Best Vacations for Families with Teens

Selecting a vacation that your teen will like can be tricky. Teens are often reluctant to put down the internet, iPhones, text messaging, Facebook, video games, and other electronic entertainment for a family vacation. However, there are many options for your vacation that cater to teens’ interest and are sure to give your family a vacation you will all enjoy.

Dreams Resorts 

Dreams Resorts are tropical vacation resorts that are located in Mexico and the Dominican Republic. The resorts feature long, beautiful beaches and luxurious lodging next to the ocean. These resorts offer many activities for kids and teens. An “Explorer’s Club” caters to kids ages 3 to 12 with indoor game areas with movies and games and outdoor play areas with climbing walls and playgrounds. Staff supervise all children and communicate with parents via buzzers that are distributed upon a family’s arrival.

Teenagers will enjoy their time in the Teen Center, which is designed for kids ages 13 to 17. New Teen Centers are set to open in the next few years (2008-2010) at new Dreams Resorts in the Caribbean. Each center will operate from 9pm to midnight, and will offer video games, drinks and snacks, sports such as basketball, baseball, archery, and climbing. Dreams Resorts staff will supervise teens and create weekly schedules of exciting activities. Teenagers can also participate in the Core Zone Teens Club, which offers coordinated land and sea excursions, water sports, and nighttime activities. 

Great Wolf Lodges 

Teens and water parks are an unbeatable combination, especially in the summer. Great Wolf Lodges offer all the fun of a water park in the convenience of a vacation lodge!  You and your family can stay in the lodge, have your meals provided to you, and enjoy all the fun of the lodge’s extensive indoor water park, leaving you lots of time to relax. Your teens can explore all the pools, slides, and a lazy river at their convenience. Great Wolf Lodges are located all over the country, so you can find a location that is convenient for your family.

Include your Teenager in Planning Your Vacation

If you want a sure way to please your teenager on your family vacation, ask her for her input in planning the vacation. Ask what kind of activities she likes, or what destinations she would like to see. Find out if she wants a vacation with adventurous activities, or whether she would prefer to go somewhere she could meet other teens her age. Even if you cannot cater to your teen’s specific wish, asking for input and giving serious consideration to your teen’s preferences will go a long way in pleasing your teenager.

Image Credit: Click Flash Photos, Flickr