Family Vacation: Where to Go With Children and How to Spend a Weekend

Weekends are the perfect chance to hit pause on the busy week and enjoy time together as a family. In fact, it’s the best time for a family vacation! With just 48 hours, every moment counts, which is why a little planning goes a long way. We have prepared for you the best family vacation ideas to make the most of your weekend, whether you’re staying home, exploring your city, or heading out of town.

Contents:

• Planning
• What to Do at Home on the Weekend?
• Where to Go on the Weekend?
• Outdoor Activities for a Family Vacation
• Where to Go Out of Town?
• How to Make Your Holiday Interesting and Safe?
• FAQs

Planning

Prostock-studio/Shutterstock.com

While it might be tempting to let the weekend unfold on its own, the truth is that family time works best with a bit of preparation. Try not to leave a mountain of chores for Saturday and Sunday. Instead, handle errands, bills, and shopping during the week so your family’s free time stays truly free.

When planning, consider the free time of all family members. If children, for example, have the sports section on Sunday morning, then a long trip to a vacation destination out of town with an overnight stay is a bad idea.

Think about how many hours you actually have and plan activities that fit comfortably within that window. Time management experts say it’s better to plan a few meaningful activities than to overload the weekend and end up stressed instead of refreshed.

Balance is key. During a weekend vacation, you need to give yourself a rest and recharge your batteries for the new week. If you were spinning like a squirrel in a wheel for 5 days, then you should not choose active options—a quiet rest might be better: a visit to the cinema, a slow walk with a picnic in the city park. But for those who were dying of boredom in the office on weekdays, it is better to have fun, such as the bike race, hot-air ballooning, laser tag, or hiking.

It is also essential to consider the unique needs of each individual. Do not offer people with allergies to plants walks in the woods, or the fearful one, extreme rafting on the river. Besides, always listen to the desires of the child. You are crazy about theatrical productions, but your child falls asleep at every performance. In this case, a cultural holiday can become a bone of contention in your family.

What to Do at Home on the Weekend?

wong yu liang/Shutterstock

You don’t need to leave the house to have a great weekend. Below are some family “staycation” ideas to have a fun and memorable weekend.

1. Arrange a cook-off. It will be interesting to cook something together. The family will unite, and no one will stay hungry.
2. Have a karaoke night. Everyone will choose their own repertoire and try to get 100 points. You can also turn on imagination and make the home stage of the same vocal show, evaluating performances. But judge honestly!
3. Board games day. Fortunately, there is no shortage of games nowadays, so you can find those that your parents played, such as lotto or dominoes, and those that will be interesting to the youngest members of your family.
4. Do crafts. Get out of the closet: clay, colored paper, crayons, etc. Gradually, this kind of leisure is becoming a thing of the past, but that’s unfair. Such classes help to develop fine motor skills and conscientiousness. By the way, you can combine business with pleasure–make handmade soap in an interesting shape.
5. Do not forget that the house can turn into a mini-gym. The Swedish wall, dumbbells, and a yoga mat are enough to keep yourself in good shape.

At-home activities like these are a great way to create lasting family memories, even if you can’t get away to bigger vacation spots every weekend.

Making the Most of Rainy Days: Fun Activities for the Whole Family.

Where to Go on the Weekend?

Prostock-studio/Shutterstock.com

The easiest option is to visit relatives or friends. This will allow you to keep in touch, relax, and will not lead to large costs.

Where else can you consider going:

1. Modern shopping centers are a concentration of entertainment. Use it: you can go shopping, do a manicure while the child plays in the children’s room. Then you can go to the movie together. Such multifunctional shopping centers have been actively built in recent years not only in major cities, but also on the periphery.
2. Zoo or circus. Here, both adults and children pass the time with pleasure. In two or three hours, the whole family will be able to relax and get a charge of positive emotions.
3. Don’t forget about theme parks. These popular family vacation destinations are full of rides, shows, and attractions where both kids and adults can enjoy a full day of excitement.
4. Photoshoot. This is a great opportunity to update the family photo album. Take your camera and look for beautiful and atmospheric locations in the city.
5. Concerts, sports matches, and city events can be fun too. Usually, every significant event in the city becomes a local holiday. It remains only to arrive at a given point and at a certain time.

