Throughout this summer, there has been an increased demand for flights, especially with destinations in Europe. After almost two years of confinement and fear of exposure due to travel, families are starting to feel more comfortable sending their children on a well-deserved vacation. 

Young adults are often told that studying or working abroad is one of the best experiences they can embark on in their lifetime. Being away from home can bring many benefits such as gaining fluency in another language, building responsibility and independence, increasing exposure to a different culture, and many more. Of course, if children are too young to handle this level of responsibility and challenge, how can they benefit from leaving the country with their families?

Speaking from my own experience, I did not learn what it really meant to live abroad until I attended college. Still, the many trips that I took with my family when I was younger made me a better problem-solver and knowledgeable about different cultures.

Problem-Solving Skills

When I was 11 years old, my dad took me on a trip to Los Angeles to visit Universal Studios. On our way back to the hotel after a day of exploring, I was left in charge to guide our taxi driver using google maps on my iPad. Given that I was more fluent in English than my dad was at the time, he thought that I was ready to take on this level of responsibility. After a couple of missed turns and fear, I was able to take us back to the hotel.

The best thing about letting children be more independent abroad is that there is plenty of room for mistakes. Both the parent and the child are in an unknown situation, relying on each other to solve problems as they come throughout the journey.

While I was scared to put both my orientation and English skills to the test, at the end of the day I knew that my dad was beside me to help in case we were in danger. I’d like to say that this experience has made it easier to orient myself when traveling!

Cultural Awareness and Geographical Knowledge

According to the 2021 National Assessment of Educational Progress (known as the Nation’s Report Card), eighth-grade students across the U.S. have a lower geography average score compared to 2014. As a 2014 article from U.S. News mentioned, such a decrease in scores could be due to the fact that teachers only spend 10 percent or less of their time on geography. 

Given these research findings and the global stereotype of American citizens not being able to identify countries on a map, it has become essential to make children increasingly aware of global issues.

Guiding children through a world map and reading travel books at home can encourage children to be more curious and inquisitive about the world around them. However, giving them the chance to venture outside their country can be a wonderful addition to the lessons learned at home. In this way, children can out to test both their photographic memory and tangible experiences as sources of knowledge.

Reading has the power of making children wish to become a wizard, mermaid, or pirate. How many times have you had your child ask you to take them to Charlie’s chocolate factory,  Hogwarts, or Neverland? Once you get children excited about breaking out of their comfort zone and exploring the world, there is no turning back! And these book recommendations will do just that!

Amy’s Travels by Kathryn Starke

Amy’s Travels is a children’s book that teaches the seven continents while narrating Amy’s journey around the world.

Kathryn came up with the idea of writing this book when she was teaching 2nd grade and had to teach the seven continents. “No children’s picture book existed to tell a story about all seven, so I wrote one myself,” she said. Amy’s character is based on Kathryn’s friend Amy, who had lived on five of the seven continents as a child of an Embassy official.

 “My students were captivated with her life around the world,” she said, “I knew that kids at school would have to learn about the seven continents, and this Latinx children’s book would help teachers and students around the world.” Amy’s identity as a Latinx woman also provides representation for Latinx children wanting to follow Amy’s footsteps and become globetrotters.

The Two Mice Series by Donna Dalton

These are a series of children’s books that follow the journey of two mice, Azura and Afrodille around the world. So far, these adventurous mice have visited Paris, London, New York, and Africa. These stories not only highlight the famous landmarks that each city has to offer but also encourage readers to think critically and creatively like Azura and Afrodille to solve problems.

Donna Dalton drew inspiration from her travel vacations with her husband to write these books. “I happened to notice something moving in the greenery by the bushes surrounding the benches at the Eiffel Tower!, she said, “There were tiny grey mice scurrying around!” This remarkable moment in her vacation to Paris over 25 years ago, led her to later write the first book of the series: “Two Mice at the Eiffel Tower.” 

In fact, at that moment Donna had told her husband: “Someday I am going to write a book about the mice at the Eiffel Tower!” She was able to realize her dream and publish her first book in her retirement, after 40 years of working in education.

“I wanted children to learn about the city/country, its culture, food, transportation, and famous sights,” she said, “but I also wanted to incorporate the five Cs: creativity, community, collaboration, communication, and critical thinking.” Despite being a children’s book series meant to entertain the audience, these have also been used as educational tools in the classroom setting.

Given the good feedback from the younger audience on the series, Donna wishes to continue the travels with Madame Bella, Azura, and Afrodille. After recently returning from Ireland with her husband, she has decided to write book number five on this location.

Traveling is a wonderful experience that kids around the world can benefit from. If you find yourself with enough time on your hands and wanting to do something fun with your kids. Please do not hesitate to venture somewhere new. It will most definitely be a memorable experience with all its ups and downs.

Guest author:

Nicole Llacza is a junior at the University of Richmond, majoring in English Literature. She has experience working as an editor for the campus newspaper, The Collegian, and submitting articles for websites as a freelancer. Nicole is also fluent in Spanish, after spending many years living in South America, and wishes to explore as many countries as she can in her 20s.