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Family on the Loose: The Art of Traveling with Kids
Pack your bags, hop a plane, and take a trip! Embarking on a journey with your kids can be a thrilling and rewarding adventure. Family travel is also a great way to expand your cultural horizons and help cultivate our next generation of global citizens. This book offers hundreds of easy-to-use ideas • Drumming up excitement for the journey ahead • Teaching your kids to pack themselves • Having fun at the airport and on the plane • Easing jetlag and schedule changes • Involving everyone in setting itineraries and expectations • Making museums and tourist stops engaging for everyone • Enriching your travel experience through journaling • Keeping the joy of the journey alive long after your return • Discovering cultural education in your own back yard This book is intended for well-seasoned travelers and newbies alike who enjoy being with their children, want to enrich their education, and are excited to discover, as a family, the vast and unique experiences this world has to offer.
204 pages, Paperback
First published November 12, 2012
1 person is currently reading
290 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
February 26, 2013
WOW! WOW! WOW! I won this in a giveaway, and I am pleasantly surprised by the content in this book. This book is packed with practical information for parents traveling abroad, or families who are making a day trip out of the cultural areas within their community.
Where do I begin? The book has wonderful charts to help prepare your family for the trip, including packing charts for children. Another thing I loved was the section about plane gifts for your children based on their ages. The journaling section was also fantastic, because years later you and the kids will have a wonderful reminder of the adventures you shared.
I was more than prepared to give this book 4 stars, until I reached the end of the book and read their ideas for “mini-trips,” which allow your family to explore new cultures without ever leaving town. After I read that section, the book jumped to 5 stars.
My husband and I believe in the importance of travel, as it provides a hands-on educational experience. This book truly demonstrated that the opportunities for global education are everywhere.
Lastly, after I read a book, I pass it along to a family member or friend, or donate it to the library; however, this one is a keeper, as it makes an excellent reference book which I know I will refer to time and time again. Bravo to Richards and Steel on writing a wonderfully relevant book for parents who also embrace the life-altering perspectives and educational value traveling provides.
Where do I begin? The book has wonderful charts to help prepare your family for the trip, including packing charts for children. Another thing I loved was the section about plane gifts for your children based on their ages. The journaling section was also fantastic, because years later you and the kids will have a wonderful reminder of the adventures you shared.
I was more than prepared to give this book 4 stars, until I reached the end of the book and read their ideas for “mini-trips,” which allow your family to explore new cultures without ever leaving town. After I read that section, the book jumped to 5 stars.
My husband and I believe in the importance of travel, as it provides a hands-on educational experience. This book truly demonstrated that the opportunities for global education are everywhere.
Lastly, after I read a book, I pass it along to a family member or friend, or donate it to the library; however, this one is a keeper, as it makes an excellent reference book which I know I will refer to time and time again. Bravo to Richards and Steel on writing a wonderfully relevant book for parents who also embrace the life-altering perspectives and educational value traveling provides.
April 7, 2016
Do you want to travel internationally with your children? Family on the Loose will ease your worries and concerns and give you tons of useful and helpful information.
I loved this book. I've traveled a couple of times internationally with my two children. But I plan to continue and loved the ideas and tips contained in this book. I thought, starting out, that the subject might be a little dry. But the authors were able to make it interesting and fun while still delivering a wealth of useful information. Definitely a must read if you plan to travel with your children.
I received this book free of charge from Goodreads in exchange for my honest review.
I loved this book. I've traveled a couple of times internationally with my two children. But I plan to continue and loved the ideas and tips contained in this book. I thought, starting out, that the subject might be a little dry. But the authors were able to make it interesting and fun while still delivering a wealth of useful information. Definitely a must read if you plan to travel with your children.
I received this book free of charge from Goodreads in exchange for my honest review.
February 4, 2013
I loved this book!!
It is full of practical advice that can be used to plan a family vacation, during the vacation, and even after returning home.
I have always enjoyed traveling before having a family; this book has given me tools to make family travel a reality and an enjoyable experience for all. I can't wait to put this information to use!
It is full of practical advice that can be used to plan a family vacation, during the vacation, and even after returning home.
I have always enjoyed traveling before having a family; this book has given me tools to make family travel a reality and an enjoyable experience for all. I can't wait to put this information to use!
January 14, 2013
I received a free copy of this book through First Reads.
It's full of great tips and advice for planning vacations and traveling with kids. Particularly helpful with younger children. I dogeared so many pages for when we plan our next vacation (:
It's full of great tips and advice for planning vacations and traveling with kids. Particularly helpful with younger children. I dogeared so many pages for when we plan our next vacation (:
April 4, 2014
I love the book and its premise: Using travel as a means of connecting with your family by exploring and discovering together. The practical advice is great (what not to pack, how many/size of bags you can sanely expect to tote, packing lists, activities to keep the kids entertained while stuck at the airport...). The suggestions for preparing and engaging your kids (and, by extension, YOU) with various cultures are outstanding. There are museum activity sheets, suggestions for scavenger hunts, recommendations for maps you highlight as you travel, keeping track of total distance covered, a timeline to which kids can add events/building dates/important events, journal prompts and so much more. The authors have also created a web site with additional resources. A fantastic resource for parents/guardians planning anything from long international trips to short jaunts near home.
January 7, 2015
(Incomplete)
Useful Advice:
Chapter 5: Living on the Loose
"Involve your kids [that includes two year olds!)] as much as possible in deciding what to do each day" (page 95).
"A helpful rule of thumb is that it takes about one day per hour of time change to adjust" (page 96).
"...remember that it is a lot easier to make kids stay awake than it is to make them go to sleep" (page 97).
Favorite quotations:
"This will not be a second honeymoon, an extreme adventure, or a respite from reality. You will be travelling night and day with your children" (page95).
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews