Family volunteer vacations, once known as voluntourism, are back in action as the global pandemic comes under control. From community service to building homes, environmental research projects and teaching, travelers are looking for ways to give back. The concept of mixing volunteer activities with seeing the world dates back several centuries to the work of missionaries. It really took hold in the 1960s with John F Kennedy’s Peace Corps as a way to see the world.
Family Volunteer Vacations for All Ages
Many organized programs focus on volunteer vacations, close to home or abroad, for the entire family. Local charities have always relied on volunteer help, of course. Now, many welcome short-stay visitors to contribute a helping hand wherever they can. Tourists are welcome as groundskeepers and chauffeurs, for example, if they plan ahead with the Orlando charity, Give Kids The World. GKTW is a short-stay residential village for children with life-threatening illnesses. Those who have “Made-A-Wish” to visit the themeparks head to Orlando. The GKTW charity relies on many volunteers each week to meet their guests’ needs.
Blaze Trails Across the US Together While Volunteering
The American Hiking Society spearheads the annual volunteer effort, National Trails Day. They also run cheap, week-long camping trips with small, friendly groups on trail-clearing and trail-blazing projects. Participants must be able to hike at least 5 miles per day and be accompanied by a parent or guardian unless over 18-years of age. They’ve also begun a popular program of alternative spring breaks for small groups of college students.
Do Conservation Projects on Family Volunteer Vacations
Elevate Destinations is a highly regarded luxury adventure tour company. Their past trip to Haiti was selected as a National Geographic Traveler “Tours of a Lifetime.” Take your family on an adventure tour in one of their fascinating destinations on an itinerary specifically tailored to fit your family’s interests, including local service. They regularly offer exciting volunteer trips, such as an African safari in Kenya where you can work with lion conservationists. Another Kenya adventure gives you the opportunity to work with tribal communities. Participants will learn about tribal skills, traditions and rituals.
Enrich Your Travels with Cultural and Humanitarian Volunteering
Global Volunteers is a non-profit, non-sectarian, international organization based in St. Paul, Minnesota. They have run short-term human and economic development projects throughout the world for over 30 years. Having worked in 32 countries on six continents, they are currently offering projects in 13 countries. A spokesperson says they “have placed hundreds of families in meaningful, educational service projects in nearly all those countries.” Typically, many ongoing projects are open to families traveling with kids under age 15 during school breaks and summer. Tasks include caring for infants and pre-schoolers, teaching conversational English and health care. Active volunteers assist in light construction, building maintenance and planting school and household gardens.
GlobeAware.com is another resource founded by Kimberly Haley Coleman, herself a mother of two toddlers. They organize and offer a variety of one-week international family volunteer vacations. These are service trips whose mission is to “encourage people to immerse themselves in a unique way of giving back.” Families can review upcoming service projects on the Globe Aware website. Get in touch with them to find out if they are appropriate for different age children. Ms. Coleman notes that many young families want their children volunteering at younger ages. Global Aware is committed to developing opportunities where even the very young can participate (such as helping to build a clay stove in a Latin village.) They note that foreign languages and cultures can be easily embraced by family volunteers.
An operator of worthwhile tours called i-to-i organizes TEFL (teaching English as a foreign language) training opportunities for travelers. There are intern trips to a handful of fascinating locations such as China, Spain, Thailand and Cambodia.
Teen Volunteer Vacation Opportunities Around the World
There’s one group with 50+ years’ experience and the endorsement of National Geographic. Because of their science research trips, Earthwatch is respected around the world. Their Teen Team Expeditions are hands-on trips that aren’t only educational. Teens on these trips make a real difference and help the places they visit. The organization offers all the tools, training, and experiences their volunteers need to make an impact. Activities range from snorkeling to tracking sea turtles, monitoring climate change and conserving wild bees. Teen Teams are exclusive to 15- to 18-year-olds and run during the summer months.
