We just got back from our annual trip to the Family Cabin. We had so much fun and loved every minute we were down there for. I wish we could have stayed longer and had even more adventures. Oh well, maybe we will get to stay longer next year.
As my kids are getting older they are become quite the adventurers and use their imagination constantly. The whole time we were at the lake the kids had a blast and we let them enjoy it to the fullest. Here are their tips to insure your kids have the best time ever.
1. Play!! There is so many new things to explore. If you leave kids to it they will find some excellent ways to entertain themselves.
2. Get in the water. Have a blast splashing, tubing, going on the knee board, swim or collect the best rocks ever. Whatever you do just get in there.
3. Make a clubhouse or fort. We have an old tent trailer that we didn’t set up this year. The kids made it into their awesome club house, no adults allowed. They hauled tons of rocks into the fridge. Collected pine cones for the horses (imaginary) and swept the entrance constantly. I have no idea what else they did but they spent tons of time in the club house.
4. Dig in the dirt. Almost every kid that I have every met loves to dig in the dirt. I don’t really get it but a shovel with a couple buckets makes for enormous amounts of fun.
5. Bathe half as often as you should. Sometimes a quick jump in the lake before bed is good enough. Other occasions call for extra soap….
6. Be goofy with cousins. Cousins are the best! I have many fond memories of time with my cousins and I hope my kids will have the same opportunity. They played constantly for the whole week. Sometimes bubbles, puzzles or activities filled their time but more often than not they used their imagination for tons of fun.
7. Stay up hours late. Seriously hours…. At the cabin, time is a whole different thing. We are too busy having fun that the kids don’t even start to settle down til 9 pm. Oy. The kids love staying up late but I always look forward to getting back to our routine. Aka early bedtime.
8. Eat too much food. Our entire extended family are all amazing cooks which leaves us all stuffing our faces during meal times, snacks and deserts. Tiger especially loved to fit all the watermelon in his mouth at once. Silly boy.
9. Lay trap for adults. Rocks make the perfect trap, without shoes on its close to the kids leaving Legos scattered around. Sticks work good too but are more easily seen.
10. Go boating. We watching skiers, went in the paddle boats, went behind the boat and even helped drive the boat with Grandpa for some small cruises.
11. Read tons of books. Have great grandparents to read them, grandparents, cousins or anyone that walks in the room. There is almost always time for one more story.
12. Snuggle. When you wake up in the morning snuggle for a bit longer. When your reading, curl up under a blanket. When your drying off from a super ski ride, snuggle up. Steal some kisses too, if you can. When your kids run, chase them and snuggle them again.
13. Explore Nature. Go on hikes if your close to the mountains or just explore the area your in. Look for different types of wildlife. See the colors all around you. Notice the different patterns on birds and leaves. Observe the bottom of the lake (if its clear) or look at the banks. Count the lily pads as you pass them. Wherever you are just take a minute to really look around. Maybe even touch some new textures.
14. Fall Asleep in unusual places. I don’t think my toddlers set out to accomplish this one but they often reached their fun maximum and collapsed in funny spots. Sweets often curled up by my Dad’s feet as he was driving the boat. Its shaded under there and the motor sounds help lull little ones to sleep. I was always surprised she went willingly. I guess she was just that tired.
15. Work Hard. Include your kids in what you are doing. Growing up we always had to work on a project of some sort before we could play in the lake for the afternoon. It worked out well as the water is chilly in the morning. The cabin is much more established now so our projects are generally smaller but when one comes up every pitches in. Yes, even the toddlers.
This year we started to build an addition to the retaining wall. Lots of rocks needs to be moved. The kids helped to move rocks that they could lift but they also supervised Great Grandpa as he drove the Kubota to the unloading area. Once they were parked the kids unloaded rocks and threw them where they needed to go. When it was the big boys turn they moved out of the way but they were included. Doesn’t seem like typical vacation fun but they loved helping and proving how big they are. Vacations aren’t always about having fun but doing things together.
Our vacation was so much fun and I am already looking forward to next year.
What are you and your family doing this year? What would your kids add to our list?
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