Can You Enjoy An “Active Vacation” With Your Family?

Depending on your personality and the getaways you most regularly book and enjoy over the years, an active vacation may be your idea of a great time, or perhaps too much effort to bear. Those who do enjoy active vacations will think nothing of trying rock climbing, scuba diving, skiing or just hiking in wonderful locations. All of that can be a wonderful and enjoyable pastime, so don’t think you’re either one or the other, sometimes you just need to explore as you see fit!

But when we have families, our active approach to life changes. Of course, one one hand we may feel less inclined to take risks, and that’s more than understandable. On the other hand, we may feel that it’s less possible to be active and explorative when we have little ones to care for. But what if a nice balance can be struck between both of these considerations? What if you can still get up to your fun hijinks and still remain an attentive parent? Let’s see what that might look like, below:

Consider Outdoor Activities All Ages Can Enjoy

To achieve this, you can start by brainstorming a list of activities that cater to varying age groups depending on who is in your family, ensuring inclusivity for everyone there – even older relatives!

Some good examples include nature walks, scavenger hunts, or easy hikes that anyone can work with, and that pushchairs can easily cope with. You might also consider team-building games or friendly sports competitions, like soft tennis or mini-golf at a resort to enjoy slightly competitive fun. 

There are also many family-friendly destinations with outdoor amenities like parks or beaches. Just remember that if you hope to go outside, pack essentials like comfortable footwear, sun lotion, and snacks for the day. Keeping a raincoat handy is important too. If in doubt, you can always contact the service in advance and ask them how suitable family arrangements might be.

Educational Trips Can Be Just As Active

You don’t have to abseil from a rock face to be “active,” a great deal of learning or engagement in your destination can be considered just as productive too. For example, researching historical sites, museums, or interactive exhibits can provide you with a fantastic family day out, and allow you to explore using the power of your mind and curiosity instead of solely physical capabilities.

You don’t always need to plan this yourself, as guided tours can cover plenty of ground as well, as you enjoy walking or light hiking to keep the trip physically engaging. On top of this, hands-on workshops or cultural immersion activities can be a special experience, like pottery making, a cooking course or simply visiting a family-friendly show. You can have conversations about these experiences with your loved ones and come to conclusions that inspire you. After all, learning can be as active as any physical effort, only it will b a little more accessible to your young ones. 

Exploring Nature Reserves & National Parks Together

There are many ways to enjoy and explore nature of course, without necessarily climbing up a mountain or swan diving into a clear blue ocean to say you’ve done it well. A nice nature reserve or national park can be enough, especially if you have the amenities you need for your children, and if there are a few attractions around.

Seeing beautiful views, enjoying a picnic on the green grass, and walking at a slower pace to include everyone in your family can be wonderful. In some cases, there might be a curated pool, lake or even ocean you can dip your toes in and have a nice time with. Of course, you might need to keep an eye on your children to make sure they don’t climb a tree to highly, or run off too far. But for the most part, encouraging the nature explorer in your little ones can only be healthy. Moreover, the natural world may come to you in the form of an animal sanctuary, zoo or aquarium.

Fun Play Areas

To tell the truth, children won’t mind if they’re on vacation in the area with the most rugged beautiful landscape, or simply a fun park with a great climbing frame. In some cases, this, a good water park, a fun pool, a wonderful ropes course, all of this is enough to burn their energy off. 

Moreover, helping them get to grips with this, perhaps even at a child-friendly climbing wall, can help them feel inspired and more active than ever before, too. Such an approach really can make a difference in the long run.