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The Importance of Family Trips

Family holidays are not just a source of fun and leisure – they’re an important way to bring families together and extract value out of life. Here’s why:

1. They’re a More Valuable Gift for Kids than Toys

A study conducted by the University of Toronto found that taking your children on holiday creates stronger bonds than buying toys for them does. In fact, according to a prominent child psychologist, parents in the UK are actually wasting an average of £508 on toys for their kids every year. Some studies suggest that only 1 in 5 toys we give to our kids are actually valued by them. Perhaps they didn’t want the toy in the first place, or that fad quickly runs its course only to be replaced by a newer, more exciting brand of plastic toy.

Well, what if that money instead went towards a family trip, a gift that is valued by children. It makes a lot of sense; a holiday is an experience that elicits a lot of emotions, whereas a toy is just a material possession that will likely be forgotten about in a few weeks or months. The most memorable experiences we have are tied to emotionally impactful events from our past.

2. They Recharge Your Batteries

Family trips are a great way to escape the stresses of everyday life. Mom and dad need a break from their 9 to 5 jobs, and let’s not forget that life can be stressful for kids too, with so much pressure over exams and grades. Everyone needs a break, whether that’s hiking up a mountain, relaxing on a beach, or telling funny stories around a campfire. A good family trip gives you the boost you need to get back to the grind with renewed vigor and a deeper appreciation for life.

3. They Broaden your Horizons

Taking your kids on trips exposes them to different environments and people. Going on holiday abroad introduces them to new cultures, customs, and cuisine, and gives them an appreciation for the huge diversity of how other people live, which can increase their tolerance, social intelligence, and empathy.

Even if you don’t go abroad, just taking your kids into the countryside if you live in the city, for example, can be an eye-opening experience. Travelling can also present its challenges which make your kids more resilient to adversity, help them become worldly wise and accelerate their growth.

4. They don’t have to be Expensive to be Memorable

A family trip doesn’t have to break the bank; it could be a weekend trip to another part of your country, a day out at an amusement park, a zoo, museum, going camping, or going to a music concert together. The important thing is that it’s quality time for you and the fam. At the end of the day, the time you spend with your nearest and dearest is the most valuable gift you can give them.

The Benefits of Taking Photos on Your Family Trips

Wherever you go on your family trip, taking photos to bring you some real tangible benefits.

1. Photos Bring Back Memories

They say that time speeds up when you’re having fun. This is especially true with family trips – the sun, sea, and smiles can be a thing of the past in the blink of an eye. If you don’t get the opportunity to go on trips with your family often, having photos of the adventure is a powerful way to recall all those beautiful shared moments and emotions.

The best family trip photographs evoke strong emotions of an unrepeatable moment, like your kids playing on the beach, the vibrant colors of a street festival, or the faces of the kind people you meet on holiday that genuinely care about your family and restore your faith in humanity. These are moments you’ll cherish forever.

2. Photos Help us to see the World in a New Light

The ubiquity of cameras these days can be a double-edged sword. On one hand, cameras have become a socially acceptable form of escapism; a lot of people spend more time viewing the world through the lens of their smartphone than actually paying attention to the surroundings they’re recording. It’s almost like if their experience isn’t posted on social media it’s not real.

But the other side of the coin – as amateur and professional photographers know – is that cameras can help us take a deeper look at the world around us. You don’t need an expensive camera to take good photos anymore. All you need is a little bit of knowledge and to pay attention to. There’s so much going on around us all the time – how often do we just stop and acknowledge our surroundings? Pausing and focusing on one camera frame’s worth of our environment helps us notice the fine details that we usually don’t have time to absorb. This is true for beautiful landscapes, stunning architecture, and of course, our own family.

3. Photos Help us to Tell a Story

The creator of the Harry Potter book series J.K. Rowling once said: “There’s always room for a story that can transport people to another place.” I think we can all relate to wanting to escape to another place. Photographs of our family trips can help us tell evocative stories, and allow us to share and communicate the beauty we experienced on our trips with people who weren’t there. A wonderful way to tell your story with photographs is by compiling them into a photo book.

Capture the Magic with a Personalised Photo Book

Once you’ve gathered a collection of heart-warming photographs from your family trips, why not compile them into a travel photo album? Immortalize your family adventures in beautifully printed pictures housed between an Italian fabric hardback cover or a durable satin coated matte softcover. Choose between different colors, designs, and qualities of paper. With personalized photo books, every re-visit of your family trips is a luxury tour down memory lane.