Previously I was a firm beliver that children could learn things faster through traveling.As a result, I took my two kids (4 and 6 years) to visit every musuems in the U.S.in the last 3 years. However, many people scorn the idea often citing the noisy and disorderly behavior they had endured. The practical question here is whether it's worthwhile to take your kids under 6 to travel in far and away foreign countries. Can they truly learn new knowledge? Can traveling help expand and enhance children's intelligence? Sharing your personal experience will be helpful to every parents. Thanks a lot.

Armstrong
Hong Kong

Armstrong:
There have been many threads on this subject. Fodorites have very definite opinions on the pro-child travel and anti-child travel. Be prepared for both schools of thought.
You might want to do a search here with the word "inconsiderate" or "child" in the text search and you will see what I am referring to. Good luck!

Armstrong:
There is also a very animated post going on the Europe Forum about traveling with children.

I think it depends on the parents, and to some extent the child. Some of my earliest memories go back to Yosemite National Park when I was about 3.
Parents who work closely with their children to point out what they are seeing and doing can enhance the child's perception of the world. Parents who drag their children along like they were nothing more than vocal suitcases, and who speak to them only to scold them, would do the children and the rest of the world a favor by leaving them at home.
Parents, however, must appreciate the fact that the interests of a 4 year old are not those of adults by any means.

On the other hand, a bright 6 year old can learn quite a bit.
We have two friends (married to each other) who have a son who is quite intelligent. At age 6 I was with the boy, named Daniel, on the Blue Ridge Parkway poking around in a creek.
Daniel was finding everything he could and asking questions I could not always answer. At one point we were inspecting a small waterfall. The water came over the rock, plunged about 4 feet in free fall into a pool, and then disappeared under the rocks. I asked Daniel if he knew which way the water went to get out of the pool, because the pool was not overflowing. Daniel stuck his head down almost into the water, looked up at me, and said, "I goes that way," and pointed to his right. I asked him, "How do you know?" His response: "Look at the bubbles." That type of child can learn a heck of a lot if an adult, who can keep up both physically and intellectually, will spend some time with him or her.

(By the way, Daniel is now 10, and answering his questions takes some literature searching. Anybody want to tackle this one: Why are the inner planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars) rocky and the outer planets
gaseous (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Pluto/Charon.))

Children learn through all experiences, including travelling. I think people underestimate the abilities of a child and that is sad. Young children are like sponges, even infants and young toddlers. While a child may not be able to discuss the intricacies of a piece of art in a museum, he or she is learning social conduct, and an appreciation for what is going on around him or her. It is a matter of parenting. A parent must work with a child. A parent must also recognize when it is time to remove the child from a situation. Yes, many people scorn the idea of children travelling because of the behavior. But that is a parenting issue. And those negative behaviors occur everywhere, in all countries. I am a docent at the Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC. Some of the most delightful and insightful people on my tours have been young children.

Yes, they can. I have 2 very active and bright children. Interactive museums are great! We stopped at the museum on Roanoke Island on our way to vacation at the Outer Banks this past summer. The girls enjoyed the museum, but buzzed through it! Thought the settlement replica was cool but left quickly. They were thrilled with and spent an hour on the 67 ft Elizabeth II! Basically the difference were the half-dozen guides in period costume who spent all their time with the only people there - my children.

Basically the concept is to keep in mind the limitations, interests and needs of the children in mind. Or in other words, don't expect an active, energetic, irrepressible 6 yo like mine to cope well in a display of tempting, untouchable breakables. Therefore I make sure she is in that type of environment only as long as she can reasonably behave. Then we're outta there!

Yes, children can learn through traveling! But taking two very young children through a ton of museums probably doesn't cultivate many memories for the children -- just the ones fed by the parent(s). (Do you read all the signs to them??)

I've been to Kennedy Space Center and the Cosmosphere in Kansas. Why people take very young children to these is totally beyond me. Seems like the young ones really like the interactive museums -- levers, sounds, wheels, things to test, mirrors, animals, etc.

Thanks for your valuable advice. Though "vocal suitcases" may sound terrible, it depicts my situation occasionally. Because of my two sons' age, I have to bear all burdens such as trip planning, GPS mapping, hauling luggage, washing/drying clothes,...etc. The physical exhaustion often erodes my enthusiasm to guide and explain to my two sons.

Hi Elisa, we did visit Air & Space Museum in Dec 98 and 99. Most likely, we will visit the museum again in Dec. Hope my sons will meet you there.

Armstrong
Hong Kong

Angel,

You raised an important point. No, I didn't always read all the signs to my two sons because, as posted in my last message, I was too exhausted. In addition, it's not just only reading the signs, I have to translate it into Chinese to my two sons. Thanks for your reminder. Reading signs is definiely my top priority in my coming trip.

BTW, my two sons love both Kennedy and Houston Space Center. In addition to other exhibits, my sons can view IMAX movies, not available in Hong Kong.

Armstrong
Hong Kong

Traveled alot with my parents as a child-remember anxiously awaiting mid-June every year so we could take off on our 10 day driving vacation. Now, as an adult, it's fun to return to some of the places that we visited as a family years ago - it's amazing how some of them haven't really changed much-just aged, like we all have. Wouldn't trade those happy memories for the world.

Armstrong - since you've been through Washginton before (although living here, my kids grew up visiting the Smithsonians and developed their own favorite exhibits) you may want to try Baltimore this time. The aquarium is absolutely fabulous with floor to ceiling windows on the multi-story "ring tank." A very big hit with boys and they will recognizes the sharks without any signs! There is also a decent Science Center with plenty of hands on exhibits for kids and their parents. Plus there are a couple of ships in the harbor you can tour. Stay at the Inn on Henderson's Waarf, and watch the boats on the busy harbor from your rooms, and even leave the car parked to take a water taxi to the museums located at the Inner Harbor. It's then an easy hop to I95 up to Philly and New York.

Armstrong Wong is an old troll from way back.

Travel w/ very young children should only be done when absolutely necessary. This is both for the sake of the children and the adults.

Troll,

I saw you posted the similar message before. Forgive my ignorance, would you please enlighten us your actual meaning? Above all, how could we benefit from your indecipherable message? Thanks.

Armstrong