Best vacation places for a toddler

I’m very excited to show you some of the best vacation places for a toddler! Today we’re going to take a look at more than five great vacation spots that any toddler would love. Before getting into this list, I’d like to briefly explain why it is so important to pick the right travel destination for your toddler and what factors should be taken into consideration. First and foremost, it is important to differentiate between traveling with your toddler and traveling with any other kids. Toddlers are still in their developing stages, which means that you must do everything you can to make sure that they have a memorable experience. The vacations that you plan with them will set the foundation for how they view the world in future years — and that’s undoubtedly something you want to do well.

As a parent of a toddler, I am always looking for the best vacation places that are fun and safe for him. The idea is to avoid exposing your toddler too much to pollution, with too few stimuli and where we can just enjoy our time off and ignore all the stress.

One of the wonderful things about traveling with a toddler is that it is the greatest journey of self-discovery for toddlers. However, this is also one of the most challenging aspects for toddlers, parents who are on the trip and family members and friends who support them from afar. Below, you will find some of my tips and recommendations for making your next vacation an enjoyable and stress-free one with your toddler in tow.

The best vacation places for a toddler are those that let the child explore, play, and have fun without parents having to worry about their safety. Here are some of our favorites:

• The beach: It’s hard to beat getting sand between your toes and watching your child wade in the water. Just make sure there’s a lifeguard on duty, just in case!
• A petting zoo: Kids love animals, and these are great places for them to get up close with farm animals like cows and goats. Just make sure to stay close by so you can keep an eye on them!
• An amusement park: Roller coasters and rides are a lot of fun for kids, but they’re also a little scary—especially if they’ve never done them before! Make sure you check the safety rating before choosing a park, then sit back and enjoy watching your child scream with delight (or terror).

If you’re planning a vacation with a toddler, you need to know that what makes a good vacation place for one does not necessarily make a good vacation place for two.

If you’re looking for an ideal destination that will please both your child and yourself, look no further than [destination].

For one thing, [destination] offers lots of activities that will keep your little one busy while you relax. You can go on hikes in the mountains or visit museums and art galleries—and if you’re lucky, they won’t even notice that you’re doing something fun!

And don’t worry about how much it costs to get there: the accommodations are affordable and comfortable. You’ll be able to stay in style without breaking the bank.

Amherst, Massachusetts

Age Sweet Spot: 2 to 8 years old

In its large, colorful art studio with lots of natural light, kids create the most amazing projects. They might be tissue-paper collages (like the ones that grace the pages of Carle’s works), layered paper drawings, or a craft that relates to a special event or temporary exhibition.

“My 6-year-old son, Jack, loved making the collages, and he’s not typically interested in crafts,” says Cindy Leahy, a mom of two in Marshfield,Massachusetts. “Our 2-year-old, Kate, played in the space’s toddler area with artsy magnets and blocks.” The museum also has a library with thousands of picture books; stop by there for staff-led storytime. Outside the library, don’t miss an Instagram-worthy photo op: a giant, two-sided Very Hungry Caterpillar reading cubby. Take a scavenger hunt through galleries featuring Carle’s original artwork plus some from other picture-book creators. carlemuseum.org

Legoland Discovery Centers

Multiple Locations

Age Sweet Spot: 4 to 9 years old

Like a cool children’s museum, these centers, located in 11 U.S. states and Toronto, Canada, woo little Lego fans with building contests, short 4-D movies, soft play areas, and building workshops. Some locations also include a Lego Friends area, a Duplo section for toddlers, and a Star Wars exhibit.

“My 4-year-old can’t get enough of the laser ride where he can zap villains in a dragon car,” says Cheryl Eugenio, founder of the Chicago-based blog O the Places We Go. Although tweens are into Legos, they may find the centers babyish. (And if your kids love this experience, consider a subsequent trip to a Legoland Theme Park.) legolanddiscoverycenter.com

The David F. Bolger Playspace

Sarasota, Florida

Age Sweet Spot: 3 to 8 years old

For your budding acrobat, The Ringling (of circus fame) recently opened this imaginative playground that’s attached to its free Bayfront Gardens. Designed by a German manufacturer, the playground features basket-like swings, colorful Bouncing Flowers (aka mini trampolines), and a three-story, 12-foot tunnel slide that kids climb up using nets and ladders. Toddlers will like a house with a small slide and splash area with a waterfall. ringling.org/playspace

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Children’s Museum of Indianapolis

Indianapolis, Indiana

Age Sweet Spot: 2 to 9 years old

The largest children’s museum in the country—with five stories of fun—does a great job of engaging toddlers and pre-tweens in the same exhibit.

