With schools finished for summer, many families will be jetting off on a family holiday with plenty of plans on how to spend their time off. Whether you’re thinking of spending the week relaxing by the pool, exploring new towns, or adventuring in the countryside — here are some ideas for creating a truly memorable family holiday.
Research beforehand
…and turn the process into a family activity (of course, this doesn’t work too well with very young children). Buy a guidebook or start researching online the traditions, language(s) and history of the country you’re visiting. Whether it’s a local delicacy you’d like to sample, historical monument you want to explore or pleasantries to exchange —make plans before you travel to build excitement pre-flight.
Give the kids a camera
Depending on age the pictures might not turn out particularly well — but there’s sure to be hundreds, and surely they can’t all be terrible? You’ll get to see the holiday from a different angle, although perhaps a blurrier one too. For younger kids, task them with capturing a certain theme each day of the holiday — be it boats, statues, butterflies, fish, or even breakfast. After the holiday you can select and print favourites.
Get scrapbooking
Perfect for holiday photos, pick up mementos such as tickets, postcards, pressed flowers and receipts each day of your holiday. You can then complete the scrapbook with favourite memories and funny stories. If you’re staying in a villa, writing a short journal makes the perfect dinner-time activity.
Share the day-trip decisions
If you’re feeling brave, handover some of the decision making to the kids. Give them several options for day trip possibilities and give them a day (or two) where they get free rein over what the whole family does for that day. You might find yourself going on adventures you never imagined you would — just don’t complain to us when you find yourself zorbing on a mountainside!