Do you think a 8yr old child will appreciate europe?

[4774Papa]

We lived overseas while my children were growing up. We took frequent trips, mostly to Europe.

My Daughter was 11 and Son 5 1/2 when we first moved overseas. My Daughter was able to absorb much of the history and culture starting at 11, my Son was not at 5 1/2.

 

I remember one trip we took for three weeks in Italy, Germany and France when my Son was 7 2/3 years old. We had spend most of the trip in Italy and saw may historical sites and ruins, as well as museums. Our first day in Paris, we went to the Lourve, and upon entering the ancient Greece section, with may statutes my Son threw up his hands and said "Oh, no, more naked statues."

 

He is now 35 and loves to travel. He does remember the Sistine Chapel on that trip and was fond of that, but the trip he really enjoyed was our Nile cruise, Cairo, and Israel. He was fascinated at all the temples, but especially the Aswan Dam. He was 10 years old at that time.

 

Kids do absorb much of the history, but earlier than 8 they are not fully there. Between 8-10 years old they are grown into these things.

 

Of course, as cruise has much more to offer than historical and cultural sites. Pick a cruise line that has programs for kids.

[hubofhockey]

Waited until our youngest was 11 and now taking them. I assume we're referring to Med and they learn in school about Ancient Rome, Greece, and other places in the Med. I also think young ones will get a kick out of Barcelona. I wouldn't have considered an 8-year old because it might be a bit of a drag and it could be tough for a kid that age to last a long tough day in the Med. The days are much longer and more grueling in the Med than in the Caribbean. We are bypassing Pompeii for Capri for that reason. But as others have said, it depends on the kid.

[luvmytigs]

We are a family with a 8yr old boy. We have been on a few cruises before but mostly to the caribbean because we like beaches, snorkeling, and scenic island tours. I'm worried that Europe with all its museums and architecture will be a little boring for my son. I think it will be educational for him though. Do you think kids are too young for europe?

My boys ages 13 and 16 have been travelling with us to Europe for 5 years now. At age 8, we focused on Great Britain which gave the 8 year old his entry into his heritage.

 

A couple of years ago, multiple stops at ruins in Greece did not go over well yet in the same summer, 2 days of touring churches, palaces and sites in St Petersburg was loved. When we use an engaging local guide the boys (and adults) enjoy the tours. When we dont, it is "boring" they complain and we are miserable. Dont miss the "must see" museum sites but keep those visits brief. Interchange touring with fun--a swim in the ocean, a jeep tour, something active and lots of gelato! My teens are very proud of their trips and manage to repeat back facts that I didnt think they heard. If we could just get the picky eater problem solved with the now 13 year old....

[nparmelee]

My first trip to Europe I was all of 1 and remember nothing of it, my Mum was from England and they took me to meet family or for family to meet me. Second trip I was 5, turned 6 there and my baby brother was 4. We both still have fond memories of that trip, I have more memories than he does as would be expected. I still remember a bull fight in Spain and closing my eyes at the end when the bull was killed as well as wandering way out on a long beach stretch during a low tide and asking the waiters in Mallorca for leche for my morning cereal and the tooth ferry giving me a US $5 bill for a tooth I lost the night before my 6th birthday. I've been back at least once a decade ever since, seem to get there more and more as I get older, and still love it. It all depends on the kid in question. For me, it helped give me a love of history and an ability for languages and accents. Dad always said I had an older soul so maybe that was why I loved it so much.

[hubofhockey]

One other thing to consider is how many trips do you plan to make to Europe with your kids. If you are only going to take them once, wait until they are older and will get more out of it and appreciate it more. If its something you want to do every year or on a regular basis, the answers might be different. We take our kids on a cruise every other year. They are 13 and 11 and this is THEIR Med cruise (combining a couple days in Ireland). The cruise is in two years is the Allure of the Seas to the Eastern Caribbean. They will each go to Israel with groups of kids their own ages when they are 16. Maybe we'll do another trip with them somewhere else in Europe. But some here just vacation with kids and go to Europe with them all of the time. So we all have our own frames of reference. For our one trip to the Med with the kids, I wouldn't do it when they were 10 & 8 but would at 13 & 11 because they're only getting one trip to the batter's box and I want to make sure they get more out of it.