( CNN ) -- The Martin Luther King , Jr. Day of Service is inspiring people across the country to volunteer this holiday weekend . But if you 're itching to do more -- perhaps turning your next family vacation into a series of teachable moments about the importance of giving back -- there are plenty of opportunities to make that happen . More than Disney . A trip to Orlando can easily involve service . Just 20 minutes from Walt Disney World is a theme park called Give Kids the World Village . Its 70-acre grounds host 7,000 children with life-threatening illnesses every year . `` We partner with more than 250 wish-granting organizations around the world to help fulfill a child 's one wish to visit the beloved theme parks of Central Florida , '' says Colette Krahenbuhl , a spokeswoman . `` If a child 's wish is to swim with the dolphins , we are the destination . If a child 's wish is to get a hug from Mickey Mouse , we help make that happen . '' The resort relies heavily on volunteers . Since its founding in 1986 , more than 50,000 volunteer `` angels '' have been put to work . Children as young as 12 can help out by scooping ice cream and serving meals , and children who love performing can even be part of the evening entertainment . The minimum commitment is one three-hour shift . Sweat-soaked volunteering . If your family wants a physically demanding volunteer vacation , the Sierra Club and local trails organizations offer unique , sweat-soaked opportunities . For as little as $ 400 , a family of four can spend four to five days with the Adirondack Mountain Club -- meals , lodging ( usually tents ) , transportation and equipment included . You 'll be doing much-needed trail maintenance , and reconstruction projects and your kids will be taught outdoor survival skills . But hikers beware : `` While we know children have a lot of fun on these trips and they are exposed to an incredible experience , it can certainly be challenging , '' warns Wes Lampman , the club 's director of north country operations . The club does n't have age restrictions , but parents are urged to use their best judgment regarding their child 's interest and physical ability . Trips are offered June through October . Chelsea Clinton : We can make a difference . Good works and decent lodging . The Sierra Club offers volunteer trips year-round at some of the country 's top tourist destinations . At Arches National Park and Bryce Canyon in Utah , parents and children can assist in removing unwanted vegetation , while in Marin County , California , families can help protect endangered Coho salmon and Steelhead trout . All meals and equipment are included , but the fee for joining is significantly higher . Helping out next October along the New Jersey Seashore , especially meaningful after Hurricane Sandy 's devastation , will cost $ 595 per person . But if you 're looking to spend a week away from home -- doing good and staying in hotel-style lodging -- this trip may still be a bargain . Pauline Frommer , co-host of the nationally syndicated radio program `` The Travel Show '' and speaker at this year 's New York Times Travel Show , says volunteer vacations offer children what they often do n't get enough of in school . `` As volunteers , children can get down on the ground , '' says Frommer , who recommends Global Volunteers trips . `` They can get dirty . Unlike any other kind of travel , kids will get to better understand different people and their communities and their problems . '' Hiking to help others . Trekking for Kids merges one-of-a-kind hiking expeditions to places such as Machu Picchu in Peru and Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania with the ability to help orphans in those communities . `` Children are increasingly living a multicultural global existence , '' says Cindy Steuart , executive director of the nonprofit travel group . `` By being intimately involved in these service projects , they learn they can contribute to the greater good and make a difference . Our trips teach kids this lesson from the moment they sign up . '' That 's because Trekking for Kids does n't let parents just write a check and have their kids show up . Each participant pays his or her own expenses and commits to raising $ 1,000 . Children have raised money by holding bake sales , asking family and friends for donations and conducting tag sales . `` We think this increases a child 's personal stake in the trip . Kids become more passionate , '' Steuart says . All money raised is poured into the orphanage the family will eventually visit , she says . As you plan your family 's volunteer vacation , Frommer suggests keeping the following in mind : How long has the organization been in business ? Do volunteers come back ? Ask to speak with past volunteers ; they are likely to be candid about their experiences . No matter which organization you partner with , Steuart says your child will likely learn an invaluable lesson . `` They 'll understand the world is not just about them . It 's about how others struggle to live and what we can do to help . I think that 's the kind of world Martin Luther King wanted . '' A life celebrated through service . Allison Gilbert writes about parenting for CNN Living . She is the author of `` Parentless Parents , '' `` Always Too Soon '' and `` Covering Catastrophe . ''
Children with life - threatening illnesses can get their wishes at America 's most famous parks . The Sierra Club and other organizations offer opportunities for families to do good and sweat . Trekking for Kids requires participants to raise money for the orphanages they visit . Kids need to ` ` understand the world is not just about them , ' travel group leader says .