Experience Exciting and Energetic Family Activity Holidays

If you're tired of the annual break being one long indulgence of lying in the sun around the pool or on the beach, then a new breed of family activity holidays might be for you. Read on to see why.

Same old, same old

Naturally, your annual summer break is very important, particularly if you have a family. It may be one of the relatively few times in the year that you and your children get the opportunity to spend extended amounts of recreational time together. So, it's something of a pity that, all too often, the break can turn into just sitting around the pool or on the beach doing little or nothing - other than soaking up the sun and perhaps over-indulging a little in refreshment!

For those who want to get out there and taste life a little more, there is an alternative: the new breed of specialised family activity holidays.

Not a new concept

Strangely, this isn’t quite as revolutionary an idea as it might at first seem – it seems we just expect more now! And that's a good thing. For much of the earlier part of the 20th century, families that were actually able to afford an annual break were often inclined to build their holiday around an activity theme. So, it might have been walking around historic locations, hiking nature discovery trails through woods and forests or staying in sports camps, practicing things like archery and rowing.

However, at least to some extent, the advent of mass tourism and cheap air travel in the 1960s changed all that. Suddenly, the definition of the ideal break was seen by many to be the permanent occupation of a sun lounger whilst parking the children in the hotel’s pool. Thankfully, increasingly, people are questioning whether that is physically healthy or in the best interests of the development of family relationships.

So, family activity holidays are back on the agenda – and big time. The difference now is that, with the assistance of a good operator, the sky is really the limit when it comes to what you want to do and where you want to go. Bespoke packages to suit the individual tastes and skills are no longer the stuff of dreams!

Examples

This growing trend is being seen both in Europe and North America. For example, many European holidays are based around the stunning Alpine mountain peaks. That doesn’t necessarily mean they are all about snow sports (although there are plenty off them!), because outside of the skiing season there are fantastic opportunities to do some climbing, hiking, swimming, canoeing, off-road biking and so on. You can also go horse riding and experience a huge variety of sports that you may not previously have had the opportunity to take part in, such as field archery or abseiling.

In North America, family activity holidays can include a unique experience on a real working ranch – spending most of your days in the saddle exploring the countryside or engaging in real-life ranch work.

The key concept of this new breed of break is to allow families to go off the beaten track and try something new – affording the opportunity to create memories that will last forever.