Make a Budget
Making a budget is an imperative part of family outings. To keep the costs down, try avoiding places that have add-on expenses, such as equipment rental, or overpriced food vendors. To minimize costs, pack food and take your family on a picnic. Whatever the venue, budget the amount of money that your family can afford to spend on the excursion.
Choose a Location Carefully
Understand that you can't please everyone in the family, especially if you have teenagers, but make sure the location of the outing is something that will interest the children. Sometimes, parents want to go on an outing that they find interesting or one that they would have liked to go on as child. Just because you liked something as a youngster does not mean your kids share the same desire. Nothing can spoil an outing more quickly than unhappy and restless children can. Therefore, choose the location carefully before leaving on the family outing.
Pack Appropriately
Pack all the necessities before the outing. For instance, if you are going camping on the outing, remember all the clothing, food and first aid that you will need. If there are any toddlers or special needs in the family, the list of items will be longer, no matter how simple or complex the outing.
Weather Issues
Check the weather forecast immediately prior to any outdoor outing and have a backup plan just in case the elements turn ugly. Weather conditions can change in a hurry, so it is important that you prepare for bad weather and have an alternate plan if the weather forces you to cancel the outing. Bring umbrellas and weather-appropriate clothing, even it looks like it is going to be a nice day, because you never know when the weather will change for the worse.
Keep it Simple
Keep the outing simple. Take your time and enjoy the family. Too many times, people try to cram in as much activity as possible, and it becomes more of an arduous task rather than a fun adventure. Enjoy the company of the family rather than concentrating on what you need to do and see during the outing. Finally, have time that you can just sit and talk to other family members and find out how their lives are going. Savor the details and special relationships in your life.