Group holidays are a fantastic way to reconnect with friends and family that we maybe don’t get to see as much of as we might hope. Everyone gets a few days away from the grind of daily life to kick back, relax, and enjoy their time with people they care about.
However, even the most well organised group holiday can hit snags in the road and isn’t immune to awkward moments. Not everyone is everyone else’s best friend, and while it would truly be an unfortunate group if there was any actual hostility this doesn’t mean everyone gets on like a house on fire. There may be some awkward silences, miscommunications, and less favourable combinations of people, because some people don’t know each other as well as others.
So what can you do to combat against this kind of problem when it does arise? Well, one simple thing you can do is to ensure you’ve planned for some group activities that anyone can duck in and out of, meaning they can enjoy spending some enjoyable time together without having to worry that the conversation maybe isn’t flowing as well as they might have hoped.
Below, we’ve compiled a couple of ideas as to what those activities might be and how you can prepare for them like the amazing trip organiser you are.
- Games equipment
There’s nothing as diverting from an awkward situation as playing a game – who has time to be awkward when they’re concentrating on their own technique or plans? Whether you just bring a few board games (monopoly not recommended) for indoor games or a set of tennis rackets for some outdoor fun, preparing for people to play games is a great way to ensure people always have something to do.
- Cooking plans
Why not plan to have a themed meal one night – for example a curry night or a taco night? People cooking together are happily distracted by the task at hand, meaning this is a pleasant joint activity whether the conversation is flowing or a comfortable silence falls. Additionally, this would require grocery shopping, which is another easy joint activity that can even be fun (at least, on holiday it can be).
- Cocktail set
The start of any holiday or evening has the potential to be awkward if many members of the party haven’t seen each other in a long time. Bringing a cocktail set can give everyone a focal point to rally around, and additionally can result in some laughs as people try to invent their own cocktails.
Hopefully, a group holiday of old friends or family members won’t run into this problem of awkwardness – the only people you wanna go on holiday with are people that make you feel like you can pick up where you left off, right? But if awkward moments do occur, it’s not a bad idea to be prepared.