Kids need to play and run. They love to make friends. They need to stretch. I remember back when we started traveling with our kids, I was nervous about how to find our daughter these opportunities. At some point (probably a little later than I would like to admit), we realized that no matter where we went, we could find playgrounds. Pittsburgh? Miami? Boston? California? Ireland? PLAYGROUNDS. It was like a lightbulb went off, and we’ve benefitted as a family ever since.

Kids benefit so much from travel. So much of that is to be exposed to other cultures and learn how other people are similar and different. No matter our destination, when we find a playground, the kids are at home. They see other kids, and immediately interact in socially appropriate ways. Even when they speak different languages, they quickly figure out a way to communicate and establish their own little group norms. I remember once when we stumbled upon a playground in Boston, MA, USA, I picked up on at least four different languages being used by the kids playing together.

For our kids, visiting playgrounds is often one of their favorite memories from trips. “Do you remember when I played fairies with the little girl in the park in Boston?” (She could have cared less about the Freedom Trail). It gives us a chance to breathe, and the kids to play. If you stumble upon them, great! A little research ahead of time will also let you know if there’s a must-visit playground that is not to be missed, but anytime the kids are getting squirrely, just put “playground” into your maps app and see what pops up! Very often, you’re never more than 10 minutes from a set of swings and some monkey bars.