Family Holiday Ideas For Each Age Group

Settling down and having kids should not be the end of your adventures so we created a family holiday idea list that you can try, and we broke it down for every age group so that your kids could get the most out of the experience.

A family holiday enables siblings and parents to connect and enjoy each other’s company without the distractions of modern day living that is fraught with busyness and life demands.

For school going children, a family holiday brings to life whatever they learnt in history, science or geography class and brings the big world down to size. Think Fort Jesus, the Coriolis effect at the equator and the Mara Migration.

There’s lots to learn and memories to make, so let’s dive in.

Family Holiday Ideas for Ages 1-3

Comprised of the terrible twos and toddlers, this age has kids who are learning how to walk, talk and feed themselves.

Crawling, walking and running helps them participate in an active exploration of the environment. They learn names of objects, they notice shapes and colours and they know how to say an emphatic “No!”

Plan for travel activities that allow your little one to use their voice, hands, toes and feet and employ crawling, jumping and rolling skills.

Grass, sand, mud and other messy surfaces help them learn as well as your constant praise. Avoid exposing them to overwhelming sounds and large animals which may instil in them fear rather than wonder.

What your kids can do on vacation:

Build little castles and structures with the sand at the beach
Let them play with the water as you teach them how to swim in the baby pool
Play on the grass at Karura Forest
Treat them to a full day of trampolines, bouncy castles & choo choo train at Chaka Ranch

Family Holiday Ideas for Ages 4 – 6

This safari themed aqua park is perfect for young kids to develop early sports skills

These kids talk to anyone they meet and form playmates with other kids with whom they share toys with. They are wide-eyed and adventurous and they are always busy mostly doing things you wouldn’t approve of like scribbling on walls or playing with scissors.

They are open to learning music, reading, letters and numbers and their motor skills are greatly improved. Look for travel activities that help them to develop early sports skills. They also need to employ play and imagination as much as possible, two things which have proven to be effective modes of learning at this stage.

Kids who are encouraged to explore their environment at this age tend to have a great interest in sciences later in life.

What your kids can do on vacation:

Join a kids club when you check in at a resort give examples of resorts with kids clubs
Treat them to a morning of fun at the safari-themed aqua park at Pride Inn Paradise
Treat them to Italian pizza and ice cream in Malindi
Ride a quad bike at Chaka Ranch
Feed giraffes at the Giraffe Centre
Check out primates at the Chimpanzee Sanctuary at Ol Pejeta Conservancy
Ride a camel along Diani Beach
Pick sea shells in Malindi and keep them as souvenirs
Watch tortoises and other small animals at Haller Park
Watch butterflies at Kipepeo Butterfly Project in Arabuko Sokoke
View crocodiles at Mamba Village

Family Holiday Ideas for Ages 7-13

Archery at Tafaria will boost their self-confidence and feed their competitive spirit

This is a highly inquisitive stage. These kids are self-centred and want their demands met as soon as possible. Since they regard themselves as big kids it is wise to look for activities that allow them to interact with older kids.

Group events, sports and any activity that requires lots of energy will help them to discover their strengths, have a sense of accomplishment, build self-confidence and enable them to accept their weaknesses when they fail.

Find travel activities that will help your child overcome self-consciousness, self-doubt, overconfidence and moodiness which are all brought about by scary body changes, peer pressure and desire for independence.

Encourage them to keep a travel journal because kids at this age like to write. A lot.

What your kids can do on vacation:

Visiting a Maasai Village and interacting with the kids will expand their worldview
Taking a ride on the Madaraka Express to Mombasa
An excursion at Wasini Island
Bird watching in Lake Nakuru
Archery at Tafaria Castle will boost their self-confidence and feed their competitive spirit
Taking a glass boat ride to Crescent Island
A tour through Kenya’s oldest towns – Old Town Mombasa, Lamu Old Town, Gedi Ruins, Fort Jesus, Vasco Da Gama Pillar
Go rock climbing at Hell’s Gate
A guided horse riding excursion at Kedong Ranch
Visit Nanyuki Spinners and Weavers to learn how wool is dyed and spun into fabric
Learn glassmaking at Kitengela Glass
Taste ostrich meat at Maasai Ostrich Farm
Bush dining at Masai Mara
Camping at Camp Carnelly’s in Naivasha
Rope challenges at Kisames Giraffe Centre

Family Holiday Ideas for Ages 14-18

Push your teens out of the comfort zone with a cable ride at Table Mountain in Cape Town.

If teens are happy during a vacation, then everyone is happy. Teenagers struggle with independence, self-identity and peer pressure more than other age groups.

It is important that they learn how to overcome limitations and develop the ability to adapt to their circumstances.

Encourage them to participate in activities that push them out of their comfort zone during your family holiday and maintain open parent-child communication throughout.

What your teens can do on vacation: