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There’s nothing like a vacation with the whole family. We aim for one or two every year, and they never disappoint! We have learned a lot of multigenerational travel tips and tricks over the years, and want to share them with you!
If you don’t have the opportunity to go on extended trips together take heart that this ‘travel philosophy’ can be applied to just about any overnight get together. It doesn’t have to be a ‘real’ vacation.
A multigenerational weekend at someone’s home counts too! Just adjust accordingly for location and duration.
- Set the dates
- Plan the food
- Plan the activities
- Remember the reason you get together
Consider the Destination & the Logistics
You’ve decided to give multigenerational travel a try. Now that you’ve got that decision out of the way, deciding where to go is obviously the next step.
Our family has a few favorites; Oregon beaches, Central Oregon, and McCall, Idaho.
There are some other places on the horizon as the grandkids get older, but for now, these locations are affordable, drivable and kid friendly!
What works with your family?
Consider how much driving you can all handle. Is airfare doable? Or who is it most doable for?
In our family, it’s Amanda’s crew that usually travels the furthest just because of their distant location to just about everything!
However, when her husband is in the middle of harvest, we take the long road to a destination closer to them. It increases the chance that he will be able to join us for at least part of the time.
We look for condos (or Airbnb/VRBO) for the best chance of getting everyone under the same roof, and having the luxury of a living area, laundry access, and most importantly, a kitchen.
One of our bi-annual trips is spending the week after Christmas together on the Oregon Coast.
We encourage our kids to pursue their own traditions for the holidays, and also realize that we aren’t the only game in town, or out of town in this case.
So my husband and I head for the beach early, get everything unpacked, and then settle in to enjoy the sounds of the ocean, while we eagerly await the sounds of grandkids who will arrive in a couple of days!
Be open handed and enjoy ‘this’ trip.
Our kids are busy. Schedules change, kids join teams, someone gets sick…multigenerational travel adds a lot of variables!
I am always relieved beyond measure when we all end up at the same place! At the same time, we try our very best to not let the unexpected derail us.
We know that there will be seasons when these getaways work better than others. We know there will be trips without everyone, and even trips that get cancelled. The takeaway? Take in the moments!
Research and Plan Activities
Ask the question, “What makes this time special for you?”
When our kids were little we learned to ask this valuable question from a good friend.
Have conversations with everyone who will be on the adventure.
Ask them what is the one thing they are hoping for that will make this vacation a win for them.
This advice has been so helpful, and not just for these multigenerational trips but for our own little getaways as well.
There’s nothing like unmet expectations to mess with family fun. Everyone knows that it will be a team effort to try and achieve each person’s wish.
In our family, we have responses such as
- “watch a bowl game”
- “eat dinner out one time”
- “play board games”
- “golf”
- “go on a walk”
- “make a craft”
- “check out some local shopping”
- “watch the sunset together”
We work hard to make sure everyone’s hope becomes a reality. Go team!
We also have learned how easy it can be to just do the same things every trip, since we tend to return to favorite locations.
So we also invite everyone to come up with a few new ideas – places to go, a game to purchase for vacation, a new recipe, a different driving route – everything is up for consideration.
We don’t want to get in a rut!
Food
We have definitely modified our eating plans over the years. In the early days we enjoyed lazy days and cooking from scratch.
Then the babies got a little older, and the prep and cleanup just took too much of our vacation hours. We decided it was time for a change.
Now, in the weeks leading up to vacation I do the meal prep at home.
When the day to drive out arrives I’ve got a week’s worth of dinners frozen and ready to go as well. Plus a few lunches and breakfasts too!
My favorite meal plan to date is from The Thriving Home and features 20+ Freezer Meals to Take On Vacation.
Amanda and I work together on this. I purchase and prep the ingredients needed for each of the freezer meals, and she starts a curbside pickup shopping list for everything that will need purchased on location.
We also start a group chat so that people can request a few favorite treats.
Once we arrive someone from our group heads to pickup the grocery order while others unpack.
We enjoy eating out a couple of times as well, usually selecting a kid friendly place and hitting the off hours at popular locations.
Food truck gatherings have become a favorite – everyone orders their own, and we meet up to eat. And sometimes after a busy and active day, having pizza delivered is the perfect option!
Other Tips for Success
Not everyone has to do the same thing at the same time.
In the old days with just one little one, we would strap a carseat in the golf cart, put a helmet on that one little girl, and off we would all go (with the permission of the golf club of course!).
Now, wrangling two more active girls would make it tough on everyone, including them. So we divide up, golf at different times, take one of the girls out to ride for just a few holes, or any number of possibilities to make the day fun for everyone.
Multigenerational Friendly Games
Board games for the win!
Again, times are changing! We’ve done everything from waiting to play games until the kids are asleep, to playing rotational games where one adult plays with kids for a ‘round’ and then we switch out.
The kids think it is so fun! And of course we spend plenty of time playing games designed just for them.
Some of our favorite kid games are:
Pop the Pig https://amzn.to/3DNiM8k
Connect Four https://amzn.to/3Ra6nhU
Monopoly Jr. https://amzn.to/3r3utQE
Ticket to Ride Jr.: https://amzn.to/3ffXbem
Any kind of memory match game or card game (think Uno) is bound to be a hit.
We also look for ways to adapt just about any game into a version that even the pre-k kids can play.
For example, if you’ve got a deck of Uno cards, set the deck, or a portion of it, face down. Take turns picking up cards until they are all distributed.
Who has the most (fill in the blank) red, blue…the options are endless. Play as individuals or as a team.
We haven’t met a game yet that can’t be turned into some fun with the younger kids.
However, when the kids go to bed, our family favorites are:
Catan: https://amzn.to/3xOjIFB
Seafarers of Catan: https://amzn.to/3Ram0G7 These games also have extension packs available for purchase if you have additional players (more than four players).
Ticket to Ride: https://amzn.to/3SbnPnw
Sequence: https://amzn.to/3r18w4H
Racko: https://amzn.to/3BFM5XN
We also love card games, so decks of cards are always on our packing list.
Know your Options
Check with the location ahead of time and make sure you are clear on swimming options, bike paths, playgrounds etc…knowing what is available ahead of time will head off potential disappointment!
Little Surprises for the Grandkids
I do a bit of shopping in the weeks leading up to our time together.
I definitely don’t spend much money, but it’s great to have a few little surprises up my sleeve. This is especially true if someone isn’t feeling well, the weather isn’t what we hoped for, or just for fun.
I check out the clearance section at Michael’s for super inexpensive things to make.
That clearance aisle provided the inspiration for unicorn headbands and airplanes for the last vacation.
A new card game, or a couple of books are also fun finds and easy to tuck away.
Whose Job Is it, Anyway?
Take turns with the cooking and cleanup. We don’t have a strict schedule, but we do make sure we switch up the responsibilities. We purchased collapsible totes from Costco, similar to these.
They are one of my favorite purchases!
We take at least three of them.
They can be used for laundry, toys, outside toys, and can carry all the things you need for a day out. Then folded up until your next adventure.
Car Time
If you are driving with the kids, or want to help your grown kids provide fun activities for the grandkids, check out 17 Genius Road Trip Activities for Toddlers and Travel Busy Bag for Preschoolers.
You’ll find fun ides to put together to supplement screen time in the car.
There are a lot of pieces to put together for a multigenerational trip, but planning well and great communication can take a lot of the ‘hiccups’ out of your time together.
We hope that hearing a little about how we put our trips together will give you some ideas and get your own awesome ideas flowing! (We’d love to hear them!)
So happy planning! May each of your getaways, whether a week or just a couple of days, be the trip of a lifetime!