If you’re in the process of planning this year’s family vacation, you might be struggling to come up with an idea that combines quality family time, fun and a healthy, active lifestyle. All too often, we try to get healthy for the summer, only to compromise all of our efforts with a vacation packed full of hot dogs, ice creams, and cocktails. Not that we shouldn’t enjoy a treat once in awhile, but why shouldn’t our family vacations reflect the active lifestyle we’re trying to create for ourselves and our children? If you want to plan a vacation that will get your family moving while also being plenty of fun, take a look at these ideas for active, healthy getaways.
Make a Splash
Whether you’re planning on going away to a tropical paradise or just to the nearest seaside town, water activities are the ideal way to have fun and get active as a family. Providing that you are all confident swimmers, you can choose from numerous activities, including paddle boarding, surfing, body boarding, skim boarding, snorkeling, and diving. Kids absolutely love splashing about in the water, and with some inflatable toys, you can make it extra fun for them. You can hire surfboards and bodyboards from most beaches, whereas for smaller items such as snorkeling kits it’s probably best to take your own in order to save money.
Swimming is one of the most effective cardiovascular activities, as it uses all of the major muscle groups and improves fitness levels when done regularly. In order to make sure your family is ready for a vacation filled with water activities, visit your local swimming pool together once a week and see how far you can swim. You can even make this into a fun competition for motivation, and finish off with some time to splash about and practice handstands! This will help you to get a good idea of how strong each of you are with swimming so that you can keep this in mind when you head to the beach or lake.
Go on an Adventure
Feeling inspired to take on the great outdoors? Why not go on a family camping trip and explore the wilderness together! Camping trips can be low-cost options for family vacations, allowing you to worry less about money and focus instead on enjoying your time together. For young children, it’s a fun idea to take inspiration from their favorite films, and plan a themed adventure trip that they can really get on board with. Whether they like Indiana Jones, Disney or Dora the Explorer, you can really get them excited by planning an expedition in which they get to be their favorite character! You could even make a map together and plan out your route, with details of what you might find along the way. Check out this list of Oswego things to do for some inspiration.
Your adventure could last one day or a whole week, depending on how committed you and your family are to the outdoor lifestyle! Along the way, you could include hiking, cycling, climbing, and swimming, as well as fun activities such as treasure hunts. Of course, you’ll need to make sure you’ve got all the camping equipment you need, as well as a sound knowledge of the area you’re going to. Adventure vacations can be a truly memorable experience for families and will allow you to maintain your healthy lifestyle while also having fun with the kids.
Play On
Maybe you’re not exactly the sporty type, but trying out some family sports will add some fun to any vacation or family day out, and will also help to keep you healthy. Whether you were the football captain at school or have never thrown a ball in your life, you can still have fun with your family by taking part in a game of throw and catch, tennis, basketball or chase. You could even set up your own obstacle course and see who can complete it the fastest! The great thing about games is that you can invent your own with whatever equipment you have on hand, and kids will love making up their own rules. Make sure there is some sort of active element to the game, whether it be running, jumping or even dancing so that you can rest assured that everyone is getting some exercise during your vacation.
