October 3, 2019
As the mom of three girls who love to travel as a family, we took advantage of travel with babies and travel with toddlers when their schedules were much more flexible. But, once the girls started school full time, my husband and I realized that we needed to be a bit more creative with our travel with kids. Add in my husbands work schedule and my own freelance projects and travel with kids becomes a bit harder to schedule. Studies show that kids who travel and experience other cultures and places actually do better in school, but scheduling these experiences around school schedules can be tricky. We’ve found some great “tried and true” solutions to make sure we are still adventuring with our kids as much as possible, even during the school year.
Here are our best ways to travel with kids when juggling school and work schedules:
1. Take Advantage of School Holidays & Breaks
Summer and winter holidays are great breaks to travel with kids, but don’t forget about teacher in-service days, or other short holidays to take a family trip. Our two older girls were recently out for 2 days at the end of the month for teacher training, so we took advantage and booked a flight to visit family in Pittsburgh. You could also tie specific holiday breaks to the adventure. For example, MLK weekend is a great time to visit the Civil Rights Museum in Memphis. Or spend President’s Day visiting Washington D.C. Plus, you end up tying education AND vacation – win/win!
2. Weekend Getaways & Day Trips
We love discovering shorter weekend getaways when we travel with kids. Whether it’s a day trip to take a hike or explore a museum or aquarium or a quick overnight at a location a few hours away, weekend trips are a wonderful travel options for busy families who love to travel with kids. Some of our favorite weekend getaways that are within driving distance from Nashville include:
3. Extend the Weekend
We occasionally take the girls out of school for one or two days around the weekend for a longer trip. Some school administration officials look down upon this, but I believe if it’s a day or two here or there, we can stay on top of things. Of course, we use this as the exception and not the rule and it should be done on a case by case basis, but if it works, it’s a great option.
4. Take Just One Kid
We love taking our girls on one-on-one trips from time to time. Sometimes this works when their days off are different – since they are currently at different schools. Last year my husband Brad took our oldest to Universal for a long weekend, just the two of them. A couple years ago I took my youngest to Boston with me for a work trip and we had a blast. I’m currently making plans to take my middle daughter on a one-on-one trip later this year. The benefits of a one-on-one trip with kids are endless and create such special memories for both the parent and the child.
5. Go Without the Kids
Okay, so this last one isn’t technically traveling with the kids, but my husband and I like to take a trip every year or so without the kids too. It satisfies my own travel bug, enhances my relationship with my hubby and allows the girls to spend time with their grandparents. Read my full article on why I think it’s important to travel with your spouse or partner with out the kids too.
Do you have any recommendations or tricks for traveling with kids when they are in school?
Margie
I believe taking them out of school for a little while is beneficial and not too harmful (unless it’s during exam week or something). I agree that a one-on-one trip creates great bonds. Need to do one with my son soon!
Liona
I need these tips. Our work schedule means school holidays are a no go at the moment so we’re struggling to find travel time.
Jayne
This is so great to read as our eldest has literally just started school!