Toddler Friendly Vacation Ideas

By, Crystal S. Kauffman, Contributing Writer

Family vacation spots can be fun for older children, but most toddlers are too young to enjoy the actual vacation destination.  Most toddlers truly are satisfied with the simple things in life: like camping out, zoos, nature trails, and museums. Luckily, there are many inexpensive vacation choices, which a parent’s can put together for a toddler’s enjoyment. The vacation destination should include some fun for toddler and for the parent’s too.
 
Many toddlers love to go outside to explore nature, hold or pet animals, and find different types of bugs or animals. The parent could set up a camping trip and nature walk, in order to keep the toddler’s mind busy and learning new things. The parent’s can take pictures and create a notebook to write down the types of animals they find. When the film is developed the parent and toddle can affix the pictures to the proper page in the Nature Notebook.  
 
The zoo or a petting zoo is another place that a toddler will get excited about, especially if it is part of a family’s vacation plans. The toddler will get to see, touch, and look at all of the animals during their visit. The family can take pictures of each animal and help the toddler create an All About Animals Notebook. Additionally, the parent could look up facts on each animal and write it down for the toddler to learn from.
 
A vacation destination could include a beach, where the toddler could collect sea shells and rocks. The toddler will get excited every time they get a chance to show them off to other beach goers or their family. Many toddlers will be enthused by the water, but may not want to get it the water to swim due to fear. The parent can introduce them to the water by holding them or just build sandcastle together on the beach. Families should take picture of their fun together or buy a souvenir, but don’t forget the sunscreen.
 
When planning the vacation, families should try to find a destination that has a local museum or a recreational park. Local museums are always full of fun things that any family or any toddler would enjoy learning about. Recreational parks have fun playgrounds for families to enjoy and meet new the locals. Parents should remember to bring their favorite drinks and snacks; just in case to toddler becomes hungry or thirsty.
 
The parents of toddlers must choose to create a toddler friendly vacation, because a toddler will love a simple vacation destination. In addition, parents need to bring a few of the toddler’s comforts from home to help with their possible fear of the new place. During the planning stage, add in enough time for naps and keep a consistent bedtime schedule from home. Therefore, with a little extra planning, parent’s can plan a vacation to remember with a energetic toddler in tow.