Outdoor Activities for a Family Vacation

New Africa/Shutterstock.com

1. Go to the nearest stadium or sports ground without any hesitation! Jogging or a little match with friends and family will cheer you up and make you forget about everyday problems.
2. You can do sports in the courtyard. Take the racket, shuttlecocks, frisbees, and organize tournaments!
3. The weekend is a great opportunity to go cycling. 10–20 kilometers around the city will help relieve the brain. The same can be said about the rollers, but you need to be careful with them: drive only in parks, squares, or specially equipped sites.
4. Hiking. Each city has many interesting places. You can show your son or daughter the most beautiful places in the city, tell about them, and remember funny cases from life. It would be nice to study the history of the small homeland in order to tell the children about it. Turn off your mobile phone, enjoy nature, and breathe deeply.
5. On Saturday or Sunday, it’s good to go to the sea. If it’s far away, a pool or water park will do. Swimming is a good way to give the necessary load to the muscles, which are usually not involved in everyday life. After the swim, the overall tone will increase noticeably. Beach vacations are also among the best family vacations, offering both relaxation and active fun.

Fun Outdoor Games for Kids to Enjoy in Any Season.

Where to Go Out of Town?

Prostock-studio/Shutterstock.com

1. The whole family can go on a picnic. Make a menu, think over the logistics, and enjoy your favorite dishes in the fresh air.
2. Fishing, picking berries, and mushrooms. Hiking to the river and the forest will give children a lot of new information. They will be able to learn not from Wikipedia about how mushrooms grow, but to see it firsthand. Moreover, collected or caught “trophies” can always be cooked in the evening as a main dish for a family dinner.
3. A simple option that many families do not take into consideration is a trip around the area. Go to the nearest village or city, just change the situation for a couple of days, and “picture” outside the window. The weekend tour will help children expand their knowledge about the world and get better acquainted with the architecture and culture of the country.
4. Tourism. Pack backpacks and go camping. A couple of days in tents without gadgets will help completely reboot the brain. If you can not live without comfort, choose organized campsites; there are houses with all amenities.
5. People who have a sharp lack of adrenaline in their blood should choose a kayak, rafting, relaxation in rope parks, rope, and bungee jumping. The main thing is not to act heroically without measure.

How to Make Your Holiday Interesting and Safe?

Findmykids app

Parents need to think ahead. If you plan to hike in the mountains on Saturday morning, everything you need should be packed in the evening on Friday.

It is definitely worth exploring the surroundings. Ask friends, read reviews on the Internet. Going somewhere, you’d better understand what awaits you there.

Prepare a first aid kit. Its contents will be useful not only in campaigns. Here is a short recommended list:

• Pain reliever and antihistamine, drugs
• Remedies for mosquito bites and ticks
• Sunscreen

Do not rely solely on your opinion. Arrange a family brainstorming session, and a lot of great ideas will be born.

Set a limit on the Internet. For example, if you’re discussing active weekends, you can limit screen time spent on gadgets to 15–20 minutes.

Do not forget to maintain a balanced diet and a daily routine. On weekends, it’s essential to get a good rest, sleep, and eat properly.

Listen carefully to your children on weekends. In the chaos of everyday life, there often isn’t enough time for simple, heart-to-heart communication. Try to understand how your son or daughter lives, what their interests are.

Some families use apps like Findmykids during family travel road trips or weekend getaways to make sure children are safe. The app lets parents see where their kids are, even if they wander off at the zoo, theme park, or beach. It helps families enjoy their vacation spots with peace of mind, focusing on building family memories instead of worrying about safety.

Why Family Vacations Are So Important

Prostock-studio/Shutterstock.com

In one interview, the founder of Microsoft, Bill Gates, said that 20 years ago, he would have been happy to spend a weekend at work. But now he has become wiser and gives his family free days.

In social networks, on the personal pages of many celebrities, you can find happy family photos. If they manage to carve out a weekend for relatives, then it is unfair to ordinary people to blame them for the lack of time.

Family weekend begins with the desire to spend time together. Each point in the schedule of Saturday and Sunday can be bright, unforgettable, and most importantly, become a part of shared family memories.

FAQs

Where is the best place to take a family vacation?

Your vacation destination depends on your family’s interests. Some families prefer theme parks for thrills, while others enjoy beach vacations or cultural trips to new cities.

What is the best place for a family trip?

Popular choices include national parks, historic cities, and family vacation destinations like Orlando, San Diego, or Hawaii.

Is $5,000 enough for a vacation?

Yes, with good planning, it is enough for a vacation. Many families can enjoy a week at popular vacation spots on this budget, especially if they book flights and hotels in advance.

Where is the cheapest place for a family vacation?

Affordable options include camping, road trips to nearby towns, or off-season travel to family vacation destinations where prices drop significantly.