“For instance, in the Dinosphere, a parent could help a 3-year-old try on a dinosaur costume while still keeping an eye on her 8-year-old who is talking to a paleontologist about a real dinosaur fossil,” says Kim Harms, director of public and media relations. But the earlier you make the trip, the better.

The museum’s centerpiece is Playscape, a massive exhibit on the third level just for children 5 and under as well as their siblings. Kids can launch balls from the Reaction Contraption, see things fly through the Whirly Twirly Tower, and grab a net and explore the pond habitat. Thoughtful conveniences like hand-gel stations, family bathrooms, child-size toilets, and nursing rooms, right in the space, make the outing less stressful for you. childrensmuseum.org

Gilroy Gardens Family Theme Park

Gilroy, California

Age Sweet Spot: 2 to 6 years old

Started as a tree sanctuary, this park has become a haven for the stroller crowd. “One of my biggest regrets is that I waited until my kids were 4 and 7 to do it,” says Peter Hartlaub, pop-culture critic for the San Francisco Chronicle. “I thought it was going to be cheesy, but it was awesome.”

Most of the park’s gentle rides are themed around fruits and veggies, so your kiddos can twirl in garlic bulbs, spin in strawberries, or hop on the mushroom swings. “You don’t have to worry about teenagers mowing down your kids and there’s never much of a line,” Hartlaub says.

The park also made getting on the rides easier for families with strollers by eliminating turnstiles. It opened a water area where kids might get sprayed by a flower or misted by a pop-up geyser. Check the park’s calendar before you go—in the fall, it’s generally open only on weekends. gilroygardens.org

The Polar Express Train Ride

Multiple Locations

Age Sweet Spot: 4 to 9 years old

Inspired by the classic holiday book, railroads in more than 30 cities nationwide (including Durango, Colorado; Newport, Rhode Island; Williams, Arizona; and Miami) typically offer hour-long rides that feature a reading from the book and a visit with Santa. Many of the railroads also supply a cup of hot chocolate and cookies as well as a gift from Santa—a sleigh bell (just like in the story). raileventsinc.com

Walt Disney World and Disneyland

Orlando, Florida and Anaheim, California

Age Sweet Spot: 4 to 8 years old

Your kids might never outgrow wanting to hang out at Disney’s parks, but there is a short window when their reaction to meeting their favorite characters is so joyful and endearing that it’ll make it worth all the time and money you spent to get there. Economics are on your side now too: If you go when the kids are 10 or older, you’ll have to pay adult prices for their tickets and meals.

For Disney World, use the free My Disney Experience app to find updated character locations.

“You can reserve FastPass+ in advance of your trip: It’s essential to see Anna, Elsa, Cinderella, and Rapunzel in Princess Fairytale Hall—otherwise the wait could be three to five hours,” says Len Testa, founder of TouringPlans.com, a website and app that provides itineraries for seeing the parks. disneyparks.disney.go.com

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Monterey Bay Aquarium

Monterey, California

Age Sweet Spot: 1 to 8 years old

While this famous aquarium about two hours south of San Francisco appeals to all ages, its incredible Splash Zone section—with crawl-through tunnels, textured walls, and low exhibit windows—caters to young kids. Among the 45 interactive exhibits, kids will find pull-out plush eels to play with next to living moray eels; touch pools with sea urchins, abalones, and other creatures; a dress-up area where they can put on a sea-horse costume next to a tank with actual sea horses, as well as games, knobs, buttons, and levers galore relating to sea life. The exhibit also offers Coral Reef Kingdom, a cornered-off padded section for kids under 34 inches. (Combine with a trip to Gilroy Gardens and make it a long weekend!) montereybayaquarium.org

The Crayola Experience

Easton, Pennsylvania

Age Sweet Spot: 4 to 9 years old

The majority of the 25 attractions in this crafty kids’ paradise about 80 miles from Philadelphia are surprisingly high-tech thanks to a refresh last year. Kids can create digital works of art and project them to a bigger screen, use computers to print their crayon labels (with the name of their choice), and generate an image of themselves as a coloring page using a Photobooth. The story of how crayons are made is now partially animated, so it’s more engaging than ever. But despite the digital makeover, double-digit kids will lose interest quickly unless they’re super artsy. crayolaexperience.com

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Keystone Resort

Keystone, Colorado

Age Sweet Spot: 5 to 9 years old

At this mountain retreat about 90 miles west of the Denver airport, kids have their own life-size snow castle to explore when they hop off the gondola at Dercum Mountain. “My 9-year-old’s jaw dropped when he saw it,” says Amy Whitley, founder of PitStopsForKids.com. “It’s elaborate, featuring tunnels, a lookout tower, ice slides, and an ice-sculpture throne. Take a picture on the throne.”