What to do to Make a Fun Family Vacation Without All the Distractions

Image via WikipediaVacations are primarily taken to "un-plug" but that's harder and harder to do these days what with cell phones, portable dvd players, game consoles and iPods.  So what can you do to make a family vacation fun while leaving the distractions behind?  Here are some ideas:

If you're planning to get to your destination by car:

1. Play some games in the car.  License Plate Bingo, finding letters on signs, hangman, I Spy.  The miles will pass by even without electronics.

2. Tell your kids stories about when you went on vacation with your family.  Or tell them stories handed down to you from your parents and grandparents.  We often don't have time to do that within our regular schedule, kids love to hear stories from the past.

How about the destination itself, where should you go for a vacation without the distractions? 

3. Camping is a natural selection.  A scaled down lifestyle with an abundance of nature to appreciate.

4. The Beach is another great place to visit.  If you can find a smaller one, with not as many tourists, distractions will be minimal, and plenty of sand castles can be built, and seashells found.

So your family vacation is to a tourist hot spot or a large city, can you still have a fun one minus distractions?  You bet!  Look for these types of attractions:

5. A Petting Farm.  Small kids especially will love the chance to get up close to sheep, horses, goats and geese. If you're lucky sometimes they can even help feed the animals.

6. Planetariums are a great way to see the universe.  Learn about constellations and planets.  It really is awesome.

7. Nature Trails.  For those of us that like to appreciate the beauty of the outdoor world but would get lost without a GPS, nature trails is where its at.  Usually accompanies with signage for different animals or trees, it's like camping, but you don't have to sleep in a tent!

8. Ecological Preserves.  Learn about how people and companies are keeping and helping our earth and animals thrive. 

9. A Butterfly Farm.  If you've never been to one of these havens, they are amazing.  It's a special feeling when a butterfly alights upon you, and to just watch them fly around in their element is something that no HD television could capture as well as your own eyes.

10. Take a train.  Any kind of train.  A kiddie train or an old locamotive.  There is something about trains that just spark the imagination of a child and an adult alike.  They create wonder in the biggest boy, and your kids will have a memory for the rest of their lives.

So how do you make a family vacation fun with minimal distractions?  Link up at Twitter Moms and share with us. 

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