Best Travel Tips for Families

Heading out on a vacation this summer? Wondering how you’ll get through that 10-hour car, train or plane trip with the kids? We can help!

Check out the family travel tips below from Travel.com and read through the website’s full article for even more insight into keeping the kids (and you!) happy during your summer travels!

The Best Summer Travel Tips for Families:

1. How to prepare for baby’s first plane ride.

Bringing a baby on a plane is always a gamble. Will they sleep through the flight? Or wake up half-way through screaming?

Make your journey as easy as possible with these tips:

Make sure to allow yourself extra time to get to the airport and through security with your stroller and other baby gear. Try to find someone to drop you at the terminal door, and, if traveling with someone else, have them board the plane first and install the infant carrier. Bring the baby on at the last minute and try not to disturb them when getting settled in your seats. Have bottles ready, or work out your feeding schedule so you feed just before boarding. Feeding during take-off and landing can help keep a baby’s ears from hurting and may also be another good option.

2. How to keep kids busy on a flight or train/car ride.

Technology is always a great bet when it comes to keeping kids entertained during travel. From iPad apps that do not require internet connectivity to portable DVD players, there are great options that can keep kids busy for hours. If traveling on a plane, remember not to break out the tech until after the plane is at 10,000 feet.

Low-tech options are also great choices. Treat kids to a new coloring book or writing notebook, and encourage them to draw or write about what they see out their window. This way, travel can also be a chance to stretch their imaginations and get in some writing practice.

But perhaps the most important thing to pack in the carry-on? SNACKS! Don’t forget to bring healthy, filling options like nuts, fruits, veggies and hard-boiled eggs. Having a few treats on hand also helps make travel enjoyable, and something like a lollipop will last a long time.

3. How to stick to bed times when on vacation.

While older children may be able to shift their bed times during vacation with few repercussions, it’s important for younger children to stick to their regular schedules as much as possible.

Unfortunately, travel can make that hard. Try not to stress too much about sticking to exact bed times, but pay attention to how your children are acting. If you see signs of overtired kids, it’s time to take a break, take a nap, or head to bed. Have a late night of driving or flying? Let the kids sleep in if they can, even if it means postponing your sight-seeing for a few hours. If you’re changing time zones, remember that it make take your kids longer to adjust than an adult, and be prepared to handle their sleep schedules accordingly!

Want more travel advice? Check out the full Travel.com article and share your own travel tips in the comment section below!

Happy trails!

 

Best Tips to Keep Kids Reading All Summer Long

For many families, summer begins with many good intentions. Kids have free time, and parents are dedicated to ensure that time is spent on fun and learning. New books are purchased and learning games are readied.

But, for many families, these good intentions gradually fade as summer goes on and barbecues, vacations and other activities quickly take over free time.

So what can parents do to ensure that children make reading a priority throughout the summer? Check out the follow tips from Scholastic and PBS to fill your summer with books!

1. Visit a library.

Not only will a trip to the library save you some money, but a visit with a librarian can often be a very motivating experience. So many libraries do summer reading programs for all ages, and host puppet shows, movies and even book discussions for children to engage them in the books they are reading.

Take a trip to the library with your students- and check out a few books of your own- and you’ll show your kids that reading is important as an adult, too.

2. Make summer reading a way to connect.

Whether your child is reluctant to read a new book or can’t put it down, try reading the book yourself. Discuss the book on road trips or at the dinner table, and you’ll not only better connect with your child, you’ll encourage them to think and talk about what they’re reading, increasing their engagement.

3. Make a schedule.

It’s too easy to get wrapped up in the fun and parties of summer. There’s always going to be another pool party, barbecue or trip to the beach and park, so important that families schedule time to read each day.

Keep books in the car, and instead of listening to the radio, make a road trip a silent reading time. On the trip back home, discuss what your children read on the way there.

Set bedtimes 20 minutes earlier, and encourage children to read in bed before falling asleep. If you are visiting a beach, bring a book with you to read on the sand. Setting the 20-30 minutes before dinner as reading time is another great option, giving children time to wind down before eating and parents time to make dinner!

4. Help kids find books they love.

While it’s important to encourage kids to read a variety of books from various genres, it’s also important that kids enjoy what they are reading. Dealing with a reluctant reader? Find books that feature their favorite characters, sports or other hobbies.

Do your kids love Frozen? There’s a book for that. Is  your son obsessed with baseball and basketball? There’s a book for that. Maybe they love technology and dream of being an engineer or scientist? There’s a book for that!

Whatever your children can imagine for their future, there’s a book that will embrace their interests.

What are you best tips to get kids reading throughout the summer? Share your tips here to help other parents!

BSB Students Explore the World!

We’ve got more updates from our student trips today, including some amazing pictures from all over the world!

Year 8 students in Montreal explored the city’s Underground City, did some shopping and went to an animal observatory.

Check out their adventures and some amazing pictures on the trip’s blog, and stay tuned for some student-made video diaries to be shared soon!

Year 9 students continued their exploration of Arles, France, visiting a palace that once housed several popes, and a palace that now serves as a branch of the Louvre museum.

More information on their adventures and photographs of their journey can be found on Mr. Fakoury’s blog.

BSB students are also busy in Madrid, Spain, reconnecting with the students from our Nord Anglia Education sister school, International College Spain, who visited Boston in April. Check out that trip’s blog for pictures and updates.

Year 7 students in Washington, D.C. are continuing their whirlwind tour of the nation’s capitol today! They’ve been very busy, visiting various memorials on the National Mall and even having a water balloon fight downtown.

A big thanks goes out to our SAIL leadership club students for their help on the Washington trip! Check out BSB’s Facebook page and YouTube channel for updates, photographs and videos from the students on that trip.

Update from the Washington, D.C. Trip

Students have been very busy since landing in the nation’s capitol Monday morning! They’ve already toured various Smithsonian museums, visited the U.S. Capitol building and Mount Vernon, George Washington’s Alexandria home, and even went on a “ghosts of Alexandria” tour!

They’ve been sharing a lot of great pictures on Twitter, so make sure to follow @BSB_School and @thereseandrews to get live updates on their adventures!

Interested in what students have been learning so far this trip? Then check out BSB’s You Tube channel for some short videos from our students on the lessons they’ve learned!

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