Inspiring Mini Explorers through Family Travel

Before having children both John and I had done a fair amount of travel, together we had tallied up 26 different countries and we both knew that when we became parents our passion for travel was something we wanted to pass on to our kids. Together we have had many a road trip, negotiated busy airports, taken long distance trains and overcome seasickness in the Atlantic and we have learnt a fair few things along the way.

As much as we love exploring cities and we really do they can at times be a bit overwhelming and manic, especially when you have small children in tow so right now with the type of family dynamic we have our favourite destinations are those off the beaten path, more isolated, surrounded by nature offering a space to decompress and slow down.

As the world becomes increasingly technology driven it has become a real priority to us as a family to make sure we don't lose sight of the simple pleasures in life such as climbing trees, collecting shells on the beach and making our own fun with what is around us. This is reflected in how we spend our time at home as well with our weekly trips to places like St Fagans, a welsh outdoor museum or our local National Trust properties.

Even though travelling with young children does hold some stress it can also be a great opportunity to reconnect as a family leaving iPads at home and embracing a mindful experience of living in the moment. This can also be done when discovering all the vibrancy and culture of a city space, as long as you do your research first on best places to go with families. We did this when visiting Helsinki earlier this year and loved all the green spaces within the city as well as the islands surrounding it.

My eldest exploring Huntstile Organic Farm 

So what would be our dream weekend break away as a family? Our top three destinations are The Isles of Scilly, West Coast of Scotland and the Channel Islands, all place that offer up plenty of opportunities to explore, discover and learn. We had a fantastic time last year at Huntstile Organic farm in Somerset where we spent a weekend walking through the countryside, learning about why organic farming is important and what it entails, early morning animal feeds and my eldest bonding with the resident dog. Another spot that is always popular with our kids is Cornwall with it's rugged coastline and we are yet to do a family kayaking or canoeing experience which is something that is very much on our family bucket list of things to do as is horse riding along the beach.

With all our family adventures we use this time to enjoy good food, encourage new taste sensations and embracing local delicacies as well attempting to keeping things simple and unfussy. Picnics and Al fresco eating is always something we embrace as well as heading down to the coast with a basket full of goodies and a beach towel followed by some ice-cream will always be a winner. 

My youngest having fun on the beach 

The most important thing for us with any holiday is creating family memories and inspiring that sense of adventure in our kids and it always bring a smile to my face how enthusiastic and adaptable our children have become at the idea of diving into the unknown wether it be a simple low key camping trip an hour away from home or crossing time zones, cultures and currencies they keep us grounded as much as we do them.

What would be your perfect family getaway?


Joules Explorer 2016