Love the idea of a mystery holiday? Worried about taking one of these holidays with kids in tow?
Don’t be! Believe it or not (and you should believe it or you’ll be missing out big time) taking a mystery holiday with the kids is child’s play.
Especially when you’re so prepared that you’ve read our hints and tips that follow!
How does a mystery holiday work with families?
It may seem daunting. But don’t holidays abroad with kids always feel like that?
Endless thoughts rush through already frazzled grown up minds. Will they like the food? Will the kids enjoy themselves?
We could fill this entire blog post with such questions.
The best way to prepare for a family mystery holiday is to balance the mystery element of not knowing where you might be heading as a family until the booking is made, with the certainty kids secretly crave that all will be well.
Doing this can be a lot of fun too, expanding and extending the anticipation for your upcoming break.
A few weeks before your departure you might sit around the dinning room table to draw up a holiday checklist with the kids involved.
Countdown calendars are another great way of keeping excitement levels up even when the mystery of your holiday remains.
Then, when you know your destination, it can be really entertaining to try and have those not-in-the-know to work out exactly where your holiday with the kids might be.
Perhaps you’ll make a meal of it – by prepping pasta for Italy or tacos for Mexico for instance. Or maybe set up a small trail of clues around the home to give them the hints they need.
What should you tell your kids about a mystery holiday?
First of all, you shouldn’t be afraid to emphasis the mystery element of your upcoming holiday with your kids.
The fact mummy or daddy doesn’t know either can really built excitement levels.
What you don’t want to do is go into specifics. After all, since every destination Mystery Holidays offers families is different, you don’t want to raise hopes of a specific water park only for the bubble to be burst!
You’ll know from your tier structure how far you’re going to be travelling. So that can be the start of a good game of guess where.
You’ll also know the number of days and nights that you’ll be on your kids-friendly holiday abroad, which will be both a comfort and a further excitement if we know kids like we think we do.
What to pack for mystery holidays with kids?
Wherever you’re travelling in the world, and whether you’re on a holiday abroad with kids, as a couple, or flying solo, the trick to packing is layering.
And we don’t mean creating a sandwich of items in your carry on.
We mean using various layers – vests or baselayers, T-shirts, sweaters and jackets to create a capsule wardrobe par excellence for each member of the family.
Many people think being cold is the problem, when in fact that’s easy to solve by throwing on another layer. So long as you have them.
Being hot – something smaller children in particular are prone too – can be harder to sort. So ensure you’ve a range of lighter and heavier fabrics in the mix to be on the safe side.
Then of course, you’ll want those holiday essentials: swimming gear, hats, sunglasses, and maybe (dare we say it?) an umbrella too.
Umbrellas double as excellent sun shades, while even European sunlight levels can be harsh for those of us used to the gloom of the UK!
How to prepare for different weather conditions
Preparing for different weather conditions on mystery holidays with kids doesn’t just come down to what you’ve got in your suitcase.
You’ll also want to have some flexibility and variation in what you plan to do when you’re away.
That boat trip might have sounded like a great idea at home, but if it’s blowing a gale you’ll probably want to stay indoors!
Here the kids can help again.
Once you know what your mystery holidays destination is, you could give them a list of a few potential attractions and have them decide which rank most highly on the kids’ holiday checklist.
Do this and your children feel like they’re playing a part in the organising – and get to think they’re doing all the things they want to do. In reality, you’ve already curated the list before giving it to them!
How to keep kids entertained on holiday
We don’t think you’re going to have any trouble keeping youngsters entertained on your mystery holiday, whatever tier of destination is best for you.
But just in case you’re worried, remember that you know your child better than anyone else in the world. You therefore know how to keep them entertained better than anyone else too.
Start by taking a few cherished toys or games, so there’s familiarity on your holiday with the kids.
Remember too that you don’t have to fill every single minute or every day with specific activities. Be sure to also schedule in some relaxed family time.
You might play a simple game of cards, take a bus ride to a different part of town together just for the fun of it, or opt to relax in a nearby park.
At peak holiday times hotels in popular destinations are often full of families. We’re always amazed how quickly kids of all ages can become solid friends, so don’t be afraid to let this happen naturally either.
Finally, you’ll want snacks. Lots and lots of snacks. Snacks from home, snacks from your holiday destination. Healthy snacks and not-so-healthy snacks.
Adults can often forget how difficult it can be to survive between meal times. Snacks are the answer.
So you see taking mystery holidays with kids isn’t a crazy idea at all! Reassured, why not check out the incredible destinations you can reach with Mystery Holidays?
We’ve got over 100 to choose from!
