How to Pull Off a Tech-Free Family Vacation the Whole Family Can Enjoy

Modern technologies have made our lives so much easier. The automotive industry is no exception, as the number of gadgets inside the car increases by the year. Parents have embraced this chance for the better because it allows them to hand their children with tablets to keep them occupied for the entire length of the journey by car. However, families have been vacationing for decades without these fancy gizmos so a tech-free family trip is a real possibility nowadays. The only thing you need to know is what to offer all family members as a substitute for checking Instagram stories and watching cartoons.

A real-life shooter game

Kids and adults alike adore playing first-person shooter games. If we set aside the violence and gore elements to these games, then you can offer your kids something more real (and benign). If you are traveling to a summer holiday destination, then you can pack water pistols and water balloons to create a 3D shooting range in the hotel’s backyard. Equip the whole family with water guns and the fun can start. The kids will get a good run out, and you and your spouse will laugh your brains out running around and getting all wet.

Chemistry and engineering

Back in the day, offline games challenged children’s imagination and creativity. Well, you know what? These old games are making a comeback in 2019 and you can teach your kids to be creative in low-tech style. For instance, a simple bottle of a fizzy drink is enough to create a rocket. Shake the bottle, add some gum or other candy inside it and watch a fountain burst. If you turn the bottle upside down, then you get a real rocket. Finally, there are many sports that can be played with a ball, so don’t forget to pack or buy a football or basketball.

Car games

As we mentioned earlier, the kids can be the hardest to calm down while inside the car. You are focused on driving so you don’t have time to tell them off all the time, and they are highly likely to calm down on their own. Kids will be kids, but they don’t necessarily have to spend time using smartphones. There are numerous fun games to play while on the road, some of which you can find on DrivrZone website.

As an example, we’ll name everyone’s favorite game as a child, the license plate challenge. You get a pen and paper (you and your spouse are one team as you cannot drive and write at the same time, obviously), and write down the license plates of passing cars. The winner is the person who has the most states or cities in the end. Oh yeah, foreign license plates are worth two points!

Sending postcards

When was the last time you’ve sent a postcard or a letter? If you cannot remember, then the chances are that your kids have never had the pleasure to fill out a postcard. They are busy taking photos on their phones and disseminating them to their peers, but this can be done the old-fashioned way. Grab a bunch of postcards from the places you travel through, and sit down to write them together. You would fill out the address field and provide the stamps, while the kids would be in charge of writing a message to their grandma or grandpa. This way, all three generations of the family would be included in the family trip even if they are not physically on the road with you.

Full inclusion

You are probably not looking forward to taking the car to the mechanic's before the road trip, nor are you exhilarated because there is a checklist you have to go through. These tasks are tedious to you because you are doing them alone. Why not include all family members and turn them into a fun activity rather than a dull chore! Take your kids along when you drive the car to check the oil. They will be mesmerized with all the tools a typical repair shop has, and the staff might let them sit in a different car to pretend they are driving it. When packing, assign your kids with the task of double-checking everything. They will be important because normally this is a grown-up's responsibility.

Finally, don’t forget that a family vacation is all about having fun, and this is an activity that you don’t have to bring your tablet or laptop to. If all the members of the family are included in offline fun and games, then the next road trip will serve as the ideal opportunity for everyone to bond.