Single Parents and Summer Vacations

Group Activities, Family Camping, Day or Weekend Trips

Jun 4, 2009

Single parents need easy summer vacations for kids. Try cheap cruises, family camps, day trips, weekend trips, & group activities like single parent meet ups.

Single parents probably need luxury summer vacations more than anyone, however, work and finances usually nip that dream in the bud. Well, the ideas listed here are not quite Paris or Florence, but weekend trips, sweet cruise deals, family camping, and group activities (with single parent meet ups) will keep kids from moping around for weeks at a time. Many of these vacation ideas are well within budget and can be put together at the last minute.

While it’s always possible to get great last-minute plane tickets online, it’s not reasonable to rely upon this method for specific plans. Instead, look for vacations and weekend trips that are within easy driving distance.

Single parents, who live near cruise ports, are in luck. One of the most expensive components of a cruise is airfare, and this can be avoided whenever it’s possible to take a cab (or have a friend drive the gang) to the pier. At this moment, there are Carnival Cruise specials, like:

Sign up for newsletters at Carnival, other cruise lines, and VacationsToGo.com. Log on to CruiseCritic.com to ask questions. And, always budget for additional cruise expenses, like surcharges and tips. Check websites for ways to save money, such as, asking kids to drink ice water instead of pop and avoiding expensive excursions which can double the cruise price. Still, cruises are a great bargain because food is included in the prices, and with ever-changing scenery and a swimming pool or two, kids can become quite charming.

Summer Vacation Ideas for Single Parents in the Heartland

Camping is the best deal around. Read about the local state parks and America’s fabulous National Park System. National Parks are a real bargain, and parents have been subsidizing these campsites for years through their tax dollars. With this tight economy, single parents should demand a return on investment, by visiting their own great outdoors.

Group Activities – Hiking and Weekend Trips – with Single Parent Meet Ups

It is possible that Meetup.com is the best resource for frazzled parents with cabin-fevered kids. Check out one of their single parent groups (which are located from coast-to-coast). Networking with other single moms and dads can bring a surprisingly abundant supply of child-friendly data, because single parents are, by definition, resourceful. Put a bunch of these adults in one room and soon a parent, who knows the ropes, comes up with a plan for something like:

Anything close to home can be great if there are other kids in the mix. Make friends and get creative at Meetup.com.

For Parents with a Spiritual Side

Search Google, Yahoo, or Bing with a string of phrases like: church camps “single parents” Vermont. Atheists may need to sing He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands, but the price is right and the people are really nice because they get extra points for saving a soul. Outsiders should refrain from arguments about politics, religion, or sex; but holding hands around a campfire to pray before a tasty dessert of S’mores can bring enlightenment to anyone. No tent is required at most camps.

Farmstays, Farm Vacations, Agritourism

Agritourism is very big in Italy, Spain, and France, where the accommodations are called gites (jeets). Farmstays have been gaining in popularity across North America as inexpensive, educational, and tasty experiences on small, family run farms. Look for an American gite, farm stay, where the children are made into little slaves with chores like:

Last Ditch Hail Mary Vacation

Stay with friends or relatives. There are occasions where money and time are so tight that even grandma is a sight for sore eyes. Sometimes, just a small change in latitude and longitude can make single parents feel like they are in another world. But, whenever possible, look for lodgings where there are friendly second-cousins or neighbor kids with tree houses.

Single parents can make or break summer vacations. All they need to do is to see the world through their children’s eyes. And, for cheap, last-minute holidays, go with family camping, day trips, weekend trips, or group activities through churches and single parent meet ups.

Information from this article is not intended to be a substitute for advice from a lawyer, financial planner, therapist, or other professional. Please consult a lawyer or other professional for specific advice.

The copyright of the article Single Parents and Summer Vacations in Single Parent Support is owned by Christina Gregoire. Permission to republish Single Parents and Summer Vacations in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.