A weekend family retreat is perfect because it’s enough time for you all to enjoy each other without getting sick of one another. It’s also perfect because it’s just enough time to squeeze in some awesome memories. When you’re working to pull off an epic weekend family retreat, planning is paramount. In order to make sure you plan things perfectly, consider the following tips.
1. Lodging
Consider the needs of the family. If everyone is used to staying in hotels, you might want to consider why. If a hotel isn’t absolutely necessary, it’s a great idea to consider a camping trip with the best amenities. You all can rent an RV to ride out to a campsite. Then, you can enjoy a really fun experience where you all go glamping in Utah.
If this seems like a really foreign experience for the rest of the family, this is actually a good thing. It’s a chance to try something new. If all goes according to plan, your family members might love this adventure. It could become an experience that you all do as a family for years to come.
2. Entertainment
There’s a variety of experiences you all can enjoy when you’re headed out to a campsite. Simple activities like coloring can be extremely therapeutic. Once you arrive at the campsite, build a campfire to prepare fun desserts like s’mores. Do some research to find out if there are any open bodies of water nearby. If so, skipping rocks, fishing and canoeing are fun ways to enjoy the water without swimming.
Remember that simplicity is also beautiful to take in. When you all are in nature, it feels different to pull out a book to read. If you set an hour of quiet time where everyone has to read a book, indulge in a puzzle, or pick up the camera to take a few photos, it might be one of the most serene experiences for your family to enjoy while you all are in nature.
3. Food
It can be a little intimidating to figure out food for an entire family for a camping trip. Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to provide delicious food without breaking the bank. Purchase a few large steel coolers in order to keep perishable food cold for days. Items like cheese, meat, and vegetables need to remain in the cooler. Bring a lot of canned foods like chili beans, salsa, and corn in order to provide a great base for foods like nachos and more. Non-perishable items like taco shells, chips, and desserts will be really helpful for filling in the gaps.
4. Homefront Planning
Even though you and your family are leaving to enjoy a beautiful vacation for the weekend, life doesn’t stop. Your bills will still be due. Your boss will expect you if you don’t put in your request for time off. Take a look at all of your pending responsibilities and commitments. Make sure you’ve taken care of all of the bills before you all leave. You’d never want to come home from a wonderful vacation to learn that the electricity was cut-off due to a lack of payment.
If one of the children is invited to a birthday party, be sure to RSVP to let the organizer know you all won’t be there. When you’re thorough with your planning, you can leave knowing that the homefront is still taken care of.
5. Hot Spots
As you all prepare to visit a specific location, consider the hot spots you’d like to visit. Whether you are visiting Sri Lanka, or Florida, If there’s an iconic restaurant in the city or fireworks show that happens at a local park, do your research to learn about the times and places. It’d be nice to diversify your family’s experience with some interesting excursions of the area you’re visiting.
If you opt to plan in advance, the better off you’ll be. This is because you can take advantage of awesome discounts, set aside enough money to cover the expenses, and put in your requests for PTO before it’s too late. When you’ve planned correctly, you and your family will truly reap the benefits of the ultimate weekend family retreat.
