by Ann Palmieri

Created on: September 20, 2008   Last Updated: January 08, 2009

Vacations should be times of fun and relaxation for the entire family, but the kind of fun found at amusement parks is not for young children. As a matter of fact, if you venture into a huge park with a small one in tow, you will be worn out as well as the child. The energy one uses will take a day or two to recoup. Since prices at these amusement giants are sky-high;, it is much better to go to nature for the fun and relaxation; both you and the family will enjoy yourselves, and you won't have to take time off from work to recouperate from the trip and from the expenses.

Nature is better for most youngsters on vacation. When I was young, the only amusement park was Coney Island. It was a grand place to go to ride whirling swings and to swim in the gigantic pool. That was nothing compared to today's amusement resorts. I compare my feelings about amusement parks with those of my once six year old daughter whom I took to Disney World when it opened.

A six year old has a very low attention span as well as energy span. After two hours of standing in line in the heat and riding the teacups and Dumbo ride, she was spent! Any child under the age of twelve should not be introduced to the wonders of Disney. They just don't have the stamina for all the excitement, emotion, and energy that it takes. It was hard enough for me to take it all in and I was twenty-eight!

I learned my lesson fast and did not impose parks like that on her. We enjoyed going to the beach, to swimming holes(some pools), to lakes, to petting zoos, to zoos, and to other nature-like venues. We never went back to Disney until she was in Middle school, and even then, she became quite limp after two hours. She enjoyed the breezes of tall trees along Lake Wautauga in North Carolina. We both saw the beauty of the rhododendrums on Tennessee hills. We enjoyed the ocean's melody at night along the beach at Daytona.

As a former teacher, I recall my students' excitement of trips they had taken to beaches where surfing was the "pull." They also enjoyed skiing on the Colorado Mountains, biking in the Smokies, and water-rafting on the New River Gorge. These activities were the ones that left the indelible impressions on their young minds. They never spoke of the Disney adventures.

Even today, my daughter and I travel together to great places. She loves the natural wonders of mountains, streams, lakes, farms, oceans, and other wonders of God, like the Grand Canyon. I believe as a teen she really enjoyed the educational adventures at Disney and Universal. She loved the fast rides and the people-watching. Of course, teens have a lot of energy to expend, unlike younger children. Leave the large amusement parks to the middle school and high school crowds; opt instead for trips to the beach, the mountains, and the lakes. Hiking and biking trips are also exciitng to younger children as they learn the names for animals, plants, and birds.

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