A family vacation—however simple or luxurious—is a wonderful antidote to today’s hectic, over-scheduled, digitally connected family life.
The enormous benefits of unplugged, focused time together can be extended beyond the time traveling. Making the most of the planning and anticipation phase beforehand and investing time and effort into cherishing the memories made afterward prolong the benefits and joys of a family holiday.
Rather than dreading the re-entry into “real life” upon returning from vacation, lead your family in some of these crafty activities to commemorate the experience of your precious time together.
Scrap It
A classic scrapbook can be such fun to pull together as a family. Along your journey, keep your eyes peeled for interesting elements to include—postcards, a restaurant business card, a hotel napkin, show tickets, or an airplane boarding pass.After your trip, print your favorite photos and gather your souvenirs and scrapbook supplies. Work together, a little bit at a time, to re-create the story of your travels together.
Hang It
Rather than leaving your photos to get lost in your ever-growing digital library, choose the very best to display in your home. A wall display dedicated to family travel that grows along with your family is a satisfying way to recall your memories and track all of the places you’ve been together.Map It
A travel map is another fun way to track where you’ve been. Whether you mark your excursions with classic pushpins or magnets, or outline them with a marker or thread, watching different areas of your map fill up will bring up memories of trips past and inspire future adventures.Shoot It
It’s easier than ever to put together an impressive movie depicting the story of your family vacation. Use your favorite technology to get as fancy as you'd like—from a simple slideshow set to music to a fully edited feature film. Be sure to save your movie in places you can easily access and watch together. Perhaps your next family movie night will feature your very own production!Write It
It can be quite surprising how quickly details can be forgotten after returning from vacation. Equip each family member with a travel journal to write in as you go. Along the way, give gentle reminders to stay up to date and carve out time for writing in them. Back home, use everyone’s entries to compile a storybook of your experiences. Use photos and illustrations to enhance your book and have it bound and printed as a keepsake.A family vacation brings your family closer together, educates, and opens the mind, while making memories that last a lifetime. Extend the experience by getting creative with your memorabilia upon your return home. You'll be left with a wonderful creation and even more reasons to look forward to your next trip.
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