The U.K. based Projects Abroad has offered tailor-made group trips for more than 30 years. Join other students, sports teams, or simply groups of friends in traveling abroad to help others. They also offer two, three and four-week summer programs for 15 to 18-year-olds. Projects Abroad gives volunteers the option to custom-design a placement to suit their goals and interests. Groups focus on teaching projects as well as conservation, archaeology, childcare, sports, law, veterinary medicine and animal care, human rights, and other subjects.
Habitat for Humanity offers teens the opportunity to help construct and rehabilitate homes in their communities, across the US and abroad. Habitat for Humanity often has one-day volunteer opportunities as well as longer term projects.
Think Global, Act Local: Volunteer Vacations in the New York City Area
Volunteering opportunities don’t have to come from exotic locales. Often those in need are right in our own backyards. With that in mind, since our backyard is New York City, we decided to scour around for valuable work that students can do any time of year.
Is your teen interested in “learning the ropes”? The Hudson River Sloop Clearwater welcomes 2-4 volunteers for week-long stays to sail, assist and learn from the permanent crew. Participants must be at least 16 years-old during the mid-April until late October season. Since 1969, the Clearwater has offered environmental education and organized music festivals along the Hudson, while working towards the restoration and protection of the river. Once aboard, volunteers may get a taste of everything from boat maintenance and daily chores to sleeping below decks. Sailing experience is not a requirement, and this is a great way to learn.
Junior Achievement of New York is a non-profit organization that bring volunteers together with students K-12. Jobs include helping to inspire, encourage, and engage kids through in-class and after school activities. These programs are designed to prepare students for their future plans and economic success. The program offers daily and weekend volunteer opportunities.
Central Park Conservancy offers a handful of volunteer opportunities, from picking up trash to pulling weeds and painting rails. Participants ages 18 and older must sign up for volunteer gardening opportunities in advance; space is limited. On Family Days, participation age begins at 4 years old.
United Way of Northern New Jersey strives to bring the basics, education, income and health to everyone. Deliver food to elementary schools or help the program develop agendas and initiatives. It’s a way togain important skills crucial for entering the workforce.
We welcome you to share any other family volunteer vacation opportunities you find in the Comments field below.
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Very tasty.
Dubai is a glorious city in the world but the desert safari is most thrilling tour in Dubai since 1980 . This is a great post and great team work .
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Good to know as I have a daughter at 10 YOD and she loves skiing very much.
Seems there are lots of fun for kids in Las Vegas. I have never though about a such thing there. It will be a good option to consider for our next family holiday. Thank you.
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Amazing hotels. I love eco-resort with nature style instead of modern hotels.
Good to read this before I prepare my family trip in the summer.
Good to know this. Thank you for sharing. I will consider this for my children.
Thank you for these tips on how to plan a family safari! I’d like to be able to take my whole family and show them the beauty of Africa. But it always seemed so daunting to plan a whole trip that everyone would enjoy. I mean there’s always the age differences, and differences in interest as well to think about. Just thinking of ensuring that everything goes well planned is stressing me out. That’s why I turned to the internet in search of tips! Definitely will use your tips on how to choose a safari.
Very good tips. We all should follow these tips for a safe road trip. Thanks for the great help.
Thankyou Mr Ralph S for giving precise information on the overland.
i will be travelling for the 1st time from adelaide to melbourne this month end. it will be of grt help.
Soon I’ll be planning a trip to Dubai. Thanks for the information about what’s worth visiting.
Hello Lansdell family! This is a great place for a long weekend of outdoors exploration and a beautiful park. In late May, a new business is opening = https://www.floattheriver.net/ = which will run float trips on inner tubes on portions of the river. I asked some locals and they suggested that after biking and hiking and riding the train, your kids might enjoy day trips to nearby Canton, Akron or Cleveland. Each has lots of Metroparks (the public system of urban parks) and museums, etc to do and see. With some planning, all your days can be as full of variety as you would like. We hope you have a wonderful trip.
How did you get around the Darien Gap?
Very good
Thank you for sharing these warm and touching thoughts of yours! I’ve only been the Belarus once, but I wish I read it before going, something in my experience would definitely be different then. I did use some advise – from the telegram channel for foreigners https://t.me/Belanews but I guess your opinion would be great to consider and embrace too.
