We’ve gathered eight creative strategies from parents and travel lovers to help you blend education with excitement during family trips. From exploring art through museum visits to organizing treasure hunts at historical landmarks, discover how these leaders make learning fun for kids and an integral and enjoyable part of their family travel experiences.
- Explore Art Through Museum Visits
- Engage in a Photo-Research Challenge
- Quiz and Plan a Vacation Day
- Aviation Adventures at Museums
- Turn Hikes into Geology Lessons
- Cultural Insights Through Walking Tours
- Scavenger Hunts at Historical Sites
- Treasure Hunts at Historical Landmarks
Explore Art Through Museum Visits
Our family loves art, so we have a lot of books about famous artists for our kids. Whenever we travel, we make sure to visit art museums and talk to our kids about the artists’ lives and their work. The part our kids love most is picking out their favorite painting and telling us why they like it. Then, we look up more about that artist together. We always take a picture of them next to their favorite piece to remember the visit.
For families traveling with kids, most art museums have activities tailored for children, like a kids’ section, arts-and-crafts workshops, or scavenger hunts. So, be sure to check out art museums in whatever city you travel to!
Avanti Paul
Founder, Presently
Engage in a Photo-Research Challenge
It’s all about making every experience count. During our recent family tour of Europe, I devised a strategy I call the ‘Photo-Research Challenge.’ Here’s how it works: Before the trip, each family member is assigned a country to research. They become the ‘expert’ on that country’s history, culture, and attractions.
During the trip, everyone’s tasked with capturing the best photo that represents what they’ve learned, along with a brief description of why it’s significant. You need to do your research, spot the best opportunity, and act at the right moment to get that perfect shot.
I remember my sister’s excitement when she captured a stunning photo of the Eiffel Tower at sunset, explaining how it represented France’s technological advancement during the Industrial Revolution. The winner gets a special prize, which adds a competitive edge, much like the thrill of beating the market.
This approach not only makes learning fun but also encourages everyone to engage more deeply with the places we visit. It’s a great way to create lasting memories while gaining valuable knowledge.
Raf Pereira
Founder, Stocks.News
Quiz and Plan a Vacation Day
We always play a little quiz before each trip. Everyone looks up interesting facts about the place—its history, culture, famous landmarks, and quirky little tidbits. And a week before the trip, we all come up with questions to challenge each other. Whoever wins the quiz gets to plan an entire day of our vacation.
The winner chooses everything for that day—where we go, what sights we see, and what activities we do. It could be visiting their favorite museum, or even just trying out a local food they’ve read about. Everyone else has to go along with the plan, which makes it even more exciting and gives us a chance to experience the trip through someone else’s eyes. This little tradition makes us learn a lot about our destination beforehand and really builds up a little more excitement and anticipation for what’s to come.
Gary Gray
CEO, CouponChief.com
Aviation Adventures at Museums
When traveling with my family, I enjoy incorporating our shared passion for aviation into our adventures. For example, on one trip to a historic city, I arranged a visit to a local aviation museum. We explored vintage aircraft, learned about pioneering aviators, and even had a chance to sit in a cockpit simulator. It was a fantastic way to blend sightseeing with hands-on learning about aviation history and technology. By weaving these experiences into our travels, I find it sparks curiosity and creates lasting memories for everyone. It’s like adding a dash of aviation fuel to our family explorations—keeping things exciting and educational at the same time.
Michael Leek
Founder, Simuvation
Turn Hikes into Geology Lessons
Blending learning with travel is a family favorite. On a trip to the Grand Canyon, we turned the adventure into a geology lesson. Each family member picked a rock formation to research, and we shared fun facts during our hikes. This made the experience educational and engaging. It’s amazing how much more memorable our trips become when we incorporate a bit of learning into the adventure.
Jeremy Resmer
CEO, Value Land Buyers
Cultural Insights Through Walking Tours
Recently, when I traveled across five countries in Europe with my parents, sister, and wife, we went on lots of walking tours. Sometimes they can be stressful, like in Vienna, where you just have to walk a lot without taking a seat anywhere for hours. But otherwise, they were educational about the history of the palaces we visited and a fun way to discover the culture of the countries we traveled to.
For my mother, I acted as a bridge, translating the guide’s explanations from English to our mother tongue—Hindi—which she was more comfortable with. We typically relied on GetYourGuide and Airbnb to find such experiences, and they were generally well appreciated by everyone in our family.
Chintan Zalani
Founder, Bot Memo
Scavenger Hunts at Historical Sites
During a trip to Italy, we turned our visit to historical sites into a scavenger hunt. Each family member had a list of landmarks to find, with fun facts and stories about each location. This playful approach made learning about history engaging and memorable, as we explored together, shared discoveries, and created lasting memories through interactive education.
Tornike Asatiani
CEO, Edumentors
Treasure Hunts at Historical Landmarks
When it comes to making family travel both fun and educational, I love to blend learning into our adventures in creative ways. One memorable trip involved visiting historical sites where we turned exploring into a treasure hunt for stories and facts. For instance, while touring an old castle, we made a game out of spotting unique architectural features and imagining what life was like for the people who lived there centuries ago. It’s about finding those teachable moments naturally woven into the experience, whether through local cuisine, cultural traditions, or even stargazing sessions that spark curiosity about the universe. The key is to keep it interactive and engaging so that everyone, young and old, comes away not just with memories but with a deeper understanding of the world around us. Plus, it’s a great excuse for me to unleash my inner history geek while keeping the whole family entertained!
Rachel Beider
CEO, PRESS Modern Massage
