5 of 20

Write now Article Tools

Planning a family outing or vacation is another great tool for helping children use math. You can either give them a budget in which everything needs to fit, or you can have them simply figure out how much money you will need altogether.

Start with a discussion about gas prices. Figure out the mileage to your destination and home again. Then with the price of gas, figure out how much money you will need for gas for your trip. For example: say your car gets an average of 30 miles per gallon, and you are traveling 300 miles round trip. You know that you will need 10 gallons of gas. If the gas prices in your town are $2.50, then you will need a total of $25.00 for gas.

Now you need to discuss food - how many meals are you going to eat out? What kind of restaurants are you going to go to? Will you pack your food in a cooler? Estimate how much each meal will cost per person and add it all up to find the total estimated food budget for the trip. Also, discuss the concept of an estimated budget. The cost may be higher or lower depending on where you actually stop and eat.

You also need to think about what you will do when you get to your destination. How much money will it cost to do the things you want to do while you are there? Get those travel books out or get on the Internet and research what there is to do. What about souvenirs? How much extra money do you want to set aside for shopping?

Finally, what about your lodging? Where will you stay? How much does that cost each night?

Getting your children involved in planning your outings or vacations will show them how math has a part of any of the exciting things they do. Getting them involved will also teach them to make decisions on how to spend money. If you stay in the 5 star hotels, you may have to choose to eat at cheaper restaurants or buy fewer souvenirs. By involving your children, you will help them become better problem solvers and decision makers. This will also allow you to help your children learn how to budget money and save and spend wisely.

Learn more about this author, Jennifer W..
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

Add your voice

Know something about Letting your children help with vacation planning?
We want to hear your view. Write now!