Thanks for all the info. We are planning on going in August, and are trying to find a nature-centered vacation for our family of 4, kids ages 7 and 4. We are from Southern Ontario, Canada and we came across this national park. Would you recommend this place for 3-4 days? Is there enough to do (hiking, train rides, exploring etc)? Somewhere else? We also looked at the Smoky Mountains but its about a 11-12 hours vs the 5-6 hours to Cuyohoga. Any advice would be helpful.
That place is really amazing. I want to spend my vacations on this beautiful place. Thanks for sharing this nice information.
I've been there last year. If someone is looking for a nice hotel I can highly recommend to take a look at the Hotel Rappen Rothenburg ob der Tauber.
Such a good information.Nice work.Very useful for us.
The gardens of Suzhou are absolutely beautiful and something that you don’t want to miss while you are there.
Traveling with your children in s Suzhou is super easy and safe. My family had a lot of fun and the kids really enjoyed there time there. One thing they really loved was going down all of the canals. Here is some great information on all the beautiful canals that you can explore.
It looks like a beautiful experience. Turkey is a wonderful country -and the fact that it’s not that expensive compared to other countries makes a visit there even more tempting. Thanks for sharing.
good tips, safety comes first so that our trip may be remembered as a happy memoir when we went to see and explore new places and have fun. and not as a terrifying night in the ER. god bless you all , be safe
Thanks for your insight for your fantastic posting. I’m glad I have taken the time to see this.
Great tips for road trips!
Thanks for posting, very valuable information .
Being visiting is one of the best experiences of my life. Being there and enjoying every bit of time is wonderful. Personally, my best experience is an underground aquarium and desert safari. One visited Dubai must go for these two activities.
Would love this for our family!
We’ve always wanted to go and now they are old enough to enjoy it.
Thanks so much for doing this!
The beaches, the weather, the food, the attractions and the activities- everything was perfect.
I think parents should focus more on preparing or educating their children about the proper etiquette and behaviors before the flight to avoid being a nuisance to others. I don’t know much about kids but as a first-time mom, that’s what I will do.
Hi,
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Seeking for your positive reply.
Hi,
I would like to travel out of the US with my son. I understand that I would need his father to sign and notarize a letter. He had not been a stand up dad to take care of his responsibilities so he left and I can’t find him. What can I do in a situation like that to travel with my son?
happy you enjoyed the story. This park is in Ohio where the climate can be capricious! It’s hottest between late April and November, however even April has the danger of some snow. In case you’re enjoying the great outdoors with children, the most secure wager is June to August, since it’s hotter and there’s little downpour. Make the most of your trek.
Wonderfully informative article!
I want to go travel with kids but I was not decided where we go. Your post is helpful for me. Thanks for sharing.
Tenerife is SO stunning! I love this volcanic landscape, sometimes you feel like you traveled to the Moon. This place has it all – great views, pleasant weather, awesome food, wine and laid-back people. Thanks for sharing ideas, I’ll use some of them on my next trip 🙂
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I automatically think the word “gumbling” when I heard Las Vegas. I never knew that Las Vegas has something to offer for youngsters. Will bring my children here soon.
Nice Article, it is very helpful to me.
There is no Doubt, Dubai is most popular destination among tourists from across the world and have gained high popularity in last decade. If you are in Dubai and dhow go for dhow cruise, there is some thing missing on your list. There are Dubai dhow cruise, Musandam Dibba dhow cruise and Khasab Musandam dhow cruise. Try some of them and you will love.
Istanbul layover tour is a great service to use the best of your time in Istanbul Airport. However if you like to have a private attention and flexibility, you can check private tour services of ISTANBUL LAYOVER TOURS. They are offering the layover tours from Istanbul International Airport.
Great article! Wanted for Christmas again. Do you know anything about this place ? It is very interesting to know the opinions. How much advance it is necessary to book a hotel and various entertainment before the holidays?