The Best Family Vacation Tips

Family bonding time is something precious to all of us. Whether that family is our blood relatives or our friends doesn’t matter. What matters is the quality time we spend together. One of the best ways to spend time together and bond is to travel. Traveling with adults, however, is very different than traveling with your own children. Done right, your trip can be fun, a great way to bond and make memories, and an excellent learning tool for your kids. To get the most out of your family’s next vacation, follow these top tips:

 

Skip the Hotel Rooms

When it comes to traveling with kids, hotels are not your friend. You either need to bunk up uncomfortably with each other, or you need to splurge on a separate hotel room. Then there’s the question of whether or not the hotel will even have adjoining rooms for you and your family. Instead of dealing with this expensive headache, opt for a vacation home instead. As these properties have kitchens, you can address your child’s picky eating habits and any special dietary needs first hand, all while being in a more comfortable and often more stylish abode. To choose the best accommodation based on your needs and price, check in advance on VacationRenter.com so that you can be sure to get the best vacation home listed online for you and your family.

 

Don’t Make It Entirely “Kid-Friendly”

Another mistake is to cater the trip entirely for your children. While they will certainly have fun, you won’t. Instead, choose activities that are great for the whole family. If you are vacationing on a beach, go snorkeling with your kids or go out on a boat ride to a nearby island. Seeing new sights, meeting people different than them, and being introduced to unfamiliar cultures is very important to help your child grow into a curious, understanding and adventurous person. They’ll enjoy it, you’ll enjoy it, and you will all learn and grow together.

 

Choose Activities that Will Help You Bond

Activities that you do together that are new are so important for their education and for your bonding. By trying out new things together you can show your kids that you are never too old to try new things, and that being brave and open to new experiences pays off. As you are doing this together, you can share in the experience first hand as equals, which will help grow your relationship into what it can be when your kids finally grow into adults.

 

Have a Go-To Day Pack for Everyone

Everyone has needs that need to be addressed, but when children are dehydrated or tired, they let you know more vocally than adults would. Avoid this entirely and don’t put your child’s health at risk and have a day pack ready to go. Ensure you have enough water, snacks, sunscreen, bug spray, and any other important item for your trip with you. This way you can ensure everyone is ready to go and as comfortable as possible when you are out and about.

 

Traveling with your kids is a great way to grow together and to teach them about the world and what they are capable of. Follow these tips, however, and you can save yourself a lot of headaches and make your next trip the best one yet.

 

Legoland Hotel and Legoland makes for a very Epic Birthday!

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Looking for a place that children of all ages will Love?! My son was turning 10 and so when he decided on Legoland Hotel and Legoland for his birthday, I was more than happy to have the opportunity to feature this fun trip on my website! My son was in absolute awe of the hotel! From the time we walked into the lobby, it was obviously a fun and magical place! As we walked into the lobby, the Lego Pirate welcomed us and then after receiving our room keys we proceeded down the hall into the elevator! The elevator is a fun experience in itself! Yes! They have Disco elevators! Now, how fun is that?! Yes, complete with music and a real live disco ball!

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But, the moment my son walked into his Adventure themed room, the biggest smile spread across his face, as he exclaimed, ” This is epic! When I get home I am going to start saving up all my allowance so I can come back here for my 11th birthday!” Priceless! He hadn’t even been in the room for more than 5 minutes! The room theme was so fun and he loved the Treasure Hunt! You get clues and you go through the hotel to find the answers and then the numbers are a code that opens up a safe in the room, where the child gets a prize!

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I think my son’s favorite things were the TV in his room and the pool! This really is such a fun place for children and parents will enjoy it too! The Hotel has different themed rooms available and fun things for kids and parents of all ages! For more information, check out the website!

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Then there is Legoland!

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If you stay in the hotel, you also get in 30 minutes early! This means no lines! We zoomed in and had no lines for 3 rides! This is the perfect place to come to at Halloween time too! So many great photo opportunities with Lego pumpkins, ghosts and more! Legoland is just too much fun with its rides, shows and my son loved seeing all his favorite buildings and landmarks made out of legos. I have to admit, I loved seeing all the Halloween decorations!

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You don’t want to miss this fun place this Fall! For more information, check out the Legoland website!

Self Disclosure: I received free tickets to Legoland and media rate for the hotel but any opinions are my own.

 

 

 

 

A Visit to the Queen Mary….

My son loves the big ships like Titanic and the Queen Mary so for his 9th birthday we decided to stay overnight on the Queen Mary. I had never spent the night aboard the Queen Mary so I was also quite excited when we booked our reservation. My son was counting down the days and finally Sept. 26th (the day before his birthday) finally arrived!   [Read more…]

Summer Fun at SeaWorld!

My son has a new favorite amusement park! SeaWorld! He was only 2 years old the first time we went there, so he really couldn’t remember and he was much too young for any rides. So, on a nice sunny summer day in August, a couple good friends and my son and I traveled to San Diego to visit SeaWorld. [Read more…]