The Best Time To Introduce Your Child To The Outdoors? It Is Now!

Journeys are some of the best teachers a child can have; An experience at the Tata Coffee Plantation Trails in Coorg, letting a toddler run free and have fun!

A stark difference between the housing societies of a decade earlier, and the colonies of today is the number of children playing outside. One might see children going to tennis classes, dance classes and even the gym, but it is becoming a rare sight to see a kid play using his or her imagination and free will. The merits of unstructured play over structured play have been debated a number of times and there are parents in both camps, but as a new parent, I hope that more kids are encouraged to play outdoors and just be themselves.

Travel is a great way to introduce a child to the outdoors. In my experience, the earlier you introduce travel to a child, the easier journeys become as they grow older. When children travel to new places, they learn that the world is a very diverse place, and not limited to the world they see around themselves.

Down quiet roads at Plantation Trails

A great way to beat this is by choosing to stray away from the known path and avoiding hotels. Choosing to stay at home stays with bed and breakfasts and even plantation bungalows is a great way to ensure that you and your family can enjoy comforts found at home while on a holiday. My tiny family had the opportunity to stay at a plantation bungalow in the Tata Coffee Plantation Trails, Coorg.

A plantation stay is perfect for a family travelling with young kids to introduce kids to traveling. The Plantation Trails bungalows are in the middle of a luscious coffee plantation, hence giving the entire family a chance to unplug and relax. The bungalow has limited rooms hence you would be sharing the bungalow with very few fellow travellers. This is perfect as it allows you to be yourselves and not be embarrassed by the sudden toddler tantrums! A small number of fellow travellers also ensures a great environment for sharing stories over breakfast or a cup of coffee.

A small number of fellow travellers also ensures a great environment for sharing stories over breakfast or a cup of coffee.

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The grounds around the bungalow are perfect for a child to run around and explore. The plantation bungalow also has a badminton court and a play area complete with swings for children. Running around the bungalow and the grounds would be a treat for any child. Even children who are hooked to their video games and TV would find themselves enjoying the chirping birds and fruit-laden trees, and using their imagination to invest in new games.

Sometimes the right environment is all that is required for the mind to wander and a child’s curiosity to be inculcated. With visits to the ancestral homes and villages becoming scarce, holidays such as these hold much more meaning.

The bungalow also has a full kitchen with staff who stayed on 24 hours, which was the highlight of our stay. An accessible kitchen meant that we could customize the food according to our toddler’s taste without worrying about it being too oily or too spicy. Milk is a must for our toddler and it is an important consideration when we travel; staying at the plantation bungalow meant that we did not have to carry milk powder and could indulge in the real deal whenever the little boss demanded it. The staff at the bungalow were also unlike hotel staff and are more engaging. They are usually open to a friendly chat and are also great at entertaining children.

The quiet of the night, the chirping of the crickets and the flights of the fireflies are sometimes all that is required for a young family to spend some quality time with each other without the interruptions from a beeping phone or a laptop screen.

The earlier children are taught to enjoy travelling and being outdoors, the sooner they would learn to appreciate nature and develop their curiosity. Children can be encouraged to play simple games of gathering sticks and drawing on the sand to develop their imagination. Travelling to places such as Coorg, which sits in the lap of nature is a great way to enjoy a holiday as a family.

This post was made possible with the support of Tata Coffee Plantation Trails. Plantation Trails’ is Tata Coffee’s Hospitality Brand, offering unique Heritage and Luxury Bungalows in the Coorg. Situated in the middle of picturesque tea and coffee plantations, these bungalows offer a true ‘Plantation Experience’ for guests. Owned and managed by Tata Coffee which has a history of over 85 years in the region, these spacious but cozy bungalows, offer personalized cook and butler service and are a perfect blend of an heritage building and comforts to make your stay enjoyable, thereby making them a perfect getaway from the harsh city life.

As part of the experience guests enjoy guided bird watching tours, nature walks, and a guided jeep drive through plantations. Guests also receive firsthand information on how coffee is processed from bean to cup. Other activities include a private 9-hole golf course, badminton, table-tennis, trekking, boating, and white water rafting during season only.

You can follow Plantation Trails at Facebook or Twitter too, to stay updated for the best offers for nature-loving travellers.

All the images used belong to the author.

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