Gavin and Jake have a really big thing for YouTube. Lately, they have found Toy Lab TV who has 1.2 Million Followers. This boy, LB and his Dad, Aaron teach our kids better than any school every could, in my opinion. Within one week, Gavin and Jake are drowning in Dinosaur knowledge… including knowing who Chris Pratt is AND totally into Jurassic Park. (The same kids who won’t watch a Disney movie because they are too scared watch T-Rex biting someone’s head off.
Since we are in Orlando this week, the Theme Park capital of the world… I remember as a kid driving down I-4 towards Bush Gardens and always seeing these life size dinosaurs on the side of the road. Dinosaur World. We drove the hour and a half from Lake Mary down to Lakeland and went. I bought the upgraded tickets, $22.75 for adults and $18.95 for kids 3-12. These tickets included gem mining and dinosaur bone excavating.
Let me remind you, after being away from living here in Florida since 2009, the heat, it is hard. It is really flipping hot and humid and of course all these parks are outside. We ventured into the wild jungle and named off all the dinosaurs.
I was pretty impressed with how huge the bags of dirt were for us to use in the mining stream. The boys did a really great job mining and left with quite the load. Back at the hotel, we classified all the stones with the sheet that they gave us.
The park does not have ANY food to buy, so be sure to bring a picnic and LOTS of water.
We stayed there about 2 hours and then left. There was also a T-Rex game show and a cave tours but the times didn’t really match our visit. I would say there were close to 200 dinosaurs in the park along with a very large puzzle and a HUGE play ground.
We drove back to Orlando and picked Daddy up from work. One of Daddy’s co-workers Patrick LOVES dinosaurs too. When Gavin showed his love of the animals, Patrick brought the boys a present the following day. A Dinosaur flashcard set and mini figurines from Target. Gavin really impressed me and could name about half in the pack.
One of the things I am most excited about homeschooling/worldschooling is embracing their interests, and since there are only three of them who play together all the time, they’re interests are similar.
We are going to have SO much fun!
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Book direct flights when possible. Bring far more snacks than you think you need. Download everything offline before the flight. Request a bassinet seat if your child is under 2. Board early but let kids run in the gate area right up until boarding. And pack a change of clothes for yourself as well as the kids.
Get to the local time zone as quickly as possible. Keep kids awake until a reasonable local bedtime the first day even if it is hard. Get outside in natural light. Avoid long naps that reset the wrong clock. Younger children often adjust faster than adults. Give it 3 to 5 days.
The best travel stroller balances weight, fold size, and durability. For most international travel a lightweight umbrella stroller or a compact fold stroller that fits in overhead bins is the right choice. Heavier jogging or all-terrain strollers make sense for specific destinations but are impractical for city travel and public transport.
Lower expectations for productivity. Have a plan but hold it loosely. Build buffer time into every transition. Let the kids lead sometimes and see what they find interesting rather than always directing the itinerary. And remember that the hard moments make the best stories.
There is no minimum age. Babies travel internationally constantly. The question is what is manageable for your family and what will everyone get out of it. Travel with infants and toddlers is physically demanding but absolutely doable. Most parents find each stage of childhood offers something different and valuable from travel.
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