Traveling with kids with ADHD can be both a challenge and a joy. The challenge comes from dealing with their sometimes explosive behavior in a new environment, while the joy comes from the sights, sounds, and experiences that your family gets to share. Here, we’ll look at taking kids with ADHD to the incredible city of London, exploring the remarkable experiences and the incredible changes that can come from the trip.
We had a wonderful experience with our kids (ADHD) in London!
We took our kids to London because my daughter was obsessed with Harry Potter, and we wanted to take her to Harry Potter Studios before she was too old to enjoy it. We spent one day at the studio and the rest of the trip exploring historic London.
What I didn’t realize was that this trip would bring my 3 kids closer together and spark a desire to learn history.
My oldest, Lage (16, ADHD Hyper), spontaneously took care of his youngest sister (8). He was worried she would get lost, so he held her hand while walking across London. He normally doesn’t have time for his little sister, and it was emotional for me to see how much he cared.
My middle daughter Maria (13, ADHD Inattentive) was the one who wanted to go to London to see Harry Potter, but she later said, ”Each day was so interesting that I kept going despite a slight cold and hurting feet! I walked 30,000 steps one day! That’s probably a new record for me!” She was also attentive to her little sister, Frida, and played with and distracted Frida when she got tired and whiny.
Even Maria and Lage had some time to sit and chat when we ate out. Lage, who loves history, explained some historical events to Maria when she didn’t have the energy to read the signs.
My husband repeatedly thanked me for planning the trip because he felt it brought our family together!
Planning a trip to London? I’ll email you our itinerary for free!
Preparing for the Trip: What to Know Before Going
- Research your destination thoroughly to ensure that your ADHD kids will have plenty of engaging and stimulating activities to keep their minds and bodies active. Research areas of London that are especially suited to kids with ADHD, such as parks and outdoor areas with plenty of open space. Learn about local attractions that can help your children stay focused while still having a great time.
- Have an itinerary: Determine a schedule that works for your children and includes activities that will keep them busy and engaged. Having a planned itinerary will help keep your children on track and give them something to look forward to. Planning will help minimize the frustration that can arise from unstructured activities.
- Prepare your children: Talk to them about the trip, its purpose, and what to expect. Explain to them that they must stay focused, listen to the adults, and participate in the activities. Empower your children to be proactive and assume some responsibility for staying on track.
- Pack for success: Pack appropriate clothing for all types of weather, carry healthy snacks and water, and bring books and toys to help keep your children occupied during downtime.
- Monitor your children closely to determine if any areas of London become too overwhelming or stressful. Have a plan of action to help them cope in these situations or plan to leave. We went to Camden Market on the weekend and got out of there quickly. The kids got overwhelmed, and I did too!
- Revisit: Allow time to revisit and explore areas that your children enjoyed the most. This will help build upon their positive experiences. Ensure that the activities are fun and engaging.
Exploring the City: Making it Fun for Kids with ADHD.
- Visuals can be used to help make exploring London with ADHD kids easier and more enjoyable. Have a few pictures on hand to show your kids when you explain what you will do the next day.
- Provide structure: To ensure that exploring London with ADHD kids is successful, provide structure to the day. Have a plan of action for each day and let the kids know what to expect. This will give them an idea of what their day will look like and help them stay focused.
- Mix in some fun: Exploring London with ADHD kids should be fun. Introduce activities throughout the trip that are fun, educational, and still engaging. This could include visiting a child-friendly museum or going to a fun science center. Whatever your child is interested in.
- Use technology: Utilize technology that can make exploring London with kids (ADHD) more enjoyable. Some apps and websites can provide information on locations, maps (City Mapper), and nearby attractions. This can be a great way to engage kids by allowing them to explore and discover new things close to the area of the city you chose to spend your day.
- Be ready for unexpected events: Be prepared for unexpected events while exploring London with ADHD kids. This could include sudden weather changes, getting lost, etc. Make sure to have a plan and be prepared to handle unexpected events.
Learning Experiences: Exploring the Amazing History and Culture of London
- Set a Goal: Before beginning any learning experience, it is crucial to set a goal for the children. For example, some museums have a self-guided tour for kids you can print beforehand. Kids can find all the artifacts in their guide and check them off. Maybe finding all the suggested items is your goal, and when you’re done, you can call it a day. You can’t see everything in the museums in one day, and you may need to decide ahead of time what is most important.
- Create a Routine: Establishing and following a routine will help kids with ADHD stay focused and engaged during the learning experience. This should be a daily structure so your kids know what to expect, even on vacation. We got up at the same time every day and went to breakfast at the same time (When breakfast opened at 7:30). We reserved 1 hour for travel after breakfast and had a set amount of time to see a museum or a historical attraction before lunch. After lunch, we saw a new attraction in the same area before dinner. After dinner, the kids often decided whether to see more or return to the Hotel. This was my plan, although some days, we ate lunch early because the kids were suddenly too hungry to concentrate even though they had eaten a midmorning snack!
- Incorporate Fun: Make learning about London’s history and culture fun. This could include tours of London’s historical sites and monuments, interactive games on their phones that teach about the culture (yes, even on vacation, kids need some phone time), or sitting and coloring or drawing while surrounded by inspiring antiques (Ranger’s House).
- Reward Success: Rewarding success can help ADHD kids stay motivated and on task while learning. Rewards could include treats, prizes, or simply positive reinforcement for their accomplishments.
Making the Most of it: Reaping the Benefits and Life-Changing Experiences.
Conclusion: Taking kids with ADHD to London can be an incredibly rewarding and life-changing experience, allowing them to explore a new city, learn about a fascinating culture, and enjoy new experiences. The planning and preparation may be tricky, but the rewards can be remarkable with a little effort.
Planning a trip to London with kids with ADHD?
I’ll send you a free copy of our London itinerary! I spent over 120 hours planning our trip and reworking the itinerary once we went home to make it perfect for you!
This itinerary will be sent to you one day at a time. The document was 70 pages! It was too big to read in one sitting or send optimally. You’ll receive a 7-day itinerary along with reviews of services we used and a before-you-go to-do list. After the first nine emails which you will receive once a day for nine days, I will no longer email you daily. Generally, I send emails once or twice a month.
Save yourself some time and skip the headache of planning!
You will need to opt into joining my email list to get the itinerary, but I don’t send out emails often, and when I do, I try to send relevant information that you will find interesting.
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