Some of our best and happiest memories are often from family holidays; given that we can’t remember every second of every holiday as our families grow up, there are some hints which can help make family holidays more memorable.
First of all, plan the holiday. Beyond booking in advance, have some idea of how you’ll spend the time while on holiday. Lounging a whole week by a swimming pool probably won’t create memories on its own, but with some careful forethought you can really generate some memories (“Hey, remember that time you pushed Dad in the pool!”).
Interpersonal interaction is another good way of bringing about the memories — with your family, other holiday makers or local people. These relationships will be remembered long after the content of the book which was read on a sun lounger. This interaction can be a short conversation and some shared experiences; asking other people for recommendations of things to do and places to go; a game or activity with others is fantastic, especially if the game is one that your family doesn’t play at home; eating or drinking together is another way to produce some magical holiday moments.
You can also be different. For instance, if your family always does things together, split into smaller groups and each do a different activity. It’s a good way to mix things up (variety is the spice of life, after all!), and then you can meet up afterwards and have a laugh (or maybe a grumble!) about it later. If some of your family enjoy sightseeing more than others, encourage them to go off and then share their experiences on their return. Or if some of your family members are sporty, they may wish to attend a local sporting event (perhaps it’s the big game where you are! and relay the details of their experience afterwards. It all makes memories for the people taking part — both in terms of the activity itself and the fact that some of their family were doing something different at the time — and for those who can hear all about the event afterwards as family stories are shared.
With the explosion of technology, you can also capture the memories, not just make them. Cameras, tablets, laptops and mobile telephones all come equipped with the ability to record the stuff of these fantastic times. Long after the holiday, you can review the events of that summer (or winter) and relive that vacation one last time. That was the life!
