This article is part of the series I wrote on Women’s Web for Plantation Trails Tata Coffee after enjoying a rather pleasant stay at the plantation bungalow in Coorg.

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.  Read further