Children that take vacations are smarter. At first, that may sound like quite a bold claim, and it is. But there is science behind it.
Some experts believe that experiences are one of the best ways of improving brain development. They recommend that instead of buying more toys for your children, you should gift them experiences. Ranging from just a day out, to a family vacation. But what benefits do children get from these vacations, and how does it make them smarter? Here is how:
Children That Take Vacations are Smarter
Brain development
There is evidence to suggest that the activities that take place on vacation and the vacation itself can have numerous positive effects on brain development. If you are deciding between a new toy or putting that money towards a family activity, pick the activity. A child will gain far more from spending time at the beach as a family than they would from playing videogames or with their other toys. This is because, during these activities on vacation, the play and seeking systems in the brain are activated. These two systems are naturally present in all children and are closely linked to brain development.
Children That Take Vacations are Smarter
In an interview with the telegraph, Dr. Sunderland stated that every time you take your child on vacation to a new place, the seeking system is activated in ways it never would at home. All the new sights, sounds, smells, and unexplored areas are an excellent stimulus for a child’s developing brain. When you are on your vacation, you will be performing new activities, playing new games, and generally just providing unique experiences. These new experiences, or at least less common experiences, will all stimulate the play system in the brain.
Children That Take Vacations are Smarter
The reason this is so beneficial is that stimulating these two systems in the brain works like a catalyst for learning. A child’s brain must learn how to learn. By allowing your child to embrace these new experiences and learn new things, they will become better adapted to doing that in the future. This can play a big part in their school life. Being better learners can help them become better students.
Social Benefits:
The social aspects of a vacation can help to make your child a more well-rounded person too. Learning about different places and their cultures, their foods, and traditions can be excellent for a child’s development. By meeting new people, from cultures different from their own, they will become more friendly, more well rounded, people. Not everyone is lucky enough to be able to go on wonderful family vacations, but those that are will reap all the social rewards. Being a more friendly understanding person is not just beneficial to their brain development, but their happiness and ability to make friends.
Multi-Generation Vacations are the New In Thing
Children That Take Vacations are Smarter
Improved social skills are directly linked to teamwork and compromisation skills. Children are not born with these skills; they must be nurtured and developed. Once they have them, though, it can help them plenty in everyday life. But their usefulness in school is most beneficial. Being able to work in a group, share ideas, take criticism well, and give constructive criticism to others kindly is important. It is a large part of their school life, working in group projects, and will be a large part of their adult life too.
Happiness
Most of all, happiness. Happiness can be directly linked to time spent on vacations together as a family. It is at this time that we grow closer with those around us when we are taken out of our normal routine.
There is evidence from a study done in 2017 about what makes us feel the most loved. The answer is not material gifts (toys); it is through interactions with others that we feel the most loved.
The best way to develop a loving relationship is not through gifts; it is through spending time together as a family. Spending time together as a family at home is fine, but there is a difference between that and a specific time away together. A vacation away from home, doing, playing, eating, and learning new things together is the best expression of love.
Children That Take Vacations are Smarter
Aside from the obvious benefits of having a happy child, it is great for brain development. Happy children do better at school; they focus easier and respond better to new situations.
This makes their happiness good for them and good for their future. Being a good student at school is very important, of course.
Read more – Do Brain Enhancing Pills Work?
