The best family vacations to learn a thing or two

Looking for a way for your family to escape the everyday without worrying about the kids suffering brain drain? Try these vacation options—something for every type of family—that sneak in learning along with plenty of fun.

Also: 7 National Parks experiences kids will love

Captiva Island, Florida

Water lovers:

Sanibel Sea School in Captiva Island, Florida
On Florida’s beautiful and tucked away Captiva Island, Sanibel Sea School offers ocean vacations that are the stuff of lifelong memories. Three campuses on the island offer camps for kids (ages 4 and up) and adults, as well as private programs for families and groups, from April through September and two weeks around Christmas and New Year’s Day.

Younger kids can search for manatees and learn about their unique biology and migration habits; explore the underwater world of dolphins and learn how they view the ocean differently than humans; and discover how the seahorse has earned the nickname Mr. Mom. Teens can paddleboard through the mangroves to spot wildlife and learn outdoor survival skills. The idea of all the programs is the same: to foster a connection with the ocean and inspire lifelong commitments to conservancy among participants.

Octopus pintxo

Foodie families:

San Sebastian, Spain
It’ll be hard to decide what to do first when your family reaches this stunning coastal resort town in Spain’s Basque region. You might want to hit the pintxos bars, where no one bats an eye as grown-ups sip local wine orsangria and sample small-plate specialties while los niños run afoot. Or maybe you want to indulge right away in a lavish meal at one of the areas several Michelin starred-restaurants (three-star Akelarre, perched on a mountainside, also offers private group cooking classes). Perhaps your brood wants to dive right into one of Langua Travel’s cultural immersion programs, which combine language and instruction in cooking Basque classics. Whatever you decide, book your stay at the beachside Hotel de Londres y de Inglaterra,which has soundproof rooms and the lull of crashing waves to put the whole gang to sleep.

Busch Gardens Williamsburg | Flickr CC: Eli Christman

Thrill seekers:

Busch Gardens Williamsburg in Williamsburg, Virginia
Families with the need for speed, twists and turns will love the Roller Coaster Insider Tour at Busch Gardens Williamsburg, where participants get exclusive ride time on five roller coasters, then visit the coaster maintenance areas and talk to mechanics who keep them in tip-top shape, discussing the physics and engineering concepts and how they’re applied to something super fun. Kids ages 14 and older can also head to the top of the lift of the Griffon dive coaster (with speeds of 71 miles-per-hour, the second fastest dive coaster anywhere!) for (literally) breathtaking views. Ages 8 and older can participate without scaling the Griffon.

St. Simon’s Island

Outdoorsy types:

Little St. Simon’s Island, Georgia
This private barrier island—accessible only by boat—has seven miles of beachfront and 11,000 acres of undeveloped wilderness perfect for exploring. While the island contains just one lodging option, families may stay at nearby St. Simon’s Island, then book a day trip and take part in birding, fishing, boating, hiking and traversing the island with expert naturalist guides. Special annual events include Shark Days, when renowned NASA researchers, the University of North Florida and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources lead talks and events, and Turtle Days, when guests can take part in sea turtle monitoring and post-hatch nest excavation.

Best Friends Animal Sanctuary | Flickr CC: Becker1999

For animal lovers:

Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah
Roughly 1,700 homeless pets reside in comfort and safety at this 20,000-acre haven, the country’s largest no-kill animal sanctuary. Visitors are welcome: Best Friends says nearly 30,000 people come to its Kanab refuge each year to meet the animals including dogs, cats, pigs, horses and birds, tour the impressive grounds and maybe bring home a new companion.

Make the most of the experience by registering for a free guided tour. Have a particular interest in only seeing Dogtown, Horse Haven or Marshall’s Piggy Paradise? You can streamline to just those places. Then, earn a little good karma by treating one of the furry residents to an animal outing (take a pooch on a canyon hike, perhaps?). Kids ages 6 to 9 can sign up for a day, a week, or more of summer camp, where they’ll take part in animal educational activities and help care for the pets (who wouldn’t love feeding a mess of wiggly puppies?). Parents can volunteer or simply relax on the sanctuary grounds while the kids stay busy.