Now is the time to plan out your vacation for next year. Write down how much time you have available to take. Then get your calendar out to see which months are available, since you may need to plan around activities and events and school.
Next, ask yourself some questions to get your family organized:
- What is our budget for the year?
- Do we want to go on one big vacation, or several small vacations?
- Where have we talked about going this year but weren’t able to?
- Have we already committed any vacation time for family/friends such as weddings, reunions, and other get-togethers?
Next comes the fun part. Get everyone together and brainstorm about places to go. Kids love to join in the planning. A good idea is to have everyone write down the top 3 places they would love to go. Then discuss and prioritize. Encourage thinking outside the box – activity-based destinations, such as skiing or surfing are ideal if your children are older while locales such as Mexico, Canada, or shorter road trips are great for younger children.
Narrow it down to 3-4 choices, with a top choice for each family member. Then have each person “pitch” his or her idea. Each person takes one evening to “pitch” his or her location. They plan a menu around that destination, make props such as simple costumes from that region/culture, or simply present their research to the family. Research can include brochures, estimated costs, and top sights and activities in the area.
Have some fun! Planning and the build up is half of the fun of the whole vacation. I know I will be putting in my 2 cents when it comes to planning our vacation this year!
Leave a Comment so far
Leave a comment
