It’s a terrible shame that you only get so many years with your kids before they start wanting to do things by themselves or with their friends instead of with their family. On the other hand, it motivates you to make the most of the time you have with them before the streak of independence starts to take hold. Whether you decide to vacation or staycation whenever the school semester ends, here are a few ways you can spend time with the whole family.
Camping
Summer camping trip. Image Source
If the weather forecast looks promising, you could take the kids camping for a few days and introduce them to some of the activities you did with your parents when you were their age. Brush up on some simple survival skills and teach them how to survive in the wild, introduce them to the simple thrill of climbing trees, and in the evening you can show them how to make perfect s’mores over the campfire. Not only does this experience get everyone out of their comfort zone and encourage the kids to work together to put up the tent and start a fire, but it will help them appreciate the things they take for granted at home; hot showers and indoor plumbing seems like a luxury after a weekend in the woods.
Road trips
Family road trip. Image Source
The best way to see everything that America has to offer is by taking to the road. Sure, the idea of spending days on end in a car with screaming children might not sound appealing at first, but if you travel by coach then suddenly it seems like less hassle. Not only is it a greener form of travel – it uses less fuel per passenger than driving a car normally would – but everyone has a little more room to stretch, and you get the benefit of an experienced driver who knows all the best routes to your destination. Some of the best coach companies offer tours around the city, so if you wanted to see more of Austin, you could hire a coach from the Austin Charter Bus Company and have them take you to either a 45 minute tour of the capitol, to the base of Mount Bonnell, or even to an urban adventure scavenger hunt. Any music enthusiasts in the family would also be thrilled to check out one of the many venues in the live music capital of the world.
Cheap vacations
Believe it or not, there are some money-saving hacks so you can take the family abroad this summer. Flights tend to be more expensive from Friday to Sunday because most people want to make the most of the weekend in a foreign country. Since you have the whole summer holiday to choose from, try to book a flight that leaves in the middle of the week to save a few dollars. Skyscanner can help you compare flight prices across a whole month so you’ll know the cheapest days to fly, saving you a potential packet.
