The sunshine is there to be enjoyed and the time off work is something you’ve dreamt about all year, so why is it so hard to get everything perfect? We know exactly how you feel, which is why we’ve sat down and thought long and hard to make your upcoming summer holiday one to remember for all the right reasons.

Getting away from it all, pulling the kids away from their gadgets and screens, and never giving work a second thought is what the perfect summer holiday is all about. To help you on your way, let’s take a quick look at a few of our ideas so you can start planning without delay. Enjoy!

Getting everyone onboard…

The trickiest part about planning the perfect summer holiday is figuring how to keep everyone happy, which is why we’ve come up with a simple idea: leave it to the adults. If you let the kids have too much of a say about what you’re doing you’ll soon find they start squabbling and that’s no fun for anyone. You also don’t want to have to worry about things like WiFi speeds and how big the TV will be in your home away from home.

By leaving everything to the adults you can make sure you plan a vacation that’s relaxing, active and entertaining all at the same time. Here’s a few ideas about how you can make all of this possible…

Pick a resort that’s all-inclusive

All-inclusive resorts are a lifesaver when you want to make sure you never have to find a supermarket or tackle the washing-up. They also have the added bonus that they give the kids a little more independence when it comes to getting snacks and drinks down by the pool. Give them this extra little bit of leeway and you’ll soon find they’re much easier to deal with and barely mention the fact they’re not online every day chatting to their friends.

Activity resorts are always good fun

Whether you go abroad or stay at home, you’ll find plenty of activity resorts that offer more fun than you’ll be able to fit into a standard 2-week stay. Ideal if you want to keep the little people excited and entertained while you switch off from the world of commuting and housework you that’s the norm back home.

Look for a resort that has a waterpark, zip lines, plenty of climbing frames and a massive soft play area and you’ll have entertainment that caters for every possible weather condition. You’ll also find that by tiring the kids out, all these active options will help them sleep right through the night so you’re not being woken up too early in the morning. Ideal!

Staycations are always worth a second thought

Picking something cheap and cheerful like a caravan park on the coast, or camping in the Peaks, is a great way to get everyone back in touch with the natural world. By escaping the hustle and bustle of traffic jams, app notifications and constant playdates and after school clubs back home, you can go back to basics without having to travel abroad.

Once you arrive at your destination, take a moment to take it all in, unpack nice and quickly and get everyone outside for a walk. By stretching your legs and chatting about the exciting new setting you find yourselves in, you can set the tone for a social and active vacation that’s sure to make all the difference to everyone’s health and wellbeing.

Make your own entertainment

If you can keep the kids happy by building a campfire on the beach and reading some stories, go for it! Something as simple as this is what they’ll look back on fondly in years to come, not thousands of hours spent online or all those times they updated their social media status.

Take a pile of their favourite books, and treat them to a few extras on a day out, and you’ll find that reading becomes the thing you all do together in the evenings. And if your kids are older and don’t need you to read to them, play some gentle music in the background, get comfy, and encourage them to pick up some teen fiction or a little bit of Harry Potter.

Have a surprise up your sleeve

Treating the little ones to their very own vehicle is a great way to get them excited for the upcoming vacation. Give them a test drive at home and then tell them all about the amazing places they can drive and ride once you get to your final destination. You could even pack a few bikes for mum, dad and the big kids so that you race your new four-wheeled wonder. Perfect for creating those playful moments that are what life is all about.

A little something for the parents…

If you opt for a resort style break, finding somewhere with well-run activity clubs is really worth the little extra effort it will cost you. By being able to leave the kids somewhere for a couple of hours you can go and get some lunch just the two of you. Ideal when you want to take some time out and chat without having to feel like you’re on duty as a parent.

You could also have a no phone rule for the bulk of the day. Cancel your push email so work doesn’t bother you, leave your phones in your rooms, and ban them from the meal table. If you do these little things, you’ll find you really get to talk and have fun as a family, rather than constantly scrolling and updating each other about what’s happening back at home. You came away to get away after all, so why let your phone drag you back there all the time?

Make a game of it

Having some friendly competition is a great way to get the whole family excited to make the most of every day. It could be the table tennis table in the hotel games room, or the pool table downstairs — keeping a running total of who beat who will allow you to crown the vacation champion on your last night.

You could also set some silly challenges like best holiday photo, funniest photo bombing face or biggest meal eaten. No matter what it is, as long as you pick something everyone can laugh and joke about, you’ll find it gives you a running joke that will last all the way from check-in to the moment you have to dust off the suitcases and pack up your stuff.

Anything else you need to know?

Don’t stretch yourself too thin. There’s always more entertainment, sights and attractions nearby than you’ll be able to fit in before you leave, so just do what you feel like doing at the time. Sometimes you’ll want to go out, other times it’s fine to have a lazy day reading, telling stories and having the odd nap. The key is to make sure you spend as much time in good company, not to keep such a strict itinerary that everyone feels shattered by the time they get home.

Now you know what we think, it’s over to you to start planning the getaway of a lifetime.