What Do Our Kids Learn on Vacation?

My 11-year-old daughter Ellie asked me about travel writing and if she could write a post for the Ciao Bambino blog. She wrote this post on what travel means to her — I’m astounded to read what she’s learned on our family vacations! To think I was wondering if our kids are really learning while we’re traveling …

Ellie in Trafalgar Square, London. Photo Credit Nancy Solomon

What Travel Means to Me

By Ellie Solomon, Age 11

To me travel means that you get to see how other people live and more about their beliefs. You know the saying the more you look the more you see, well, that’s exactly what it is. Because when you learn about one thing and see it somewhere then you begin to connect it to other things. Like a puzzle. For example, when we went to Rome we saw all these Gothic buildings from around 1400-1600’s. Then in Paris, we saw exactly the same thing. So, I figured that was the architectural style from that time period, the Renaissance. It’s like a never-ending puzzle. Billions of pieces add end up to a picture.

I love to read and I also love to travel, so books about other places are some of my favorites. Earlier I read a book about the Montatumbe Warrior Queen in Africa. Well, because a while ago nobody understood about things that they hadn’t seen yet, so they believed that the gun people took with them (London) were rods that shot lightning.

Before we went to London I read a book about Queen Elisabeth the First and her family before she was queen. Then when we visited that places like the Tower of London, where that story had taken place made it more exciting.

In Italy it was really cool to see how people lived. On the coast they had gardens on the rooftops, clotheslines and delicious home-made pasta. If you ever go to Italy that is the first thing to try. In America we buy all our stuff at the grocery store and we use dryers and dishwashers. I think it’s so cool that they have home gardens because they have fresh herbs and vegetables. So everyone here is eco-friendly, just by their lifestyle. Why not try having a clothing line and growing your own garden. Instead of buying pasta make your own pasta. You save packaging etc.

Paris! Photo Source Nancy Solomon

I also love traveling because it’s family time. I will never forget my brother’s 6^th birthday in Paris. Imagine that, waking up in Paris and knowing it’s your birthday. It was so fun. We went to this awesome carnival with a giant Ferris wheel, bumper cars, be-be guns trapeze trampolines and a miniature Eiffel tower made out of ropes.

I love where I’ve gone and I’d love to see more. I look forward to going to Spain, Poland, Holland, Germany, Mexico, Brazil and Portugal. Maybe even Africa, if I can deal with all the shots.

Relevant Links:

Volunteer family travel

Ciao Bambino family travel destinations