January 31, 2019
When I was a kid, my parents instilled in me a sense of curiosity about the world and a love of travel. Yes, they took me and my siblings on family trips, but they also shared their enthusiasm about places they had been, they encouraged us to try and make new cultural foods, read books and attend local events. We also hosted 3 exchange students during my 4 years of high school, 2 of whom we later visited in Europe. Subtly and not-so-subtly, my parents planted seeds of wanderlust in me and my siblings.
As a parent who loves to travel, I aim to teach my kids to love travel too — so that they’ll continue to develop a global curiosity, have open minds, learn from other cultures and communities and teach their kids a love of travel someday as well!
Here are 7 ways to encourage a love of travel in your kids:
Share Your Own Enthusiasm
Talk to your kids about your past travels and your excitement about upcoming trips. Tell them stories about favorite trips growing up. Maybe it was a road trip to visit cousins, your first flight, a study abroad or a summer trip to the beach. As you are planning trips, tell your kids what YOU are excited about doing, seeing, eating and encourage them to do the same.
Incorporate Kids in the Planning
Allow your kids to help plan trips and experiences based on something they have an interest in. My parents did this when we went to Amsterdam when I was in middle school and it was a life-altering experience for me.
Find out artists they are learning about or figures in history and find places, museums, or tours that include those things. You’ll be amazed at how their eyes sparkle when they see or experience something they recognize during your travels. Plus, it will motivate them to do and see more!
Find a Pen Pal
We still LOVE to handwrite letters but we also utilize email and my girls write to friends all over the world. We’ve even connected with a family through my Instagram with kids who exchanged local gifts and letters with my girls including a page of words and their English translations in their native language. Make sure to find reputable sites and contacts and keep internet safety top of mind when finding a pen pal. Or simply ask friends and family if they know someone in another state or country who would exchange letters or emails with your kids.
Students of the World is a good resource to find pen pals around the world (even though their website is a little dated). One of our recent family reads I Will Always Write Back is about penpals who literally change each others lives which could be a good starting point to talk about pen pals.
Read About Travel
Books are one of my favorite ways to travel without leaving your house and also inspire a desire to see new places! My oldest, who is Harry Potter obsessed, can’t wait to visit London some day; my middle adores the art and story of Frida Kahlo and looks forward to visiting her home in Mexico City sometime; my youngest reads Around the World with Mouk at least weekly and dreams of visiting Japan and Madagascar.
Here’s my list of 10 Books to read with your kids, but the options are endless. We also like to read about the places we are planning trips to so that everyone gets inspired. The library is a great resouce to find books and stories from anywhere!
Introduce New Cuisine
Make a point of trying new dishes and meals from different cultures regularly. Then, when traveling, encourage kids to try cultural foods and dishes too. You could even take it a step further at home — depending on the age of your kids — and talk about the culture or ritual behind the food.
There is a company in our hometown of Nashville called Gigamunch wherein a new International meal is delivered to your home complete with a story about the meal and where it came from and a playlist with music from the region — I love this concept and I think you could incorporate it into meals you cook yourself too. We also like to share cultural recipes and food stories in our “Cooking through Cultures” series for ideas!
Incorporate Travel Decor Into Your Home
Our home is full of posters, objects and souvenirs from around the world — each with a story. Some are gifts we’ve received and others are things we’ve picked up on our own travels. We also have several globes and maps throughout our home including our family pin map that we reference constantly and we have a ritual of pinning a new pin together whenever we return from a family trip. Our decor encourages lots of conversations about travel and cultures.
Attend Multi-Cultural Events in Your Town
We seek out events in and around Nashville that emphasize art and culture. From the Hindu Diwali Festival, to the International Cultural Festival in Centennial Park in the summer; from the Chinese New Year Celebration to the Oktoberfest — the options are limitless and year round. Check out your city or town for multi-cultural festivals and events to expose your kids to new customs, languages, foods, and experiences right in your backyard!
Read more about 5 Unique & Inexpensive Souvenirs & Gifts, How we Budget for Family Travel, and Tips for Eating Well When Traveling with Kids!
Rosemary Wilson
Fantastic Article! I read it aloud to the girls and they loved it too. They were intrigued by the Gingamunch company and we also plan to check out your book revommendations on our next trip to the library. Thanks for sharing all the great ideas.