bring snacks. When kids get bored, kids get hungry. Obviously, you want to keep things as healthy as possible, but road trips are a time for a little bit of indulgence. Bring smart snacks - not something that will cause a sugar high in your kids while they have to remain strapped into their seat belts - but bring stuff your kids will consider a treat.

· Remember to take breaks. You may want to just drive straight through until you get there, but your kids need the trip broken up for them. Take regular breaks and make them fun ones. Instead of just stopping at a rest stop, figure out where en route is an interesting diversion and make the journey part of the trip itself. There are plenty of interesting things right off of every highway that your can do as a family without spending a lot of money. Explore them!

Try to think of traveling with your kids in the car as an adventure which can be enjoyed by the entire family. Having the right attitude about the trip will help convey the fun of the entire experience to your kids, so you’ll be a lot less likely to hear those tired old refrains of “I’m bored” and a lot more likely to create great trip memories for your kids to treasure over time.

 

All Traveling Kids Family Vacations is a resource for families who like traveling with their kids.

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