Hot spots to visit with your kids before they grow up

Stef Zisovska
Kid with a dolphin
Kid with a dolphin

The first things kids learn in life come from their parents. The rule also applies to the kids’ travel taste, love for outdoor sports, joy of exploring nature, and being ecologically aware. What you teach your kids before they grow up will form the foundation of their personalities when they grow up. To help you do a great job, there are some incredible hot spots in and out of the country that you should visit with your kids while they’re still little. Fun, stunning views, animal spotting, and countless outdoor activities are what every kid needs. Here are some suggestions on where to travel with your children.

Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming/ Idaho/ Montana

Hot spots – Grand Prismatic Spring
Hot spots – Grand Prismatic Spring

Yellowstone is America’s first national park, but the most magnificent as well. You will never find so many hot springs and geysers in one national park anywhere else in the world. Take your kids to the Visitors Center of the Grand Prismatic Spring where they can pick up an infrared-thermometer gun that takes readings of thermal pools when pointed at the water. Or check out the cone geyser named Old Faithful that shoots hot steam into the air every 90 minutes. The steam reaches 185 ft. in height which is tremendous to watch. Your kids will love it.

Grand Canyon, Arizona

Hot spots – Grand Canyon
Hot spots – Grand Canyon

There are not many things in the world that can be compared with the feeling that one has while standing on the edge of the Grand Canyon. This experience will be great for your kids because they will realize how impressive nature is and that we are just a tiny part of it. Also, you can pick a hike suitable for your kids’ age and give them a geology lesson by showing them all the layers that make up the Grand Canyon.

Grand Cayman Island

Green sea turtle in lagoon at Cayman Turtle Farm – Author; Lhb1239 – CC BY-SA 3.0
Green sea turtle in lagoon at Cayman Turtle Farm – Author; Lhb1239 – CC BY-SA 3.0

If what you like is a tropical vacation, why not take your kids to the Caribbean and introduce them to the magnificent underwater world around the Grand Cayman Island? There is no reason not to show your little ones all their favorite cartoon characters, but alive in their natural habitat. The water around Grand Cayman is clear like in a swimming pool, so this place is perfect for snorkeling and diving. Family-friendly activities can be found all over the place and your kids will enjoy them. Swimming with gentle fish species and hand feeding them will be an unforgettable experience for your kids.

Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

Blue-footed booby – Author: Marc Figueras – CC BY-SA 3.0
Blue-footed booby – Author: Marc Figueras – CC BY-SA 3.0

The place where Charles Darwin developed his theory of evolution, the Galapagos Islands lie offshore of Ecuador in the Pacific Ocean. All of the islands have different environments and animals that live here developed in a way specific to each one’s particular environment. There are no natural predators around, so your kids can swim freely around giant turtles and dolphins. Sunbathing with the seals is the most common thing to do, and everybody loves it. The best way to explore the islands is to book a week long island tour with a professional guide. You will visit all the islands, learn about the marine life around the islands, see colonies of lizards, and admire the endemic blue-footed booby bird. What else could you want?

See Orcas in the Wild, San Juan Islands, Washington

Two killer whales jump above the sea surface, showing their black, white and grey coloration. The closer whale is upright and viewed from the side, while the other whale is arching backward to display its underside.
Two killer whales jump above the sea surface, showing their black, white and grey coloration. The closer whale is upright and viewed from the side, while the other whale is arching backward to display its underside.

As kids, we all want to swim with whales and some of us still have that wish. Swimming with Orcas is maybe not for kids, but seeing them definitely is. San Juan is the largest of the islands and pods of Orcas can be spotted from a boat or even from the shore. Instead of taking your kids to SeaWorld to see the animals in captivity, take them to see how the whales live free. Sea lions, otters, bald eagles can be seen as well. Good luck!

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We live in a beautiful world, get out there and enjoy it. Outdoor Revival – Reconnecting us all with the Outdoors.

stef-zisovska

stef-zisovska is one of the authors writing for Outdoor Revival