How to Make a Family Vacation Out of Your Kids' Budding Interest in Science

Discovery Place Kids Huntersville

One of the great gifts of summer vacation is the opportunity to leisurely pursue interest in topics that don’t fit into the school curriculum. What may otherwise be a fleeting question about ocean animals can actually become a new trajectory of discovery for the entire family.

As summer is usually a time for travel and vacations, families are finding inspiration in the new and budding interests of their children. While planning a trip and researching things to do, they also look at what can appeal to new curiosities.

Before the trip.

Include children in the conversations about their upcoming adventures. Where are they going? What do they want to see? What are they curious about? What easy science experiments could we do on location? From the mountains to the ocean, there is much for children to see and explore.

Once children know what they are interested in, it’s time to research. Families can head to the library to get books on the subject, animals and environment they’re planning to visit. Planning like this can encourage anyone to explore.

Experiment, anywhere.

With just a little extra planning, families can make science happen wherever they go. For example, there are lots of fun beach science activities for kids— try making a sand volcano; exploring balance and weight distribution with a sand castle; time the tides and make seashell crystals — just to name a few.

There are limitless opportunities for further learning and exploration anywhere vacation leads. Search online for easy DIY science experiments.

A day at the museum.

Weather can change quickly, so be sure to know the options of what is around to keep kids busy. What indoor activities are there? For the days when the rain comes or the sun is just too much, it is good to have a backup plan.

To that end, membership at Discovery Place Kids has its benefits. Joining all four museums comes with a sweet incentive— reciprocity; a passport to more than 250 participating Association of Science Technology Centers (ASTC) nationwide.

Planning vacations just got a lot more interesting.

Taking children to museums isn’t just fun, it’s important. As The National Endowment for the Arts shares, “Museums provide memorable, immersive learning experiences, provoke imagination, introduce unknown worlds and subject matter and offer unique environments for quality time with family.”

Many cities drawing travelers are included in the ASTC network of museums— and they are well worth the visit. Keep in mind, weather is a fickle thing— a rainy day doesn’t mean the fun has to stop.

If a trip is on the docket for this summer— whether near or far, families can encourage children to keep learning and reinforce their curiosity through these fun opportunities.

Interest in the ocean can be explored on the beach with fun beach-related science activities for kids, and then reinforced at the nearby ASTC affiliated museum. Their curiosity in outer space can easily be explored using this incredible network of science centers.

Family reunion in Wisconsin? Weekend trip to the mountains? Check out the ASTC Passport page for a full list of participating centers before packing. Then, plan for a day of fun and learning wherever the summer leads.

Traveling away from Charlotte this summer offers a great opportunity to explore the tremendous benefits of a Discovery Place Kids membership. An entire week of fun can be planned around a new museum to explore; or, plan your destination and see what science and technology centers are nearby.

Either way, the adventures of the summer are just around the corner. Where will your summer lead you? Take your Discovery Place Kids membership with you, and let the adventure begin!

Rockingham Facade At Dusk
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