It’s ironic how much work it takes to “relax” as a family. There’s planning and logistics to work out, clothes and gear to pack, and prep for some healthy meals is usually involved. However, there’s no denying that some prep work on the front end makes for a smoother and more restful trip for all involved.
Here’s a peek at a few things we did over the past few weeks to help our favorite week of the year go smoothly.
READING/AUDIO BOOKS/MOVIES
In addition to our regular trips to the library, there’s usually another trip made specifically for things we would like for the beach. This year I ended up ordering a few of the books from Amazon simply because some either weren’t available at the library or were currently checked out. We still picked up a few audio books and movies, though. For the car ride, I’ve also come across a few podcasts that are supposed to be kid-friendly and enjoyed by adults too. During the last few trips we’ve made, it’s been a lot of fun to listen to an audio book together. It helps pass the time and we all get to experience a story together. Even though we bring movies along, those are saved for only a portion of the car ride, usually after lunch. Or in the event we have some rainy weather that keeps us inside they’re nice to have as a treat.
TOYS/ENTERTAINMENT
We always bring along a toy bag with a few of their favorite things that they all can pretty much play with and some books for reading. We try to keep the inside toys confined to one smallish bag since most of our time will be spent on the beach! However, there’s always some down time after lunch when the baby naps and everyone has some rest time or after coming in from the beach and getting dinner ready. In addition to the few toys they choose to bring from home, we always like to make things a little special with a few items that are new for the trip.
A few items we’ve loved this time for keeping the kiddos entertained:
shovels-We came across these kid-sized gardening shovels a few years ago at Home Depot or Lowe’s. These are a staple every time! We learned a while ago that using these bigger shovels is the way to go for more serious sand digging. The boys use these in their dirt pile frequently in the backyard as well.
Melissa and Doug Water Wow These coloring pads are great for little ones in the car. We’ve used these lots over the years, and JL enjoyed them on the car ride.
Melissa and Doug Reusable Sticker Pads All of the boys love these, even Thomas still does. They play all types of make believe scenarios with the different scenes.
T.S. Shure Hangman magnetic game We have the stuntman version of this game, and it’s been a great game to play with everyone.
Safari Ltd River Toob Arthur picked out these little animals and, again, they’ve all had so much fun pretend playing with them.
And a few items just for beach fun that I saw as favorites on another blog:
Kites These kites were so fun and easy to fly. We saw a few more varieties of these same kites being flown around too!
MEAL PREP
If meal prepping during a regular week makes things run smoother, it’s even more helpful away from home. We don’t go overboard by trying to fully prepare all meals ahead of time. Instead, I like to pick a few breakfast items, some snack favorites, and at least have some ideas planned ahead of time for dinners we’ll eat in. This year I made a double batch of our favorite blueberry banana muffins to freeze and a double batch of our favorite granola for breakfast/snacks. Tom premade his Saturday morning pancake mix, minus the wet ingredients to bring along.
We like to do a short grocery trip when we arrive. We make a list just like we do at home and try to get in and out. It can be a little chaotic. Shopping in a new grocery store with small children isn’t the most relaxed event. We’ll pick up fruit and eggs to go along with things we premade for breakfasts. Lunches are kept super simple. Sandwiches are quick to assemble, dips like hummus and salsa and chips, and fruit round out the options.
We also like to pick a couple nights to cook in rather than going out to eat. This works well for a few reasons. One favorite time of day to enjoy the beach is late afternoon around 5:00-6:00. It’s so nice to hang out and wander back in without having to rush to get ready to go to dinner. Second, it’s much more relaxed to make our own dinner in and not have to worry about crowds and wait times going out to eat. This year we made spaghetti sauce, Caesar salads, and bread and enjoyed that two nights. We usually order in food the night we arrive and pick another couple of nights to go out to eat.
That’s about it! We always strive to make our trips less hectic so we can enjoy each other more and actually feel like we’re on vacation, and these are a few things that have helped us be more prepared over the last few years.
