Hiking

HIKINGOne of the simplest ways for kids to dive into the wonders of nature.

WE'LL get your family ready to go—from a starter stroll along a local trail to a spectacular mountainside trek.

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ESSENTIAL TOOLS
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Ready, Set, Pack! All the gear you need for a great vacay—no matter where you go
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R&R Countdown See how much time's left before your next getaway + download
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TRAVEL TALES

Our bloggers share their family travel experiences with you each week.

Rainer Jenss

Rainer Jenss


Before traveling around the world with his family, Rainer Jenss was a 13-year veteran of National Geographic. During their yearlong journey, Rainer blogged about the. . .

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FEATURED QUESTION

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“How can my kids find real souvenirs — not store-bought ones — when we travel?”

A

When shopping for souvenirs, we only purchase items handcrafted in the country we're visiting. We find out what's okay to take out of the country and we're environmentally conscious. For example, in the Galapagos Islands, you shouldn't purchase anything made with turtle shells, sea lion teeth, or coral.
—Susan Farewell

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Christopher Elliott

Christopher Elliott is the author of Scammed: How to Save Your Money and Find Better Service and writes a weekly column for The Washington Post. His family is traveling around the world, covering the adventure on their blog, Away Is Home.

Susan Farewell

Susan Farewell runs her own travel planning company, Farewell Travels, and is the author of several travel books, including Hidden New England. She is a former travel editor whose articles have appeared in many magazines, including Condé Nast Traveler and Vogue.

Amie O'Shaughnessy

Amie O'Shaughnessy is the managing editor of Ciao Bambino, a leading global travel planning resource for families. The site is famous for its reviews, tips, news, and stories about traveling with children to all parts of the world.

Lynn O'Rourke Hayes

Lynn O'Rourke Hayes, the editor of FamilyTravel.com and Aisle52.com, writes a weekly syndicated travel column for the Dallas Morning News and is a regular contributor to the Huffington Post. She's a mom to three boys.

Rainer Jenss

Rainer Jenss is an authority on family travel, acting as a special correspondent for National Geographic's Intelligent Traveler, family travel correspondent for AFAR.com, and founder and director of Scholastic Parent & Child's Smart Family Travel.

Erin Gifford

Erin Gifford, a mom of four, is the editor of Kidventurous, an award-winning family travel website. Based near Washington, DC, Erin has written about travel for Fodors.com and NBCNews.com, among other publications.

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R&R CountdownDownload the Vacation Tracker and you'll know exactly how many days (and minutes) you have before you snag your much-needed R&R. Feel free to count down other important events, too, like playdates, birthdays, test days, or school events.

Parent & Child Family Travel Widget Download
PC

PC Download InstructionsThe desktop countdown will work on Windows XP and Vista.

  1. Click on PC and select Save when the dialog box appears.
  2. Select the ZIP in the location you saved it in, right-click, and Extract All.
  3. Move the new file VacationTracker.exe to the location you would like it stored and then open it.
  4. Double click on double click on VacationTracker.exe
  5. A "Open File - Security Warning" dialog box may open. Select Run.
  6. Select a date and a theme.

* The desktop countdown will automatically re-launch if you do not close it before shutting down your computer.

Uninstallation Process:

  1. Click on the X on the top right of the desktop countdown.
  2. Delete the VacationTracker.exe and empty your Recycle Bin.
Mac

mac Download InstructionsThe desktop countdown will work on OS X and later.

  1. Click on Mac on the left and select Save to Disk in the dialog box.
  2. Double-click on the VacationTracker_Mac.zip file you have downloaded.
  3. Move the new file VacationTracker.app to a location you would like it stored and then open it.
  4. Double-click on VacationTracker.app
  5. Select a date and a theme.

* The desktop countdown will automatically re-launch if you do not close it before shutting down your computer.

Uninstallation Process:

  1. Click on the X on the top right of the desktop countdown.
  2. Move VacationTracker.app into your Trash and empty your trash.

Rainer JenssBefore traveling around the world with his family, Rainer Jenss was a 13-year veteran of National Geographic. During their yearlong journey, Rainer blogged about the experience for National Geographic's Intelligent Travel Blog—and the blog was voted one of the Top 25 Family Travel Blogs by Babble.com in 2011 and 2012.

Matt VillanoThe dad of two young daughter's, Matt Villano blogs about his family's travel adventures at WanderingPod.com. His articles appear in a number of publications, including National Geographic Traveler and the New York Times. He also writes about business, education, technology, and gambling (yes, gambling).

Keryn MeansKeryn Means is the founder of Walking on Travels, a travel site for adventurous parents. You can find Keryn dragging her two boys around Seattle most days and across the globe several times a year. Follow along on their adventures on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter.

Mara GormanWhen they're not skiing, Mara Gorman and her family can be found hiking, biking, and eating around the United States and Europe. Her travel articles can be found in various USA Today print publications as well as on AOL Travel. She also blogs about the family's adventures at The Mother of All Trips.