Holiday season is well and truly upon us, and you’ve no doubt got a week or two’s sunshine booked in the diary with your loved ones.
Going away with the family is always an interesting experience, certainly one that’s never short of excitement! Keeping the kids busy is, of course, the biggest challenge of the trip. Especially if you’re going away with younger children, you’re guaranteed to have your hands full, but that’s all part of the fun.
So, where to go? What to do? What should you see? Here are three simple things to remember to keep the little terrors from being, well, little terrors, when you’re away.
Keep Active
For many adults, the ideal holiday is one that involves virtually nothing. Lots of sleep, stumble down to the pool, set up a sun bed, maybe a quick splash, nice meal, off to bed. Wash, rinse, repeat. Sounds a decent plan, doesn’t it? Alas, with the kids involved, you do need to switch it up a bit.
Sooner or later, if there isn’t enough going on, the kids are bound to get restless – a sense of holiday cabin fever, if you like. You need to have enough activities planned to keep them entertained and, to some extent, tire them out! They need to be the right activities as well – long walks or hours in a museum probably won’t do the trick.
You can even go as far as picking an activity-based holiday. Camping holidays in France, for example, will offer a different twist on the traditional sun and sea holiday and true adventure for the whole family.
Choose a Child-Friendly Location
Whilst a one-week trip to a remote part of Italy’s wine valley might seem utterly idyllic to you, your children might not be as impressed. Tying into the activities thing, you need to pick a location that’s fundamentally suitable for the kids from the off.
Whether that’s a resort loaded with children’s events or simply a location where you know there’s enough going on to keep everyone happy, the basic suitability of the area you’re visiting should be one of the first things on your mind when booking.
Bring Along Some Home Comforts
Yes, holidays are an escape from the norm, but that doesn’t mean you can’t involve some home comforts, especially if it means keeping the kids happy. Whilst you might sign up to the idea of switching off from the world for a week, your kids will probably not feel the same way.
If bringing along their phones, laptops or any other gadget means they’ll be happy whilst you enjoy some downtime, so be it. Of course, you don’t want the kids glued to a screen all week, and you know best if you’ll be able to trust them. More innocently, bringing along books, toys and games to play together will all help to keep things running smoothly.
Essentially, if you think you’ll need them, don’t be afraid to bring some familiar items for all to enjoy.
In the end, there are bound to be a few thrills and spills on the holiday, no matter how well prepared you are. However, preparing ahead will give you the best chance of a hassle-free holiday. Regardless, family holidays are meant to have their twists and turns, so go ahead and enjoy the ride!
