What kinds of trips do our students deserve? That’s a question I had never asked myself until I took my kids to see a live stage performance of “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood.”
Before “Bluey” took over the world, the PBS show “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood” was every preschool parent’s best friend. The show was the successor to the legendary “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” and featured many of the relatable characters created by Fred Rogers, updated with folksy, catchy songs and empathetic lessons for a new generation of kids. It was an excellent program that kids loved and parents felt good about.
My kids, like most others their age, loved Daniel Tiger. So when we found out a touring live version of the show was coming to our city, we made plans to take them to see it. They were probably three and five years old.
I have seen a lot of live theater over the years, much of it in the context of my work as a travel journalist. I love the chance to catch a world-class show on Broadway, but I’ve also had some enjoyable evenings at regional theaters around the country. And like most people, I have had to suffer through some less-than-stellar high school plays. But none of those experiences prepared me for what I would see when Daniel Tiger hit the stage.
I’ll be honest, I didn’t have high expectations for the show. After all, the primary audience wasn’t even old enough for kindergarten. Who would bother putting a lot of effort into a production for kids that young?
To my surprise, though, the show wasn’t just good — it was extraordinary. The actors gave authentic and engaging performances. The singing was top-notch. The costumes, set pieces and production values reminded me of what I have seen on Broadway.
As I sat and watched my kids mesmerized by the show, it hit me: The fact that they were performing for children didn’t cause this cast to phone in their performances. It motivated them to do their best.
I realized at that moment that if we want our kids to appreciate great art and culture when they’re adults, we have to give them great art and culture while they’re young. Kids deserve excellent theater experiences just as much as adults do.
That principle holds true for travel as well. Students deserve to have high-quality, impactful travel experiences. They deserve the best we can give them. After all, if we want them to be avid travelers as adults, we have to introduce them to great travel experiences while they are young. We have to teach them that travel is something worth loving.
Here at The Group Travel Leader, we endeavor to play a small part in that effort each April in our annual student travel issue (see the story Spring Break Favorites for Students). We want to help you find inspiration and ideas for amazing student trips. And we hope the trips you plan for student groups impact your travelers us much as student trips once impacted us.
There will always be differences between student and adult tours. But one thing that should be the same is the commitment to give every trip your best effort. Because your travelers always deserve that, no matter how young or old they are.
