Spilling the Beans

We just surprised our kids today with news of a family vacation we are taking next month. As with every big family trip, we debated about how and when to spill the beans about our vacation plans. Some of our vacation revelations have been more elaborate than others, but we usually at least gather some photos of our destination and find it on the map. Then, in the months leading up to the vacation, we read about the places we will visit and watch YouTube videos to get a taste of where we are going.

I always hear about families who wait until the moment they leave to surprise the kids by going to the airport. I don't think I could ever hold out that long. I love learning about things ahead of time with the kids and sharing the excitement and anticipation. Also, I read in this study that the largest happiness boost from a vacation comes from the anticipation.

So this time, the kids came home from school to find some big balloons and a photo explaining our upcoming trip.

We've never had any over-the-top reactions to our big vacation revelations, but as the news starts to sink in, the kids get more excited.

Have you ever surprised anyone with a vacation? How and when did you do it?

I will post a trip report next month and reveal all the ways we were able to save money on this trip.