Promotional Feature with TUI Family Life
When you’re a busy parent to babies and young children, it feels like that time will last forever. But before you know it they’re growing and changing fast. That’s why family holidays are such precious times - and you can make them even more special by creating traditions that you and the kids will treasure from one year to the next. Here are some ideas to get you started...
Keep a holiday diary to remember all the fun
They’re having the time of their lives on holiday, so help them remember all the highlights by making their own holiday diary – whether that’s in pictures they’ve drawn, photos they’ve taken, or video clips they’ve shot. If they've been along to a kids’ club, they’ll have tried exciting new activities and met new friends they can write about, with a little help from you. At TUI Family Life resorts, there’s always something to keep them busy – and once they’ve bumped into loveable mascot Bamse bear and Captain T, those crayons and cameras will be working overtime as they record their favourite things to do...
Make your own souvenirs
You’ll want to take home holiday souvenirs, but they’re all the nicer if the kids make them themselves. They can join in with arts and crafts sessions at one of the kids’ clubs, such as Bamse Club for 3-5-year-olds, and create cute pictures or mini models – such as a picture made from shells or a sand jar – that’ll always remind you of the holiday. TUI Family Life sessions are available six days a week with at least two hours of fun time. And to get them in the mood, you could start an artistic family tradition of making something unique to take with you on holiday, like tie-dying T-shirts to wear at the beach. Each T-shirt will be unique to whoever ‘tied’ it, and they’ll fade beautifully over time. Plus, while you’re there, your child will be given a T-shirt from the kids' club, which they can take home.
Play favourite family games
Games are part and parcel of a family holiday. As well as the familiar digital games, try to get the kids outside in your beautiful holiday location to play ball games or even classic favourites like I-Spy. If you're indoors, challenge all the family to a traditional memory game, such as the suitcase game where everyone has to name an item they’ve packed, and recall the whole list each time a new item is added. Or set out a few toys and games, cover them with a towel and see how many items they can remember. When you’ve run out of ideas (or energy!) let them join in the special events that run throughout the day with TUI Family Life entertainers. Older kids aged 6-11 can join the @611 club for group challenges and interactive fun and games, such as a treasure hunt or a chocolate party. And if it looks like too much fun to resist, you can all join in with the family games and activities held throughout the day.
Make a holiday playlist
Create a playlist of your family’s favourite tunes and singalong songs. Everyone gets to choose at least one track to go on the playlist – and no one else is allowed to complain about hearing it – even if it is the Wheels On The Bus! Save it and in five years time you can all have good laugh about the selection. If you’re into music, you’ll love the free entertainment on a TUI Family Life holiday. As well as early evening shows designed especially for kids, there are professional evening performances from singers, dancers and more. Your children can also show off their own skills in singing competitions and with the dance-offs and sing-a-longs that form part of the shows – and you’ll get new inspiration for the next playlist!
Celebrate ‘firsts’
A great family tradition to establish is for everyone to do something new on holiday. That could be anything from trying a fresh activity, like beach volleyball, to eating a type of food you’ve never tasted before. The restaurants at Family Life resorts make that a lot easier. As well as plenty of familiar meals and kids’ dishes, you can also sample a delicious range of more adventurous foods like tapas or mezze. A shared family platter is a clever way to encourage kids to eat the same food as you. Also, with a TUI Family Life holiday, if your children try something new or eat healthily, they can earn stickers that will lead to a reward on stage once they collect 15.
Capture memories...
Family photos are an essential part of any getaway. You could also start a holiday tradition of taking a family photo in exactly the same composition. See how everyone changes from one year to the next – and whether there are any new arrivals! We know how hard it can be to snap the moment when everyone is happy, but with a TUI Family Life holiday, that’s easy. Just be sure to capture the moment!
...and make a photo book
Finally, you can send off your digital pics to an online service and get a photo-book made that captures all the highlights of the holiday. Your kids will love sharing the book with friends, grandparents and teachers – and you can use it to discuss highlights from your trip. It’ll also give you extra inspiration when you’re planning your next fantastic TUI Family Life holiday!
