A guide for multiple families sharing a house together.

Vacations are great, and friends can make them that much better!  For the Kookist family we set out to discover what makes a great trip and along the way provide some tips, recipes and inspiration to help take the fun to the next level. 

When we started down this path of planning and preparing for a large group trip – we had 6 adults and 6 kids all under 10, our team found it difficult to locate any real help online. Yes there are tons of booking sites, and lots of possibilities on where to travel, but how best to coordinate a diverse set of families, especially since each family was different: enjoyed different activities, ate different food, came from different regions, and no family was the same in make up – we had families each of 3, 2, and 1 child – so how best to plan activities and meals, but even more important – how to ensure everyone has the best time possible!  

So what started as simply a way to get the Kookist team away for a bit, turned into a full-fledged research project that we hope helps other families and groups just like ours.

Read on to get some hints, tips, and best practices for making the most of your trip while maintaining your sanity along the way. And of course if you are looking for 1:1 assistance – just write us at…._________ and we’d be glad to help!

Vacation Tips:

Packing

Bring the basics such as Paper Products, Condiments, and what will be needed for the first two meals, snacks, et. Then plan to purchase everything else at the local supermarket – thus ensuring freshness and minimizing your pack-in. 

Pro Tip – Order your groceries for pick up or delivery to save time and effort.  In some areas you can even have wine and beer delivered (and ice!) to keep the good times rolling and avoiding the needless trip across town to the local grocery store.

Family Coordination

Consider using a spreadsheet or shared document to coordinate activities, aid in housing selection, meal plan, and carry in groceries between families. 

There are also some apps out there to aid in splitting costs such as groceries, meals out, or activities.

Activities

Get an idea of what activities or area attractions you plan to visit ahead of time.  Some may even offer discounts for booking early or online. This will save time and give you more of a sense of confidence approaching your vacation. While some may prefer to just take things as they come while on a trip of this nature, we still its beneficial to at least know what the area offers so there is one less unknown on your journey.

Games

Bring a few games which are group friendly. Whether its a card game, classic board game, or even video games, these will come in handy for rainy days, distractions for the kids, and even after the kids go to bed. 

We also brought along a few movies to help ease the indoor time and limit individual screen time – there is nothing worse IMO than watching an entire pack of kids absorbed in their own personal screens while on vacation together!

Planning

Make sure you give consideration to how you are planning to spend your days. Depending upon the size of the group its very likely that you’ll be splitting up and spending time apart, and everyone should plan to embrace that, it is vacation after all!

So having a few outings in the back of your mind such as: local tours, parks, tennis courts, fishing, boat or jet ski rental, museums, pool, waterpark, mini golf, etc – the possibilities are truly endless; but you’ll save time and planning effort by giving thought to them ahead of time. 

Kookist at the Beach!