‘The passport is the new diploma’
– Keith Bellows, Editor of National Geographic and Father of 3
Travelling exposes us to new environment and culture; encourage us to learn and absorb new knowledge about the world around us.
A U.S. Department of Education study by Dr William Norman found that kids who travel over vacation, regardless of where they go, performed better in reading, math and general knowledge than their peers who did not.
The results of the above studies are quoted below:
1) children that traveled with their family over summer vacation scored higher on academic achievement assessment tests than those who did not travel.
2) the days spent on family summer vacation trips had a significant relationship with academic achievement.
3) children who visited plays or concerts, museums, historical sites, beaches or lakes, Parks, zoo or aquariums had significantly higher academic achievement scores than those who did not.
Besides the compelling reasons above, family vacations are great time for family-bonding; away from the tv, electronic gadgets (yes, put them away), phone calls and emails.
The next time you need motivation to plan for a family vacation, have a read through on the above points. I’m sure they are convincing enough.
Image credit: Tookapic