Make FUN Memories
For Gen-Xers to claim that we were bored as kids was a feeling that couldn’t last long. A bike and a friend (even if they were a few towns over) are all we needed to find an activity to occupy our time until nightfall. As parents, many of us of this same generation have worked hard, driven much, and spent a bit to make sure our kids stayed busy and out of trouble. Though we may have given our kids many experiences as a result of this investment, helped them develop character qualities like perseverance and drivenness, as well as done our part in helping them secure their share of college admissions and scholarships…in too many cases, it may have come at a cost that is more than financial. The catalyst could have been a schedule that was too busy to cultivate better family relationships. At Legacy Vacation Condos, family is invaluable. We are convinced that making fun memories together is integral with relationship-building as a family! Let’s explore fun, (maybe) old-school options to make memories together.
OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES
Cost can often be a hindrance to creating and maintaining a shared love of outdoor family activities. Despite the cost of modern-day living for all, activities like skiing, vacationing abroad, golf, etc have always been pricey. Besides, could it be that the simpler activities are not just more cost-effective, but also better able to cultivate connections with because they are easier to maintain?
Bike-riding: A bicycle is a one-time investment that will produce benefits for years to come and many miles to cover, too :-). The ability to go from place to place with a bicycle makes exploring, near and far, possible. You can explore places unable to be reached with a car, like deeper areas of a park or reservation. Exciting!
Fishing: We’ve written about the benefits of fishing in the past (https://www.legacyvacationcondos.com/blog/fishing). YOU decide how much you can or want to invest, and where you prefer to make that investment — a stream, river, lake or the beach/sea. There’s nothing quite like the serenity of time spent alongside the swish, the gurgle, or the crashing of water.
Walking: Name your setting…your destination. Walk in-town…at the beach…in the woods. It’s totally FREE. Not only is walking a fantastic exercise option for people of all ages, it is also a very good way to get time with someone you love. A regular schedule of walking together enables consistent times of conversation and connection, and occasional walking appointments can create easier spaces for those hard conversations because the distraction of the outdoors can help temper emotions.
GAMES
Be it video, board, card or paper & pen, there are oh-so-many games to be played!!
If video, in order to get our kids (and ourselves) away from, primarily, alone-time with phone screens or out of the way of conversation-less TV screens…how about a family trip to an arcade for creating fun family memories to look back on for years to come? If your kids are little this could look like a trip to a Chuck E Cheese, or during the summer months in Brigantine, a visit to the Smile Factory. If your kids are older, or even for adults, you could try a Dave & Buster’s or a local arcade like New Jersey’s YESTERcades. An arcade provides a setting to play some of the video games you enjoy, yet in an environment that can encourage socializing, conversation, and fun, of course!
If board or cards, once again we can take examples from the GenX generation. Target, Walmart, and Barnes & Noble are still great places to stock up on board games, playing cards, and puzzles. How about a family trip to either one of these stores to pick a few that could become classics in your family for generations. Monopoly, Scrabble, and Life are among the board games that are cherished in our home. You’ll find them on the game shelves of our Legacy condos.
If paper & pen, Tic Tac Toe, Hangman, and Charades will always be free options that adaptable to any age. And, a few of these can even be played in the car on the way to your vacation, starting the memory-making even before arriving to your destination.
MOVIE NIGHTS
Remember when watching a movie at movie theatre was $6 per ticket on a weekend night? What about Tuesday movie nights at your local movie theatre for $3 per person? We’ve come a long way from making a trip to the movie theatre a very regular, even weekly, activity! However, I still think that there’s nothing like gathering your family together for a movie with a serving of snacks, blankets on couches or big pillows, and low lights. And, if you’re vacationing at a short term rental property, especially, you can incorporate a stay-at-hoome family movie night into your family vacation! Here are a few things to think about when planning for this…
Create a list of family must-sees (my daughter prompted us to create our list in our family chat). Considering any of the oldies for your list? As Gen-Xers, many of the new movies of our day are today’s classics with storylines and comedy scenes that our kids will still appreciate. I raised my own kids on several of the cartoons and TV shows I watched when I was younger. Eventually, they realized the difference — lol! — but their excitement lasted for a long while before their realization came to be. Some movie suggestions: https://www.commonsensemedia.org/lists/best-movies-for-family-movie-night
What snacks does your family love? Are they snacks that you’ll have to purchase or recipes you can create together — another fun family activity?
All in all, time flies. Ask almost any grandparent and they will say the same. The time we get to invest into — or make FUN memories together — our immediate family truly is short. Let’s take advantage of today as best we are able!
