There's no doubt that travel broadens the mind. In the case of children, exploring different cities and countries opens up a whole new world (literally!) of adventure.
As a home educator, it's very important to me to travel with my children - away from the constraints of the school curriculum, we are free to go wherever we want, whenever we want. It's a glorious way to learn.
So, last Friday, James, Lucy and I ventured down to London to immerse ourselves in the Christmas lights and buzz of the city and experience the new Family Programme from our host - Le Meridien Hotel Piccadilly, right in the centre.
We discovered that Le Meridien makes children a priority; understanding their need to feel recognised and noticed, their curiosity and thirst for adventure is met by a personalised welcome pack containing LEGO, as well as suggestions for great things to do whilst on your visit. I let the weekend be led by my children so I could really see the visit through their eyes. Lucy was fascinated by all the fallen leaves and the tame squirrels in Hyde Park, whilst James was in awe of the architecture, bridges and the London Eye.
When we weren't out and about, the children were obsessed with the deep blue waters of the swimming pool. They thought breakfast was pretty fabulous too - it was a banquet and a half and almost too much for them to take in. This was topped, however, by a patisserie tea on Sunday afternoon - cue eyes on stalks!
James and Lucy enjoyed themselves immensely and felt really welcomed all weekend. For my part, it's lovely to stay somewhere where children are treated with the same respect and dignity as adults - we all learn better when we feel good about ourselves...
