How to Plan a Family Adventure

It’s time to hit the road for family vacations and that takes some planning. For some people, it can make the trip not worth the trouble. Here are a few tips to help make the fun last.

According to “Family Adventure Mom,” Deborah Geigis Berry, “The one thing many of us do wrong is over plan – I used to be guilty of that as well,” she says. “I remember once I tried to take my family hiking, out to eat and whale watching in just four hours. It was crazy.”

Here are Berry’s 5 tricks to helping make family adventures fun and spontaneous-feeling.

VIP PackThis stands for Very Important Pack – a wide-brimmed waterproof hat, blow-up beach ball, map of where you are going, card games, a photo album of the family members you might be visiting and pre-addressed cards and stamps for writing letters back home to friends and family.

Get Rid of BugsFor adventures, make sure you protect everyone from bug bites. During a recent trip to the mid-west, where there are huge mosquitos, no-seeums, and other fun creatures, the kids were getting bitten. A little OFF! insect repellant helps a lot. “When we head to the beach I make sure to pack OFF! Clip-On Mosquito Repellent because it can be placed on my beach bag or lounge chair and within minutes creates head to toe protection,” says Berry.

Be FlexibleIf you force yourselves to stick to an agenda at all times, you will be frustrated because things happen. If you can find one highlight for each family member, they’ll be happy.

Skip the Must-SeesThe most crowded spots can suck up lots of time and won’t necessarily make the experience better. Try and find the less-used parts of an attraction and the kids will still have fun.

UnplugLimit movies and electronic games while you are traveling. When the kids are taking a break, have a family conversation or have them write a letter to a grandparent or other family member or write in a journal.

Berry has one last bit of advice for travelers as they hit the road: “If you set your family trip up for spontaneity by bringing the right items along, even a simple road trip will be a blast,” she says. “And remember, skip the schedule – get on the open road and enjoy yourself!”

Get more travel tips, secrets and fun road ideas atwww.familyadventuremom.com and more information on insect repellent at www.off.com.