Traveling with Children to Familiar or Unfamiliar Destinations

When planning a trip with children, they are often very excited about the idea of going someplace. Their feelings and emotions can generate feelings of anxiety as well as excitement, and a good way to help children settle their emotions is with literature.  Here are my thoughts and suggestions for getting and keeping kids ready for the adventure.

Traveling to Familiar Places

When a destination is a place that is familiar the excitement may be very high.

Children might talk about the trip with lots of questions and details of what they know.  Encourage them to share.

They even come up with some very specific plans of their own as to what they want to see and do. Incorporate some of their plans and ideas into the itinerary.

Traveling to Unfamiliar Places
When the destination is to visit a place that is new to your child or unfamiliar he/she may feel a level of uncertainty or anxiety about the trip.

Children might make excuses or come up with reasons as to why not to go on the trip. Let them express what they are thinking, but continue to encourage them and share positive aspects of the trip.

Sometimes children might feel a little under the weather. Usually, a tummy ache is the reason. Address the illness, but know if may be an excuse to venture out.
Weather is feeling very secure or a little uncertain about the destination of your trip; you can help your child feel great about the experiences of the getaway. How???? You might ask.  Well, my suggestion is to start with literature.  Here are my steps:

First-
Listen to your child talk about the trip.
That will help you determine if he/she is excited or anxious about the trip.

Next-
Move into a conversation and use this opportunity to make connections between yourself, the child and the destination.

After that-
Share a great book, with great pictures and details that are factual. (Teachers call this kind of book informational text.)

Then-
Share another great book, one that tells a funny story and always great pictures. These books are often fictional. (Teachers call this kind of book narrative text.)

Remember-
Continue to encourage asking questions and conversation about the destination.

After reading and talking-
Ask your child to draw a picture of their image of the destination. Maybe even have your child draw him/herself into the scene. Drawing him/herself into the picture can ease anxiety even more and help your child see this place as a safe place to be, especially if your child is feeling unsure about being in a specific location.

Be sure to ask your child to write about the drawing, telling the story of what is happing in the drawing.

One last thing maybe watch a movie about the destination if age appropriate. Movies make things come to life.

And, on a closing note –
The best strategy is always to have a conversation with lots of listening and reassuring feedback.

Here is my list of great books for “book talks.”  This is my list of

Children’s Books about World Cultures.

Click the photo to order these great books!
1. Families Hardcover
By Ann Morris
This book features the many different kinds of families around the world and can help readers become more aware or the dynamics of their family structure and how it is similar and different from other families.

 

2. Weddings Hardcover –
By Ann Morris
This book highlights the many different wedding traditions that people follow. The reader may find that he/she can relate a wedding ceremony in the book with one they have been to.

3. Children Just Like Me: Celebrations!
By Anabel Kindersley and Barnabas Kindersley
This book highlights the many ways and reasons to celebrate life and all the many celebrations people enjoy.

4. Are We There Yet?
By Alison Lester
The book explores the many different locations that people travel to as their travel destination. The title matches the feeling children always express ….when are we going to get there. Hence the title, Are We There Yet? Which is the age old question?

5. D is for Down Under: An Australia Alphabet
By Devin Scillian (Author)
Geoff Cook (Illustrator)
This book explores one the world’s largest islands, Australia.
Highlights in this book are the pictures of the people, places, and things found in Australia

Children’s Books about the Museum
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1. A is for Artist: A Getty Museum Alphabet
By John Harris
An alphabet book with pictures from the J. Paul Getty Museum. This book helps children learn the alphabet as well as about the Getty Museum

2. Mrs. Brown on Exhibit: And Other Museum Poems
By Susan Katz
A great book about the story of a class trip to the museum. On their journey, students learn about how the museum works and how all the things in the museum are kept.

Children’s Books about the Ocean
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1. Flotsam
By David Wiesner
Wiesner’s Caldecott Medal book helps the reader explore the ocean with lots and lots of colorful pictures.

2. Here Is the Coral Reef
By Madeleine Dunphy
The plants and animals of Australia come to life in this book with many big beautiful and colorful pictures. See images of the great barrier reef and other fantastic underwater pictures.

3. Somewhere in the Ocean
By Jennifer Ward
There are a variety of plants and animals that live in the ocean. The illustrations are full of color and will hold children’s attention for hours of reading.

Children’s Books about the Mountains
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1. When I Was Young in the Mountains
By Cynthia Rylant, Diane Goode
Life in the Appalachian Mountains and their culture is told by the people who live there. The illustrations by Diane Goode. The book was awarded a Caldecott Honor Medal.

2. On Top of Old Smoky (A Collection of Songs and Stories)
By Ronald Kidd
With a fun design, this book highlights living in the Appalachian Mountains through songs and stories.

3. Smoky Mountain Rose: An Appalachian Cinderella
By Alan Schroeder & Brad Sneed
For highlights of the Smoky Mountains, this book is what we call a “pass around”. It’s a shared reading book because it’s read together as each person takes a turn reading. It’s so fun to read; everyone wants a turn. The best part is it is completely written in dialect.

Children’s Books about Specific Topics
Click on the photo to order these great books!

1.The Adventures Of Balto: The Untold Story of Alaska’s Famous Iditarod Sled Dog
By Pat Chargot
Share the story of Balto an Iditarod Sled Dog. It highlights how he became an Alaskan hero leader dog who lead great teams of dogs to save many human lives.

2.Dinosaur Roar
By Paul Stickland and Henrietta Stickland
This book packed with rhymes and pictures; help readers see that dinosaurs are unique and different just like people are.

3. Step Into the Desert
By Howard Rice (Author)$5.38 Buy
This book is full fo factual details about the desert. It is the kind of book that teachers call informational text. Great pictures and factual details help readers get a true understanding of what the desert is really like.

 

4. Find Out About Rainforests:
By Jen Greene
This book helps the reader explore the natural beauty of the rainforest. It’s packed with easy-to-do projects and will show kids how to track animals and plants found in the actual rainforest. This book comes with 20 Projects and more than 250 pictures.

5. Big Red Barn
By Margaret Wise Brown (Author)
Felicia Bond (Illustrator)
Margaret Wise Brown’s classic barnyard story with illustrations of the animals’ day on the farm as they play in the grass, and return to the big red barn to fall sound asleep at night.

6. Let’s Go To The Petting Zoo
By Jack Herring and Lucy Hanna
This book enables readers to get a feel for a variety of zoo animals. Little fingers can rub and sample surfaces that represent fuzzy, velvety, scratchy, and slippery. The textured elements are contained in small patches on the comb-bound pages.