While there’s a lot that is special about spending some quality time on vacation with extended family – especially after the past year – there are a number of ways that you can make the trip even more special for everyone. Planning shared activities can add to the fun and can also provide additional chances to recall the memories that you’ll create.
While there are unlimited ways to add some magic to your vacation with your family, here are a few ideas to get your creative juices flowing.
Plan Together from the Beginning – I’m a firm believer that planning can be half the fun, and when you can get the family involved – especially the kids – it’s even more fun. If family is spread out, plan some zoom planning parties to discuss vacation plans with the children. You certainly don’t have to do hardcore itinerary planning but why not use the time to discuss what everyone is most looking forward to? Share some photos or ideas for fun things to do, or make it creative and have everyone create a vacation “countdown”. Children especially love this idea (and it helps with the “when are we going”? questions as well). Getting everyone involved gives everyone something to look forward to, and that is such a positive thing right now!
Have Some Shared Activities – In all the excitement of the trip, be sure to also plan time for some special shared times that are more intimate. Plan some grandparent/grandchildren activities like taking the kids fishing, or out for ice cream. Or have the ladies plan a spa afternoon. These are the kinds of things that truly create magical memories, so take lots of pictures while you’re at it, because you’ll want to preserve every minute of these times together. Don’t forget some large group activities too! Something as simple as a game night, doing a puzzle together, or a family game of volleyball is guaranteed to get the laughs going, and the memories made.
Preserve Those Memories – Take pictures. And then take more pictures. Because at times like this, you truly cannot take too many pictures. Just as importantly, make sure multiple people are playing photographer, so that everyone is in the picture (unlike a number of vacations in my family where you wouldn’t actually know I was there because I was taking all the pictures!). Take candid photos and take some special posed ones too. If your destination has professional photographers, consider having some portraits done of the children, and the entire family. Not only will this be great holiday card material, but these photos will truly become treasured, long after the trip is over. Then once you’re home, have a crafty family member create a scrapbook (kids love to get involved with things like this), or use one of the many online photobook sites, to put all those memories together for everyone in the family to enjoy for years to come!
Traveling together with extended family is truly one of the most wonderful ways to create memories that will be treasured forever. Planning for those memories – and making sure that they are preserved – will never be something that you regret doing.
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