(ARA) – If the idea of planning a vacation with children makes your head spin, think again. With the right foresight and a balanced schedule, parents can plan a balanced family vacation that is fun for both kids and adults.
Focus on fun at the expense of regular meal time and you’ll have hungry (and cranky) children. Choose a destination with more grown-up attractions than kid-friendly activities and you’ll have bored (and cranky) children. But find that perfect balance of fun, plentiful dining and restorative rest – and you can enjoy a family vacation that will leave everyone with long-lasting, happy memories.
“Traveling with children can be a great family adventure,” says Kimberly Miles of the Myrtle Beach Area Conventions & Visitors Bureau. “Ensuring that everyone has a great time means doing your homework ahead to choose just the right destination, lodging arrangements that will fit everyone’s needs, and activities that will keep everyone entertained without exhausting them too.”
If you’re planning a family vacation this spring or summer, here are some basics to help you balance the experience, juggle priorities and ensure a good time is had by all:
Where to go and how to get there
When deciding where you’ll take the kids, be sure to choose a location that will have plenty to interest them – and the adults traveling with them. Shore locales like Myrtle Beach often offer something for everyone. For example, the popular South Carolina resort area offers kid-friendly amusement parks and attractions such as Family Kingdom Amusement Park and the Ripley’s Aquarium, live entertainment shows that will appeal to adults and kids, shopping venues with merchandise for all ages, and of course, the beach – where kids can splash around and parents can relax on the sand. New for this summer will be WonderWorks, combining education and entertainment in hands-on exhibits appealing to both children and adults alike, and the nearly 200-foot SkyWheel, an observation wheel on the Myrtle Beach boardwalk.
Getting there can also be part of the fun. Choose a destination that’s easily accessible either by air (Myrtle Beach has its own international airport) or by car.
If you’ll be flying with children, be sure to pack plenty of quiet activities for them, such as coloring books for younger children or chapter books for older kids. If they’ll be using a portable DVD player, laptop or other electronic device, be sure kids wear headphones or earbuds. Toddlers and infants should be equipped with a favorite stuffed animal or blanket, a bottle or sippy cup of their favorite beverage and – especially for infants – a pacifier to help soothe them and relieve any pressure build-up in their ears.
Driving can also be a great way to travel with kids. In addition to electronic entertainment, road games can be a fun way to pass the time – and learn about the communities they’ll be traveling through. Choose a destination, like Myrtle Beach, that is easily accessible from major highways. Help older kids find it on the map and invite them to participate in planning your route and where you’ll stop along the way.
Staying there
The balancing act continues as you decide where to stay on your kid-friendly family vacation. While saving money is always good, you also need to find accommodations that suit your family’s needs. Another advantage of shore destinations is the variety of lodging options they usually offer. In Myrtle Beach, you can find everything from budget hotel rooms to luxury beachfront condos, and suites a few blocks from the beach to private rental homes within walking distance of main attractions.
If you have just one child, you may all be fine staying in a single hotel room. And if that’s the case, it may be fun to splurge on a beachfront room or a hotel that has its own water park. Larger families may find a suite with a kitchen or even a rental house a few blocks from the beach will give them the space and access they need to fully enjoy all the destination has to offer. Or, you can save even more money and increase the fun by renting a house with another family and vacationing together.
No matter what accommodations you choose, be sure to build plenty of rest time into your itinerary. Children who’ve napped well in the afternoon, for example, are more likely to have a good time and be better behaved when you take them to a dinner show in the evening.
Wherever you choose to go for your family vacation, traveling with children can be easy for adults and fun for kids – if you start out by choosing a destination with attractions and accommodations that work for everyone in the family.