A family can drive hours to get somewhere new, unpack bags, look around, and still end up with kids planted in front of a screen. It just happens, and it happens way more than a parent might anticipate. So, when you’re planning a family getaway, the last thing you want is to overpay for something that feels like everyday life, except you’re sleeping a lot worse and paying more for food. Just think back to your family trips when you were a kid. Did you get some freedom? Did you get to enjoy being free range? For a lot of parents, they remember that as a kid.
While sure, the location might be nice enough for a trip, just keep in mind here that if kids don’t have space to move, poke around, get curious, and burn off some energy on their own terms, the whole thing can start feeling cramped fast. And then, of course, parents get stuck doing all the entertaining, all the redirecting, all the “no, not that, put that down, stop climbing that” stuff. You get the point; it’s just constantly telling your kids to stop doing something.
So, why not pick somewhere with more freedom?
Just Give the Trip Some Room to Breathe
Alright, so it’s best to just start right here because kids do better when a trip has some breathing room built into it. Not just physically, although that helps a lot (and it’s in your best interest to do that too), but mentally too. If every hour is planned out, every activity is led by an adult, and every fun moment has to be announced like it’s part of an agenda, it starts feeling weirdly tight. Kids deal with that in daily life; why would they want that on their break?
Instead, just let them wander, let them notice things, let them collect something, like seashells at the beach, for example. But let them just have fun, and stop being their camp counselors.
Pick a Place that Helps with the Freedom
Now, of course, it depends on where you are, because you shouldn’t really let your kid go out and wander in a big, unfamiliar city. Maybe in a small town, that might be too much. But if you’re staying in a gated RV park, well, in that case, what’s the harm? Most RV parks tend to have entertainment and amenities for kids, like a pool, playground, and sometimes a little arcade too.
Just let them walk around alone (obviously, they can’t be in the pool unsupervised), but what’s the harm in playing in the playground, right? Just let them move freely and practice a little independence in a safe environment. Besides, kids can spend more time outside, explore in those small everyday ways that feel exciting to them, and get some of that freedom they’re usually begging for at home.
Your Kids Don’t Need Full Schedules
Again, don’t be a camp counselor here who needs to fill everything from the moment they wake up to the second they fall asleep. Kids aren’t always thrilled about camps because of that, anyway. But kids don’t necessarily need a jam-packed schedule to have a memorable time. Just giving them a chance to choose what they want, like being on a swingset in the nearby playground, can be great, same goes for just taking a walk; it’s simple things that kids honestly enjoy.
