Family holidays can be a wonderful experience for everyone to enjoy, creating lifelong memories and helping parents to bond with their children. It allows them to get away from busy schedules and spend more quality time together as a family, which is especially important when children are young. Not only that, but traveling can benefit children’s mental development and can even improve their social skills.

Traveling to a country that speaks a different language to your child can teach them valuable skills. It can help to teach them that people across the world are not all the same, spiking their curiosity and potentially encouraging them to take an interest in the culture. 

Teaching children how to say a few simple phrases in the native language, such as common greetings, as well as “please” and “thank you”, can really help to build their confidence when communicating. It can also make interacting with others in their first language seem much less daunting.

It’s fairly likely that children will meet others and try to make friends on a holiday. They’re more likely to interact with children they don’t already know when traveling, teaching them how to start conversations. 

Encourage them to partake in any kids’ clubs that are being run at your accommodation – these are a great way for them to interact with other holidaymakers their own age. Of course, what children would say is not exactly your typical small talk, but it teaches them the basic skills they need for later in life.

It can be really beneficial to bring your children outside of their comfort zones occasionally. Getting too comfortable in one environment can cause them to experience anxiety when they do need to venture into new situations. 

By taking them traveling, they will get used to being away from home and in an unfamiliar environment. As reported in this guide to the positive developmental impact of travel on kids, 27% of parents said travel helps their children to be braver and more adventurous.

Nowadays it’s common for children to have phones or tablets and they’re often engrossed in them, making it hard to tear them away for family time. Traveling is a great opportunity to get them involved with other activities – such as board games, swimming, or sports – that will not only provide some quality family time but can reduce the amount of time spent on technology too.

We understand it can be difficult, with children often being reluctant to part with their beloved devices. A good compromise could be to set aside a certain amount of time each day for children to spend on their phones or tablets, but the rest of it can be filled with other activities. Holidays can be expensive, especially for the whole family, so the last thing you want is for them to not be present at the moment.

Try to make the most of this opportunity to teach your children new skills, experience new cultures, and build the foundations of an open mind. No matter whether you’re planning a low-key staycation, or a more adventurous holiday to one of the many family-friendly destinations across the world, any time away can help to develop these key interpersonal skills. 

Even just getting them away from their home can be beneficial, but incorporating other activities and experiences can give them skills and memories to last a lifetime.

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