Proper planning is half the battle: How to plan a family trip

A trip with the whole family is always a nice change and brings everyone together. In addition to a good mood, other important things should be packed in your luggage. These include provisions and of course a camera for exciting snapshots. To ensure that the planned family trip really becomes a highlight, here are the most important tips and recommendations.

Where should the trip go? – The right destination so that everyone has fun

Laughing – ideally all day long. That's what the ideal family outing should look like, right? To ensure that everyone actually has fun, the destination is crucial. Nature lovers might get bored in museums, while conversely a hike is probably not particularly exciting for those interested in culture.

Before you start planning your trip, it is a good idea to agree on a plan. Where should you go? To a farm , to the adventure trail, to the forest or somewhere else entirely? The majority decides. And then you finally pack up. It is important to keep an eye on the weather and to pay attention to the food options.

There is no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing: this must be

If you wear the wrong clothes, a planned family trip can quickly come to an abrupt end. If, instead of sunshine, there is a sudden rain shower and you don't have an umbrella or a suitable rain jacket, the fun and laughter will quickly disappear. That's why your wardrobe should always be based on the weather forecast. There should definitely be room for an umbrella in your backpack. A foldable rain cape is also a good idea because it can be put on quickly, can be stored in a space-saving manner and hardly weighs anything.

Capture great moments on a family outing. (pixabay.com @ Peggy_Marco (CC0 Creative Commons))

Provisions for emergencies

It is not always possible to eat in a café or restaurant on a family outing. If you are going on a hike , for example, you should always have some provisions in your luggage. To ensure that everyone can enjoy their favorite food, it is advisable to make a list in advance. Fruit, vegetables, a little something to snack on and of course bread or other treats should not be missing. Drinks are also important, because if you are active, you need a lot of fluids (especially in the hot summer months).

Prepare snacks together beforehand

Everyday life in families has changed significantly in recent decades, as numerous studies have shown. Parents have less and less time for their children, so family outings are becoming a rarity. To make this precious time together even more enjoyable, everyone can pull together when preparing for an outing. How about, for example, preparing the provisions together, choosing recipes for snacks and going shopping together? Sandwiches, a delicious dip, muffins and the like - all of this is very easy to prepare and tastes even better when created together.

Tips for family outings: How to make spending time together a success

With a few valuable tips, the family trip will be a real success. The general rule for spending time together is: it's best to put the phone aside and consciously enjoy the moment.

1. Tip: no stress

The family outing should be planned as relaxed as possible. This also includes a flexible and large time window so that delays (for example due to a longer journey, long waiting times in front of an attraction) are not a problem. The time for the family outing should really belong only to the family and not be limited by appointments before, during or even after.

When hiking, it is important to look at the route on a map at least once beforehand. Hiking portals that provide information on the difficulty level of the route and the time required are helpful in this regard. If you are hiking with small children, you should make sure that the hiking trail is as varied and exciting as possible - but not too ambitious, as enormous inclines or paths that are too long can lead to discontent among children.

2. Tip: do not take heavy backpacks with you

The most important things should always be with you on a family trip - but really only that. If you're visiting an amusement park, for example, you usually don't need a big backpack, but mainly tissues, your keys, your wallet and, if necessary, your phone for emergencies.

Preparing provisions together for the family outing. (pixabay.com @ sveryanka (CC0 Creative Commons))

On hikes, however, you should always take some provisions with you, but only in moderation. On a family outing, everyone should always remember that luggage can quickly become a burden on longer journeys. It is therefore best to agree together beforehand what should go in the backpack and what can safely be left at home.

3. Tip: Avoid controversial topics

To ensure that the family outing is a positive experience, everyone should have fun. It is therefore important to avoid controversial topics that can lead to arguments. Parents should therefore not argue on a family outing about, for example, why parental duties are not being carried out as desired or why the father prefers to watch football rather than help around the house.

The same applies to discussions with the children. Bad grades or bad behavior at school do not need to be discussed on a family outing, because then the children will quickly lose interest and the family outing will become a disaster.

4. Tip: Take trips regularly

In order to strengthen family cohesion, it is not enough to go on a family trip once a year. The expectations of this unique, special event are then so high that individual family members are often disappointed.

That's why it's important to go on regular trips with the family or establish other shared rituals to strengthen cohesion and build trust. How about spending time together once a month, for example? It doesn't matter whether it's a trip to a zoo, a water park, a museum or somewhere else. What's important is that the family makes decisions together, shares experiences and always creates a common basis, even in stressful everyday life. To ensure that such memories don't fade, they should be brought to life in your own living space . These experiences are imprinted in the minds of children and parents and create a positive feeling.