How to travel with kids while they’re in school
By Aimee Heckel
If you missed your family vacation this summer or you want to travel in the off-season to save money, you may be considering planning a family vacation during the school year. The upside: You will definitely miss the family crowds, especially if you’re planning on hitting up a popular site like Disney World. Hotels and flights can be seriously marked down, too.
However, taking your kids out of school to travel can be tricky.
Here are some tips for planning a family vacation with your kids while they’re in school:
1. Talk to your kid’s main teachers to figure out the best timing so they don’t miss a big test or important lesson. Make sure your child is doing well in school; don’t take him out if he’s struggling already. And talk to your kid, too. Make sure he doesn’t mind missing school.
2. See if you can work out an arrangement with the teachers for your kids to study while traveling. Is there a creative project they can do while on the road? A travel journal for an English class?
Here is a cheap ($2) kids travel journal at Valore Books.
3. Look for educational opportunities while you’re traveling. Can your kids visit an art museum and write up a short paper for their art class? Is there a historical site they can visit to get points for history class? Educational opportunities abound in every city. Even if the teachers can’t or won’t work with you, you won’t feel as guilty if you can squeeze in some learning time.
Look for discounts on sites and attractions by browsing the travel attraction coupons here.
4. Don’t be gone too long. A quick four-day trip with a weekend sandwiched in the middle will minimize the days your kid is gone. Plus, airfare rates tend to be cheaper if you don’t fly on a weekend.
5. Don’t plan an exhausting trip across many time zones, so your child won’t struggle with jet lag and exhaustion upon return.
6. Bring the teacher back a little gift from the region you visited, recommends Familyvacationcritic.com.
Decided not to go on a vacation this fall? You don’t have to travel on the off-season to save big on travel. Here are tons of travel coupons and Cash Back options you can use to save money on your next family vacation.
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