Family holidays, as we know, are not always as simple as the brochures make them seem. What a lot of people tend to forget is that – although a lot of work goes into ignoring this fact – children are individuals with their own thoughts and feelings. Therefore, enjoying a holiday as a family means trying to get several people to all agree on what that holiday should entail. That’s never easy.

Nonetheless, holidays will always be more enjoyable if your kids share your sense of wanderlust. The joy of travel is rooted in how different things can be, and because children are so often creatures of routine, getting them to enjoy foreign holidays can be a test. However, there are certain things you can do to encourage a love of travel among your little ones, which will add an extra layer of magic to every holiday you take together.

Watch TV shows and videos about potential destinations with your kids

Many kids – and a lot of adults get a buzz out of seeing something or someone they recognise on TV. This is an experience that works in the opposite direction too, as you’ll have noticed if your kids have ever seen a celebrity “in the flesh”. If you’re considering visiting the wonderful seaside citadels of Dubrovnik, or the awesome vista of the Grand Canyon, you might find it useful to watch videos about those places with your kids. Offering them the chance to then see the same things in person will pique their interest; this video of a day-trip to Slovenia’s stunning Lake Bled is a good example of a video that stirs interest.

Commemorate your trips in a way that centres their experience

Any child will get some thrill from looking back at the memories of a joyous experience, and taking pictures of anything from a birthday party to a school day trip will help solidify those memories. If you want your children to enjoy the holidays as much as you do, then it’s worth making them feel like they’re a real part of the trip. You can make a tradition of encouraging your little ones to take a photo of their favourite spots, then hanging those prints in black picture frames around the house. This will act both as a constant reminder of the joys of travel and a way of centring their experience.

Recreate the best parts of the holiday at home

Remember the things you liked best about your earliest overseas holidays? Often, they will have been trips to a resort which involved sampling local cuisine and culture, and this is something that you can recreate on your return home. If your kids fondly remember the “beaver tails” from a family break in Canada, then you can cook them from this recipe as a treat that will become inextricably linked with travelling, and show the rewards that come from wanderlust. Equally, you can get them interested in a new place before going, by whipping up a delicious treat from another cuisine.

While children are often unenthusiastic about a break from their routine, giving them a thirst for travel can be as simple as showing them the pleasures of discovering a new place.

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