We love to travel and explore wherever and whenever we get the chance to. I have found that nearly everywhere we travel, we find ourselves finding “home” wherever we are. Whether that be mornings together with coffee, going on walks, or sharing a great meal together. There somewhat of traditions we like to take with us.
Regardless of your style, it’s great to have to have a few go to rituals of your own. It is great for kids to have routine, to grow up with traditions they can carry on to their families.
Here are 5 things you can do on any vacation
Bring mommy breakfast
We LOVE spending our late mornings in bed drinking coffee and cuddling, surprise your partner with a special cup and get the morning started off right.
This is a 2 for 1 ..Give mommy a chance to sleep in (something most of us parents with youngsters don’t do anymore) and score some points with breakfast in bed. Search for a nearby cafe beforehand to get acclimated with area. Consider walking if it's a nice day..nothing better than watching the sunrise with your babies.
(Don't forget to leave behind a love note in case mommy wakes up worried)
Build a Blank…
Sand Castle, Stick Fort, Rock Garden, Desert Oasis, River Boat, etc.. This doesn’t require much at all..sunscreen, hat, imagination.
I have spent hours putting rocks in a bucket only to dump them back out and do it again. Don't ask me why, but it is one of Harden’s favorite things to do.
We’re always looking for our next job site wherever we may be.
I believe building things with your hands with untraditional items is great for creative development and problem solving. It's also just fun to get lost in a project working away.
Random Act of Kindness
I love how rewarding doing some random act of kindness is; it can be extremely infectious and reach far beyond what you might think. Here are a few ideas:
Lunch
If you're out to eat while on your vacation.. get something to go for someone who needs it. Pickup the order for the person behind you in line. Invite someone to join your table.
Flowers
Brighten up someones day with flowers, look for while you’re out and about or plan a day to go pick them with your family.
Arts/crafts
Throw some supplies in the bag and dedicate some time to getting fun and creative. (Crayons, Paper, glue stick, tape, string, etc). While you’re exploring look for leaves, bark, rocks, sand and more to create interactive sets to play with.
Sweets
Find a local bakery or bake them yourselves. Go the extra mile and bring some ribbon along with you to really step your game up.
Treasure Hunt
You can do this with almost any age 2-70, everyone enjoys a little exploration, competition, and activity.
If you know where you’re going to stay ahead of time whether it be a campsite, resort, relatives house, hotel, so on.. draw out a little map by hand using some recognizable landmarks.
Once you have that hide or bury some “treasure” and give clues/directions on where to find...you know X marks the spot
As your kids get older you can make it more challenging with bigger rewards..a drinking game of sorts??
(TIP: screenshot Google Maps and Paste in Paint, you should be able to use pen tool to rough outlay lot then delete the screenshot itself and you should be left with pen marks only)
Family Photo Shoot
What better time then on vacation when you’re probably as tan and relaxed as you’ll ever be, right?
Plan a family photo shoot while away. Whether you bring a tripod, and do it yourself; or plan in advance and hire, it is a great keepsake!
Have some fun with it, throw in some decorations and costumes to take silly pics to have. Its a great memory and could also get that Christmas card photo taken care of…
