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Best children's books for a trip to

Welcome to the 'best children's books for a trip to..." series of blog posts. This is one of my favorite sections of the website. Why? Because I believe in the value of using books as a tool to prep kids for a successful family vacation.

Why use books to prep kids for a trip?

Often parents have two concerns with traveling with their kids. What is there to do that kids will enjoy in the destination and will the trip be worth it?

Helping kids enjoy the trip

Family trips destinations are usually selected outside of the consideration of kids. And that's absolutely ok. It's either because the price is right, family is nearby, the place has been on the parent's wishlist for a long time, or any other reason.

The issue with kids enjoying the trip is that while the parents understand why this destination has so much potential, kids might not. So the question is often, what will the kids like once we get there?

I think books help. Books help give kids the background to understanding why this place matters. It helps prepare them for what they'll see. Even better, it helps parents figure out what might interest their family. Kids can find a book about a destination, discover something about that destination that interests them, and now parents have an idea of what they can do that can be fun for the kids.

I often compare this to the Mona Lisa. Without context, the Mona Lisa is just a painting. Tell someone why the Mona Lisa is an important piece of art and now they can appreciate it. They might not like it, but they can appreciate it.

Making it worth it

One of the main reasons parents cite for NOT traveling somewhere with their kids is that the kids aren't going to remember. I don't think this is important at all. Kids don't remember a lot of things that we still do with them because it's the building blocks that makes decent adults.

However, making the trip worth it also has financial and time considerations. Taking the time off of work and spending the money to see a new part of the world is a waste if it's filled with whiny kids complaining about everything. Again, I believe the whining and the complaining stem from the idea that the kids don't really know why they're traveling.

Books will help them find things they want to do, understand why they're there, start getting used to the sites they're about to see so it's recognizable once they get there, and instead of a trip with whiny kids, it's now a trip with engaged kids. That's worth it.

The posts below

While this whole site is dedicated to learning about places through books and finding book destinations around the world, these particular posts highlight books that can help kids appreciate the specific destination. The city, attraction, or whatever. Some also include travel tips that I've learned in my own travels with kids, my years as a travel agent, or just while doing research. Some posts also include a free downloadable printable with some activities to help reiterate the things the kids will learn about through books and visiting these destinations.

Don't miss a post

Scroll down and make sure to check additional pages. This is an awesome resource for parents and I don't want you to miss anything!

Here are some of the destinations covered: