For inquiries, contact karen@thedesigntourist.com. This is my official and only email address for business correspondence. Please verify that all communication comes only from that email.

Watch The Design Tourist Airing on

Why Travel is the Ultimate Birthday Surprise for Kids

Well, birthdays have a funny way of starting out exciting and then, yeah, kind of wrapping themselves up really fast. Well, not always, of course, it just really depends on the kid’s birthday party venue. But anyways, like there’s the build-up, the cake, the gifts, and then it’s basically over, and everyone’s back to normal life by bedtime. Well, not like there’s anything wrong with that, of course. Besides, kids love it, of course, they do, but you can almost see the excitement peak and fade in real time. It’s not bad, it’s normal, of course. The toys get opened, the sugar hits, and then the day just quietly moves on, right?

Birthday parties are sweet, but they can be a hassle too, well, expensive, and good luck with everyone showing up to the party. So why not consider travel instead? No, really, because travel shifts everything, because it doesn’t stay contained to a single afternoon.

The Surprise Starts way Before the Birthday

In what way, though? Well, when a birthday gift is a trip, the excitement doesn’t wait politely for the actual day to arrive. It starts early. So, depending on how you do it, you can count on some guessing, asking questions, imagining what it’ll be like, talking about it nonstop, sometimes for weeks. And yeah, that anticipation becomes part of the gift itself.
Now obviously, kids live for that kind of build-up. It stretches the birthday out before it even happens, which, well, yeah, obviously, makes it feel bigger and more important without needing to pile on more stuff.

Those Experiences Turn Birthdays into Stories

Well, you really need to keep in mind that toys exist in the present. But even so, experiences unfold over time. Well, that, and travel gives kids things to talk about, remember, and retell, usually badly and dramatically, but yeah, that’s part of the charm. How? Well, it’s the long drive. The weird place everyone ate. The thing that went wrong and somehow became the funniest part of the whole trip. Well, these are all small examples, of course.

So, what does your kid like? Even doing something memorable, like visiting a water park as part of a birthday getaway, doesn’t just fill a day; it creates a story that kids keep coming back to later. And yeah, stories last longer than stuff ever does. But even a museum is fine, an overnight stay at a hotel, like giving the Home Alone experience with ice cream for room service, could be fun too.

But the Shared Excitement Changes the Energy Completely

Again, it goes back to what was already brought up: it’s that energy, that anticipation. So, most birthday gifts are enjoyed solo, which is fine, but travel turns the excitement into something shared. Just think about it; everyone’s looking forward to it, and everyone’s part of the experience. Plus, the mood shifts because it’s not just about one person opening gifts anymore (it’s a little awkward watching that if you think about it).Now, with that part said, that shared excitement sticks with kids more than people realize. They remember how it felt to experience something together, not just what they received. Of course, it’s all going to depend on their age, but at least looking back, they’ll think of that. And yeah, sure, that emotional layer makes the birthday feel fuller.

Picture of Contributor Post

Contributor Post

Share the post on social media

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Pinterest

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Sign up for the latest travel news and insider tips

[mc4wp_form id=882]

Latest blog posts

Karen LeBlanc

Karen LeBlanc is an award-winning travel journalist and storyteller, honored with two Telly Awards and four North American Travel Journalists Association (NATJA) awards for The Design Tourist travel show. As the show’s host, producer, and writer, Karen takes viewers beyond the guidebooks to explore the culture, craft, cuisine, and creativity that define the world’s most fascinating destinations.

2025 NATJA Award

2024 NATJA Award

2023 NATJA Award

SATW

NATJA

IFWTWA