Hi! Spring is here in Paris, and with the French President’s announcement on how to progressively re-open France, I’m feeling the travel itch big time! Even my KIDS are feeling it – the questions about when we can take a train / plane / car to go on a trip are now daily occurrences!
One of my favorite family travel tips is on how to get your kids excited and invested in your trip. It can be hard for kiddos to follow along from museum to monument to garden – any parent knows they can get tired and bored at the drop of a hat. One thing that always gets my kids’ attention is letting THEM be the trip photographer for a while! They get a kick out of being behind the lens for once, and it is very cool to see what captures their artistic eye – sometimes kids will find great shots we would not have considered!
I would recommend using a low tech camera (no fancy or expensive ones to avoid stress!), like this 2 pack of disposable ones on Amazon (YES! They still exist!!!). You could order in advance, and then save the camera in your travel bag for when your out and about and complaints start :) Another option is the FujiFilm Instax Mini , which we brought along on a park outing the other day. This is really fun since the vintage style photos instantly appear. A last idea is to bring along an old phone and let them go crazy with unlimited digital photos, unlike the first two options.
Once you’re back home, your child will probably enjoy looking through their photos and talking about their favorite memories. You could even offer to print their favorites for them to hang in their room or create a scrapbook of the trip!
Bonus – you can use this as an introduction to photography to talk about subject and framing! Who knows, this experience could lead to a new hobby or even career!