Travel

Where to Take Children of all Ages – Disneyland to Whitechapel

As a parent with children of a wide range of ages, organizing a family trip to suit everyone is nigh on impossible. What is age appropriate for a five-year-old is almost certainly going to bore an 18-year-old senseless.  While something the teenager might pick could leave the infant with nightmares for weeks.  Although personally I think Disneyland works for everyone!!!  Well we thought so anyway after the kids and ourselves had a fab time at Disneyland Paris.

Knowing where to take children is a problem that all parents are faced with on multiple occasions as their offspring grows older. At one moment you are changing their nappies, the next they are passing their driving test.  Time flies and it can be hard to keep up.

To help you, parents, we have put together our list of places to take children on a family day out based on age range.

Babies (0-1 Years)

At this age, you don’t want to stray too far away from home. That means that heading on a plane is out of the question – besides, young babies do not contend well with the pressure on their little ears. Picnics down the park in the spring/summer time are ideal, especially as older children can entertain themselves with a football or playground.

Toddlers (2-3 Years)

This is certainly a difficult age as while you really want to take them on trips that leave everlasting memories; at this age, they are just a smidgen too young to really appreciate it. We advise keeping your family trips domestic but don’t be afraid to venture further up the motorway and stay overnight. A holiday park makes for the perfect destination.

Infants (4-5 Years)

Between four and five years old is where you can really start planning those once in a lifetime trips. They are old enough to appreciate what is going on around them and form opinions of their own. You might want to think about that trip to Disneyland at this age.  They will almost certainly be familiar with Mickey Mouse and the gang. As everyone loves Disney, whether they openly admit it or not, this is a trip for all the family!

School-Age (6-8 years)

At this age, planning family holidays becomes more difficult and expensive as you are confined by term times at school. July and August are peak times for summer holidays with families from all over looking to get their fill of sunshine before the schools re-open. Spain is one of the cheapest countries to travel to.  With a plethora of all-inclusive hotels welcoming tourists it makes for a fantastic family holiday.

Pre-Teen (9-12 Years)

If you are on the prowl for a day out as opposed to a full-on holiday, at this age children have a lot of energy and want to be as active as possible! Activity centres make for a great place to take the children, with mums and dads able to sit down and enjoy a nice cup of tea or coffee as the little ones wear themselves out. Add in a trip to the bowling alley and/or the fair and you have the ultimate kid’s day out.

Bowling

Young Teens (13-15 Years)

This is the age when they begin going through changes and aren’t as open to being seen out and about with mum and dad. They would much prefer walking around town with their friends than going to the park with their parents, but that doesn’t mean you cannot twist their arm with a day at a theme park. Big rollercoasters and rides galore tick all of the boxes when it comes to young teens.  Disneyland Paris has some thrilling rides like Space Mountain: Mission 2 and The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.

Older Teens (16-19 Years)

As your children begin to enter the realms of adulthood, they will soon be thinking of flying the nest and embarking on a life all of their own. As parents, you want to cherish these moments and make the most of having a full nest. It also means that you can begin to take them on trips that are designed for those a little older, so that gruesome tour in London following Jack the Ripper or looking into the more sinister side of history isn’t out of the question.

We hope that this list helps you to plan the perfect family day out and/or holiday, no matter the age of the child you are aiming to please!