TravelPhases - Family Vacations for the Time in Your Life. Adding extra value to your own family vacation may be just as easy as getting the timing right. With any family vacation age matters and that knowing when to go and where to go makes a difference in having a great family vacation or an exceptional one. 

Vacation planning is not an exact science and with kids involved the possibilites seem endless even if your budget is not. Narrowing the list by using age as a factor makes sense and for parents who desire to combine family fun with learning, the investment will yield success and the memories will be priceless. 

  
As a frame of reference for combing learning and family fun on vacation I have found one series of books extremely helpful – Cultural Literacy and Dictionary of Cultural Literacy by E.D. Hirsch, Jr. are perhaps the most popular in the series. And even more valuable for vacation planning, I have found the books targeting grade levels to be even better because they provide specific information and hence many ways to create a family vacation with extra fizz. For example in the What Your Third Grader Needs to Know you will find Massachusetts and the Pilgrims, Jamestown and the Colonies, Canada and the Vikings, Romulus and Remus, Anasazi - the Cliff Dwellers, and countless lessons relating to the arts, science and nature. Each one an excellent topic for dinner converstaion and all with family vacation potential. Why bother?

 
Here’s the scoop. Educational travel has a clear positive impact on children’s academic performance and career growth, according to a new survey by The Wagner Group, conducted as part of the Travel Effect campaign. The "Travel Improves Educational Attainment & Future Success" survey revealed that adults who took learning-focused trips with their parents when they were between the ages of 12 through 18 had higher academic achievement, achieved higher grades, and enjoyed greater incomes than those who did not travel. Adults who traveled in their youth were more likely to graduate from high school, and 63 % of that group went on to graduate from college, according to the research findings.

“Not only did we see a considerably higher graduation rate among students who traveled, but as adults, they earned 12 percent more annually,” said Dr. Jeffrey Wagner, president of The Wagner Group.

Families deserve the very best from their vacation experience but sometimes if the timing is off by a year or two what seemed like a great idea becomes less rewarding. Because of this we have created Family TravelPhases, a grouping of vacation suggestions and activities designed to match age categories of family travelers. The idea is simple. When considering vacation ideas start with TravelPhases and see which group best suits your family. 

  
Family TravelPhases - Vacations for the time in your life.
New Beginnings: Children from six weeks - five years of age. Never too early to begin, travel with this age needs to be at an easy predictable pace, less is more. In the early years it is the parents that need the break, not the kids.

 
School Rules: Children six - 12 years of age.  Prime years to combine family vacation togetherness and learning experiences.  Our website provides a wide range of ideas that nurture the human spirit and bring families together to create memories that will last a lifetime.

What's In It For Me (WIIFM): Teens 13 - 18 years of age.  Tune in to WIIFM for vacation success. During these years it is essential to be on the same wavelength and to match travel choices to interests. Our website provides vacation ideas that allow independence and togetherness to happen without hassles. 

Transition Years: 18 years +. This phase specifically relates to adult family combinations and when, where and how to vacation separately together combining individual interests with family bonds. It includes special occasion or celebration trips, student travel and wedding options.

Generation Bond: Two generations. Family vacation ideas for grandparents and grandkids. The needs of this phase include balancing age spans and finding ways to connect. 

TravelPhase Mix: This category is reserved for vacations with three or more generations. This category provides choices that have plenty of flexibility and options for all ages. It also includes a few family reunon ideas. 

  

Content by Nancy Nelson-Duac, Curator of the Good Stuff for the Family Trvael Files.com. Top image ACE Adventure Resort, New Beginnings courtesy Jellystone Campgrounds, and Transition Years ziplinCE Adventure. Copyright updated 2018.