4. Make the most of down time

Magic Kingdom Bench

Theme park vacations naturally include a lot of down time, whether you’re waiting for the parade, waiting for your dinner reservation, or just waiting in line. Don’t zone out with your phones during these valuable moments. Use them to connect and add some educational flair to your vacation.

Most ride queues at Disney are brimming with things to see. Look for little clues to the story behind the attraction and challenge your kids to put it all together and decipher what it means. As you approach Expedition Everest, you can learn a lot about the elusive Yeti you’re tracking. Newer interactive queues, like that for the Haunted Mansion, offer intriguing puzzles you can ponder.

If there’s nothing to see or do where you’re stuck, keep a Disney trivia book or guide book on hand. Have younger children practice their reading skills by reading aloud about the different activities you have planned for the day. Older kids can dig through the text for interesting facts to quiz parents and siblings on.

5. Follow up during meals

Meal time is another excellent opportunity for connecting with kids and making sure your vacation offers some educational opportunities for them. This is the perfect time to quiz them on things they’ve seen and experienced earlier in the day. Challenge them to remember specific facts that they’ve heard, such as animal trivia from Kilimanjaro Safaris, or facts about various countries you experienced in World Showcase.

If you’re dining somewhere with an unusual menu, don’t pass up on the opportunity to learn about that, too. Younger children in particular can have a lot of fun trying different items on a buffet and describing the colors, textures, and flavors.

6. Make it a game

Jungle Cruise Live Cargo Area

With a little planning, you can turn your vacation into a fun scavenger hunt. Create a list of interesting and educational details to look for throughout the park. If your party splits up at some point during the day, you can compete to see who can find more items on the list. Consider including things like specific animals at Animal Kingdom, landmarks in World Showcase, historic features in Liberty Square at Magic Kingdom, or artifacts from Walt’s life at One Man’s Dream in Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

It’s ok if you don’t have a list of specific items to look for. Vague descriptions work as well, and offer even more room for creativity. Something like “an imported artifact” leaves lots of possibilities. At the end of the day, you can compare your finds and learn even more about the parks and their history.

You don’t want to get bogged down in text books and work sheets, but there’s no reason you can’t make your vacation interesting and educational while keeping the day lighthearted and fun.