The kids have been looking forward to a day of fun with mom and dad but somehow what you consider to be fun doesn’t meet with their criteria. Perhaps it’s because you talk about all the things they can learn on an outing and just the thought of another day in school, albeit one out and about with the parents, just doesn’t appeal to them. After all, they are in school five days a week so why would they want to spend more time learning something when they could be riding pendulum rides or drop towers that scare the pants off the adults but thrill the kids?Perhaps it’s all in the approach.
What Not to Say
Although you know they can have a wonderful time visiting some educational attractions, you should avoid saying anything about learning or education. Sometimes it’s all about discovering how to suggest places to go that will attract their attention. For example, if your kids are interested in UFOs, aliens and Sci-Fi flicks, why not ask them if they’d like to see outerspace through powerful telescopes to see if they can spot alien ships traveling across the solar system?
Your intent is to take them to the Discovery Science Center in Colorado Springs but at the first mention of what they can learn about science in the 21st century, you’ve already lost them. Find a different approach and let them see for themselves the fun they can have learning about things that already interest them.
The Shock Factor
This is a technique that should not be used with young children, but it works well with teens. Perhaps you’ve taken a vacation to Hawaiiand are staying on the Big Island. For the past few years, you have been trying to introduce your teens to the ecology and the damage humans are inflicting on literally every lifeform out there. You are working hard to explain the dangers of littering and some of the things we do as a habit that can endanger ocean life, for example.
The kids want to go snorkeling off the coast, so you plan your first stop on Kamilo Beach that is now thought of as the dirtiest beach in the world. Of course, that’s not where you will end up, but it will be your first stop so that they can see all the plastic and debris that has washed up. Most teens will be so incensed that they will begin learning about how to prevent straws from sticking up the nostrils of sea turtles and making our beaches unfit for swimming or sunbathing. You would obviously move on to a beach where they could swim and snorkel, but the seed will be planted.
Begin with What Interests Them
Most younger kids love animals and are thrilled with a day at a petting zoo. While they are having a great time petting all the animals and giving them snacks sold or provided by the zoo, they can be learning about the natural habitats of all those animals and the kinds of foods they need to be healthy. It’s a learning experience but one that is filled with fun because they will be up close to all those furry animals they have always wanted to touch and feed.
The bottom line is to avoid saying you are going somewhere educational, although that is exactly where you are going! Make it fun for them and use the time wisely to teach them something they need to learn. You would be amazed at just how often those kids go home to begin learning more about what they’ve been introduced to that day. Just don’t tell them you are off to learn something because their first reaction is to rebel.
