5 Reasons Beaches Are Great For Multigenerational Vacations
Planning a multigenerational vacation can be stressful. First, it’s hard to make everyone happy when you have a diverse group of family members of different ages and stages in life.
Although fun for energetic kids and teens, spending long days at an amusement park is likely to be exhausting for parents and grandparents. Touring large cities and museums, also appealing to teens, can be boring for their younger siblings. Depending on the season, visiting a national park is bound to elicit complaints from someone in the group—old, young or in-between—who finds the outdoors too hot or too cold.
So, what’s a family to do when posed with the question: “Where should we go on vacation this year?” The people-pleaser answer is simple—Head to the beach!
Beaches are an ideal getaway for everyone. No matter how old you are, there is always something to do when you visit a beach town. Here are some of the reasons why beaches are a great option for multigenerational families seeking the perfect vacation destination:
1) Beaches allow toddlers to experience new things
Wave jumping in the surf is a blast for little ones. They get to run in the water, chase the waves, and watch the shells wash up on shore. There are so many things to spark their interest in the surf.
If you genuinely want toddlers to love the beach, bring along some seashell crafts to bring the beach indoors in the evenings. It’s the perfect way to get your little ones to calm down before bedtime and will motivate them to hunt for more shells when they hit the beach in the morning.
2) Kids get to explore and meet new people
Admittedly, hanging out at the beach for an entire day and be rough on little ones. After a few sand castles and some rides on the waves, many kids get bored and demand to be entertained. It’s no vacation if mom and dad have to keep the kids happy all day long. But one great alternative is choosing an all-inclusive beach resort that offers supervised activities during the day for kids.
Many all-inclusive resorts have kids’ clubs or kids’ camps where youngsters can spend a few hours doing organized activities or sports under supervision. This gives their parents and grandparents time to relax and kick back, and the kids get introduced to new people and fun activities.
While they are busy, the grownups can spend some time designing a treasure hunt for them on the beach. Bring along a few brightly colored items and then send the kids on a quest (within your eye’s reach) to find the treasures It will keep them busy and entertained, and they’ll enjoy telling you about your adventure.
3)Beaches allow teens to feel independent and spread their wings
Older teens love the beach. They like to soak up the rays of the sun (protected with suntan lotion, of course.) They may want to boogie board and surf the waves, and they like to play games in the sand. And, most of all they like to explore the beach towns and begin to experience some independence.
If your teen has siblings, cousins or brings along a friend of his/her age, it will make their beach vacation even more memorable. They can enjoy beach games; perhaps, visit the sand volleyball court: or spread their walks during a walk or jog on the boardwalk (while you supervise from a distance).
A beach vacation offers teens freedom and some fun in the sun. Not too many getaways can top that.
4) Parents and grandparents get to strike a balance between relaxation and family time
Vacations can be hard on parents and grandparents because they entail responsibility when children and/or grandchildren are in tow. Supervising their safety and well-being is a 24/7 responsibility, whether on vacation or not. But at the beach, you can get spurts of “me” or “we” time.
If you tag team with others who have the kids in the water, one of you can read a book or listen to music and relax while the other one plays with the kids. If grandparents come along, parents can go off for a romantic dinner or go shopping.
Trying a new local restaurant (or even a fancy on-site restaurant at an all-inclusive) is also another thing parents can enjoy at the beach. No cooking, and trying new and unique foods can be an adventure—especially when there is fresh seafood all around.
But don’t forget the ways you can enjoy spending time with your kids. Playing in the waves with your kids can elicit lots of laughs. And, there are always pool games and sand games to play as well. And, don’t overlook how much fun an evening trip for ice cream can be.
5) Grandparents get to soak it all in
Grandparents treasure every movement they spend with the entire family in one place. So, a trip to the beach for them is a virtual giant ball of sentiment. They get to see the little ones experience new things, they get to see the older kids grow and mature, and they get to see their own kids raising their children. Throw in the fresh ocean air and the sun, and the beach becomes a poetic experience.
In conclusion
A beach vacation is an excellent way to bring families even closer. You get to spend time together, you get to experience new things, and most importantly you get to laugh and create new memories together.
So, if you are struggling with the decision about where to go this summer, start searching the best beach destination that will suit your family. Depending on where you live, there are so many to choose from.
All photo credits: Pixabay, unless otherwise noted.
This is a sponsored post from Beaches.com.
