Savvy Parenting : Getting to Know This Land The Savvy Source for Parents

Summer is a time of explorations, and no one enjoys exploring more than our preschoolers. In these days of far-flung families and friends, many of us are looking ahead to a few trips to see our dear but not so near this summer. The lucky among us may have a vacation journey with the kiddos in the works as well.

We're making plans, pondering travel schedules and itineraries, studying maps, and getting the whole family packed and organized. Whew! In our haste, let’s not forget that our preschoolers want to come along for more than just the ride. Given the chance, they’d really like to get in on the planning too. Naturally, they’ll be making known their fervent desire for a trip to Disneyland, but even if that mecca is not on the itinerary, our little ones will want to understand where they are going and how they’ll get there. This spontaneous curiosity is a great excuse to give our kids their first sense of the scale and terrain of this vast land we inhabit and a bit of its history too. After all, the 4th of July is less than two weeks away!

So, if you don’t have a map of the USA up in your house, now’s the time to put one up. For clever inspiration, see one our favorite Design Mom posts on the subject here. And the children will also be fascinated by more detailed road maps of the localities you’ll be traveling through -- so much so that they'd love to have their own copy to follow along with markers, and otherwise adorn. For first geography and history lessons on the USA, we can also recommend a number of Savvy favorite books, puzzles, maps and other toys. Let’s show our kids what they’re celebrating this Independence Day!

Families are not the only ones heading out on adventures near and far. Being Savvy is also gearing up for a virtual road trip. We'll be revisiting our favorite books about the USA, gathering tips for trips to the National Parks with preschoolers, reading maps with our little ones, and seeking out road trip advice from the veterans. We'll be making lists of fun facts about the USA for the under-five set, and of special spots to visit that are sure to wow a preschooler.

As inspiration for the journey, we're teaching our kids a few odes to America's geography and spirit. As car songs go, you can't do much better than Woody Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land" (listen to Guthrie himself here and Pete Seeger and Bruce Springsteen singing with the crowds at the Inauguration Concert here). And of course there's no grander evocation of the country's geography than "America The Beautiful" (for Beyonce's gorgeous interpretation at the Inauguration, see here).

Happy travels, everyone!

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