How to Get Kids Excited About a Holiday

Half the magic of a family holiday happens before you leave home. A child who's genuinely excited about a trip is calmer on the journey, more adventurous when you arrive, and far more likely to remember it fondly. Here's how to get kids excited about a holiday — gently, and without a screen in sight.

Start a simple countdown

Young children have a shaky grasp of time, so ‘we're going on holiday' means little until it's suddenly happening. A visual countdown makes it real: a paper chain to tear a link off each night, a sticker chart, or a little calendar to cross off. The ritual builds anticipation and gives them a comforting sense of what's coming.

Explore the destination together

Curiosity is the fuel of excitement. Look at pictures of the beach, the pool or the mountains. Find the place on a map or globe and trace the journey. Watch the aeroplanes go over and talk about flying. The more familiar the destination feels, the more they'll look forward to it — and the less daunting the travel will seem.

Tell the story of the trip

Children live in stories. Turning your holiday into a narrative — ‘first we'll fly high over the sea, then we'll find our little house, then we'll build the tallest sandcastle' — helps them picture it and feel part of the plan.

This is exactly why a personalised book about your child's real destination works so beautifully. When your little one is the hero who visits that exact place — the cathedral, the cave, the beach they're about to see — the holiday stops being an abstract idea and becomes their adventure. You can even watch a free preview of the book together, which is a lovely excitement-builder in itself.

Give them a small job

A sense of ownership turns nerves into pride. Let them help in little ways: choosing two toys to bring, packing their own small backpack, picking the bedtime book for the trip. ‘Their' holiday feels far more exciting than one that simply happens to them.

Learn a few words of the language

Teaching a toddler to say ‘Hola!' or ‘Obrigado!' is pure delight — and it gives them a thrilling little mission for when you arrive. Practise together in the days before you go and cheer every attempt.

Talk about the feelings too

Excitement and nervousness sit close together in small children. Acknowledge both: ‘It's normal to feel a bit wobbly about the big plane — and it's going to be so much fun.' Naming the feelings helps them handle the newness of it all.

Keep the build-up gentle

A word of balance: too much hype, too early, can tip into overwhelm (or endless ‘is it today?' questions). Start the real build-up around one to two weeks before you go, and keep it warm and low-key rather than frantic. The goal is happy anticipation, not fever pitch.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get my toddler excited about a holiday?

Use a visual countdown, look at pictures and maps of the destination, tell the story of the trip, give them a small job like packing a backpack, and learn a few words of the local language together. Start about one to two weeks before you go.

How far in advance should I tell my child about a holiday?

For young children, around one to two weeks is ideal — long enough to build happy anticipation, short enough to avoid endless waiting or overwhelm.

How do I help an anxious child feel excited about travelling?

Make the unknown familiar: look at pictures, read a story set in the destination, acknowledge that nerves are normal, and give them small, comforting jobs so they feel part of the plan rather than swept along by it.

The easiest way to build the excitement? Create a personalised book about your child's real holiday destination — they become the hero before you even reach the airport. Or read our guide to Mallorca with kids.