54 THE QUEENS COURIER • KIDS & EDUCATION • MAY 31, 2018 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
kids & education
5 tips for creating lasting memories on summer vacation
Th ere’s a lot to love about summer:
School’s out, everyone’s wearing fl ipfl
ops, the trees are a brilliant green and
you tend to grill out more nights of the
week than not.
For families across the nation, one of
the best parts of summer is taking off
on a vacation. It’s rare that everyone can
sit down and eat every meal of the day
together, see new things, discover unexpected
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REGISTRATION
We accept ages 4 through 12
adventures or explore a diff erent
way of life, but on a great family vacation,
these things happen several times a day.
Th e hardest part of any vacation can
be deciding where to go. You want to
fi nd a place kids and adults will love, and
have an experience that will create lasting
memories for years to come.
To help narrow down your family vacation
plans, here are fi ve things to keep in
mind when planning:
1. Seek out unique experiences. Th e
beautiful thing about traveling with kids
is being able to celebrate their “fi rsts.”
Th at magical excitement they have when
they fi rst feel the beach between their toes
or see the ocean for the fi rst time will
warm your heart. Th is is why so many
families head to a seaside getaway. In
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, you’ll fi nd
these and many other opportunities for
“fi rsts,” such as kayaking along scenic rivers
to see wildlife, spotting a dolphin and
for the brave, zip lining. Your kids’ excitement
will be contagious.
2. Act like a kid with your kids. Th ough
you have adult responsibilities, that
doesn’t mean you can’t act like a kid now
and then. Build time into your itinerary
for you to jump into the ocean, build
sandcastles, fl oat down your hotel’s lazy
river or eat ice cream like it’s going out
of style. Being an adult is great, but acting
like a kid is better.
3. Let everyone pick a fun thing to
do. You don’t have to do all the planning
on your own. In fact you shouldn’t.
Let the kids help to plan activities for
your vacation. For instance, when visiting
Myrtle Beach many parents present a
list of kid-friendly activities to their little
ones - such as the SkyWheel and Ripley’s
Aquarium - and let them decide which
one to visit. Allowing your kids to participate
in the planning process like this
helps to give them a sense of accomplishment,
and feel like they made this vacation
happen.
4. Stay where the fun is. When trying to
decide where to stay, narrow your options
down by considering how close you are to
dining, attractions and other activities in
the area. Th ere’s nothing like being able to
step outside of your hotel room and take
a walk on the beach, collect sand dollars
or build a sandcastle. Of course, lodging
with an indoor water park will get an A+
from your kids.
5. Plan enough, but don’t overdo
it. While an itinerary is great and can
keep everyone on schedule, make sure
to include time for relaxation or spurof
the-moment activities. Be fl exible.
Sunsets, sandcastles and 100 other perfect
memories oft en happen at the spur
of the moment. Many times, the best part
of a vacation is the surprise you never
planned.
Sunshine, blue sky, an ocean, sandy
beaches, plenty of adventures: A great
summer vacation has all the things you
need to make a lifetime of memories.
Best of all, no matter how much you plan,
you’re bound to fi nd surprises that exceed
your expectations.
Courtesy BPT