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Summer family vacations are for many people a source of happy memories to cherish forever. The experiences, discoveries, and time spent together outside of the busy life can be unforgettable. However, as a parent, if the wrong type of family vacation is selected it can also be quite stressful and frustrating. It is important to consider the children’s age when choosing the type of vacation. In this blog post, we will discuss the best summer family vacations choices if you have children under the age of 5.
When should you start taking your children on vacation
This is simple. As soon as you can. There are so many benefits of traveling with children. Young children are actually very adaptable if you prepare them well. The earlier you start to travel with them, the better travelers they will become as they get older. It teaches them to get operate outside of their comfort zone and gain some independence. Additionally, it teaches them how to deal with stress and unexpected situations by observing how you react to those events.
Traveling allows your children to get exposed to different cultures, foods, values, and ways of living. They get to see and understand differences and most importantly you can teach them to accept others without judgment.
Lastly, there is so much you can teach children through travel that would not have been possible from home. Traveling is a gift. Give the gift of traveling to your children and enjoy the strong bond that develops with them along the way.
Tips for planning the perfect summer family vacations
- Accept it won’t be perfect. Vacations are rarely without glitches no matter how well you planned. Add young children to the mix and even more, things can go wrong. Plan what you can and calmly deal with what is outside of your control as it happens.
- Consider the children’s age. Make sure you plan a vacation that incorporates enough age-appropriate fun activities for your children. It is equally important to have a balanced schedule during your vacation. Most young children need naps every day and you need to allow time for them to rest each day even during your trip. It will make the vacation much more enjoyable for them and you.
- Consider a mini trip first. If you have never traveled with little ones, you might want to consider a “dry-run”. Book a weekend trip that includes a night away and learn from this experience. You’ll understand what are key things to bring with you, what routines are most important to maintain ,and how to help your children deal with being outside of their comfort zone.
- Figure out the sleeping arrangements before you go. If everyone sleeps in their own bedroom at home, you might find it very difficult to all sleep together. In this case, consider booking a hotel suite with a separate bedroom or consider an apartment rental. Additionally, if the child will be in a pack-n-play, try it at home!!
- Talk to the children about the trip to come. Have them choose some activities if they are old enough. Get them excited about what they are going to see and experience. And talk to them about what will be different than when you are at home.
Best vacation choices with children under 5
Beach vacations
A beach vacation is a great choice with young children. The beach itself offers many activities for children and can offer parents some relaxation as well. If you also have access to a pool, you can easily alternate between pool and beach time to keep the children entertained for days. Unless you want to do more, you can really keep a beach vacation simple and the planning required is fairly low.
In many beach towns, you can find reasonable lodging options near the beach. This will allow you to go back “home” when the children need to quiet down or nap.
If you rent an apartment, you can even have most of your meals in rather than eating out. This can help keep the kids on a more familiar routine, keep costs down and be less stressful for you.
Here are a few beach location favorites: Cocoa Beach Florida, Destin Florida, Orange Beach Alabama, Hilton Head South Carolina, and Coronado Beach California.
Big city vacations
Big cities offer such a variety of activities and can be really fun and educational, even with young children. Many large cities have attractions such as children’s museums, aquariums, zoos, parks, malls, movie theaters, and lots of different eating options. Traveling by bus, taxis or subway can also be an exciting and new experience for the little ones.
These vacations tend to be on the busier side. You will need to be more intentional with not overloading the schedule to ensure the children also get time for unstructured play and rest. Using the hotel pool is a great way to add in free playtime.
Here are some Big City location ideas: Chicago Illinois, New York, Atlanta Georgia, San Diego California, and Seattle Washington.
Theme parks vacations
Of course, theme parks are going to make the list. Selecting an age-appropriate theme park-like Magic Kingdom at Disney World can be a lot of fun. The biggest challenge you will face is that it is fairly easy for the children to get overtired. The wait can be long and boring and you should be prepared to entertain them as you wait.
Theme parks are organized to make families’ life as easy as possible. Most offer options to stay directly on site which is beneficial because you do not have a commute and you can go back to your hotel mid-day for a nap.
However, this option is quite pricey and might not fit everyone’s budget. A great option to consider is to split the vacation by going to the park for a few days and staying on the beach for example the rest of the time. Here is a list of theme parks for young children to consider.
Lake vacations
This is such a fun and relaxing option with little kids. You can rent a cabin, camp or stay at a resort. Most activities revolve around nature. Electronic and technology stays behind and the time spent together as a family is rich. You can have hours of fun with them fishing, swimming, boating, enjoying s’mores at night by the bonfire while stargazing and so much more.
Another huge benefit of a lake vacation is how accessible it is no matter where you live. Lakes are everywhere and most states have options which means you don’t have to go as far. This also means that you can make it a shorter trip if this is what you are looking for.
You can even consider a vacation by one of the great lakes. It will feel like you are by the ocean without the saltwater. Options are limitless. Some options for a lake vacation are Lake Michigan Indiana/Illinois/Michigan/Wisconsin, Crater Lake Oregon, Lake Champlain New York/Vermont, and Lake Tahoe California/Nevada.
All-inclusive resort vacations
Last but not least, an all-inclusive resort can be a great option with little kids. However, you need to make sure you pick one that is kid-friendly. Most family resorts will offer kiddy day camp and/or babysitting services. This is great if you want a few hours to yourself to relax or want to sign up for an excursion that your children would not enjoy.
They offer such a wide variety of food options that even the picky eater will find something they like. Many family resorts offer packages where children under a certain age are free. This can make a huge difference in the total cost of your vacation.
It is important to recognize that most all-inclusive resorts in America are located outside of the US and Canada.
This means you and your little ones will need to have a passport and the logistic of the trip is more complicated. For many families, the additional logistics are worth it because the vacation is so simple once you are at your destination. Here are some great locations for an all-inclusive vacation with young children: Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Aruba, and Mexico.
Planning your summer family vacation
- The first thing to do is to determine your budget. Some vacation options might be ruled out which is why you should do this first.
- Decide if you want to fly, drive or if you are open to either option.
- Pick the type of vacation you want for your family from the list above.
- Start researching options for the type of vacation you are favoring to see if this fits your budget and mode of transportation.
- Book your perfect vacation and start working on your packing list.
In conclusion,
This article was all about understanding options to create perfect summer family vacations. As you see, there are so many ideas to choose from no matter what stage of life you are at. The benefits for your children are huge and the joy the vacation memories will create cannot be quantified. Give your kids the gift of travel.
Bon voyage!
Cat xx