Our Family Friendliness Rating Scale
The family Friendliness rating scale is a scoring system created by us at The Navigating Mom to provide a quick snapshot on how kid friendly a destination you might be considering is. This is based on our opinion, looking at a number of different factors as described below.
We consider many different components for each of the below factors, and give each destination a score based on an average of those factors (see our exact process below).
At the beginning of each post we will include our calculated score for each destination, giving you a quick overview of how kid friendly we think the destination is (of course, don’t take only our word for it-keep reading and do your research!)
The 7 Categories We Consider
Hotel & Accommodations
Our first category that we look at is hotel and accommodation options. Where you stay can be just as important as the destination you choose, and choosing a destination that has plenty of kid friendly accommodations can make your trip so much less stressful!
For this category, we consider things such as the location, safety, size and type of rooms available, amenities, availability of cribs and high chairs, connecting rooms/suites, safety features, and laundry facilities.
Eco-Friendly & Sustainability
This category focuses on the eco-friendly and sustainable options and initiatives at the destination. Our site focuses on sustainable travel, and we feel that it is important to include these factors in all decisions made regarding travel.
Factors considered include pollution, recycling options, availability of eco-friendly accommodations, green transportation options, conservation efforts, and wildlife protection/ethical wildlife encounter & tour availability.
Kid-Friendly Activities
This category assesses the availability of age-appropriate attractions and hands-on learning. We feel that a combination of educational and fun/exciting attractions is important for any destination. Since we are focused on outdoor travel, we also consider the availability of outdoor activities for children at the destination.
Specific factors considered include the number of activities, outdoor activities appropriate for children, kid friendly tours, theme parks, parks and nature centers, Junior ranger programs, beaches, and educational attractions.
Dining and Food Accessibility
Food is one of the most important aspects of a destination… do you agree? When traveling with kids, it is no secret that they can be very picky when it comes to eating, and they may not always be willing to try something new.
When considering how family friendly a destination is, the food is a major category that we consider. Factors considered include the presence of a kids menu, chain restaurants, local restaurants, allergy friendly options, restaurant environment, and access to grocery stores.
Transportation & Walk-ability
Transportation is an important category when it comes to choosing a destination for your family. For some destinations, availability of public transportation options is important, while for others the availability of rental cars may be more important. It also includes alternate transportation like walking and biking.
Factors that we consider include availability of public transportation options, stroller friendly side walks, walk-ability of the destination, car seat access, and bike paths.
Safety and Healthcare Access
We all know that accidents and illness can occur anywhere. When traveling with kids, it is important to consider the safety level of a destination as well as availability of basic health and emergency services in case they are needed.
Factors considered include availability of hospitals and urgent cares, emergency response availability and times, pharmacy availability, safety rating scores, crime levels, and travel alerts and warnings.
Budget and Accessibility
Budget is a factor that needs to be considered when looking at the family friendliness of a destination, although depending on the family and available budget may not always be a deal breaker.
Either way, it is always best to know your budget and plan your trip around it. When traveling with children, there may be extra expenses to consider, and that is why we include budget as a category.
Factors considered include luxury only destinations, expensive lodging and activities, more budget friendly options, availability of inexpensive or free kid friendly attractions, family discounts and packages, and public beaches and parks.
How The Score Is Calculated
- Each category is scored on a scale of 1-10. 1 is the least kid friendly and 10 is the most kid friendly.
- The scores of each individual category are added together to give us a final number.
- The final number is then divided by 7 to give us an average score.
- The average score represents the family Friendliness rating scale that we provide in our posts for each destination. The score is rounded to the nearest whole.
***This is not an official scale. It was created by The Navigating Mom for informational purposes only. It is based on our opinions and evaluations of each destination, and represents how we feel about each destination. Always thoroughly research your destination before traveling to determine if it is a good fit for you.***
The Results
Once the scores are added up and divided, we will get a score ranging from 1-10. Below are what each result indicates. 10 is the most family friendly, while 1-2 is the least family friendly.
| Score | Rating |
|---|---|
| 1–2 | ❌ Not Family Friendly |
| 3–4 | ⚠️ Challenging with Kids |
| 5–6 | ✅ Family Friendly |
| 7–8 | 🌟 Excellent for Families |
| 9–10 | 🏆 Ultimate Family Destination |