Have Kids Will Travel
(Written by Emily Thomas)
There is no denying that going on a vacation with children doesn’t always feel restful or easy. Parenting is hard work no matter where you are, and traveling just adds another layer of complexity.
Many wonderful childhood memories can involve travel, and your children will always feel grateful for giving them the gift of travel and the opportunity to build those memories. Benefits of traveling with your children include being able to show your kids the world and help expand their horizons so they know that there's more to this life than what's immediately around them. Experiencing different cultures together and getting to teach and talk to your children about the world. It’s not always simple, easy or without rough patches along the way but the rewards of traveling with your kiddos seems to certainly outway any challenges.
Whether it’s a roadtrip to a neighboring state or a plane ride across the pond, all travel is exciting to children. An adventure with sights waiting to be explored and enjoyed. You and your children should enjoy every moment seeing the world and create a lifetime of memories along the way. Isn’t that the point of travel in the first place?
Keeping Kids Engaged A baby has very different needs than a toddler or older child.. But however old your child is, be sure to do some pre-trip research on kid-friendly activities in your destination that you and your family can take advantage of. A little preparation will go a long way.
Traveling with Infants
If traveling by car, scheduling the right driving time can make a big difference. This may mean doing the best you can to fit naps or sleep while driving, and planning for many stops along the way (to play, to eat, and take a break from the car-seat). Another tip is to pre-make a lullaby playlist with soothing music and/or playful music to play, depending on the mood!
If traveling by airplane, one of our best tips for parents of little ones younger than 2 years is to board last! Airlines often invite families to board early, and it does seem logical but if you have little crawlers, walkers or even infants you may already know they enjoy movement and there isn't a whole lot of room to move around once you are in your airplane seat. Boarding can take a long time until passengers find their places, store their luggage, not to mention it can get so hot and stuffy! Our recommendation is to let your little ones get their wiggles out until you have to board and that way they do not feel confined any longer than they need to.
Infant Travel Packing List. Make sure that whatever you need (diapers, wipes, food, etc) is ready to go - for when you need it in a short moment’s notice. Some of our favorite things to pack for babies include interactive books, stuffed animals, bubbles (for outside play), spinner toys, window cling stickers, and toys with a suction cup. Check out the top 4 baby products that made traveling with a baby much more enjoyable, from fidget spinners to a sink bath mat!
Be sure to bring along your infant’s favorite toys, books and bottles while on your adventures, and don’t keep him or her strapped in a baby carrier or stroller all day — give your baby the opportunity to walk and get some exercise; if your infant isn’t walking yet, he or she can still stretch on a mat or roll around.
Traveling with Toddlers and Young Children
Pack Sensory Activities. Carry a few kid-friendly sensory activities that your child/children haven't done in a while. These activities do not have to take much space, they simply need to feel new and fun and it helps so much if you engage with them too. Check some of my favorite travel kit play ideas here and here.
Pack a few quick travel friendly toys and activities. This can be as simple as taking a coloring book and crayons, magic ink coloring pads, water painting, dry-erase books, doodle boards, suction toys, reusable sticker books, and kid cameras! If you have purchased the Mothercould In Your Pocket Resource, you can print and pack a few of the printables too! Shop a list of travel friendly toys here. Open all activities ahead of time and remove bulky packaging. This is just one less thing for you to do when traveling!
Think of outside of the box activities like giving them a wipe to “clean” their seats, or window. You would be surprised how enthusiastic they feel to be able to clean with you! This is especially fun to do in the airplane seats where they can wiggle a little more.
Snack Boxes. Whether by car or airplane, snack boxes are our favorite kid-friendly way to pack snacks, plus it's easy and fun! Use my favorite boxes that are modular, food grade and dishwasher safe. Some favorite snacks to pack them include carrots, cubed cheese, sliced grapes, dry cereal and small treats!
Road Trip Packing List for Toddlers. Here is a quick list of ideas of what I have packed for my toddlers when going on a long road trip. Without the strict weight, liquid, or size restrictions you can be a bit more creative when traveling by car. Some of our favorite items to keep toddlers entertained are window clings, dry erase board books, suction cup toys, soft animal toys, and water pens. Check out all of my road trip recommendations here!
Road Trip Packing List for Older Children. The biggest things to note here are some quality and comfortable wireless headphones, a camera and a tablet that has games you can play without the internet. Some of our other favorite finds for older kids are Wiki Stix, puzzle balls, magnetic drawing board, travel art kit, activity books, and handheld water games. Check out all of my road trip recommendations here!
Toddlers are a fun age because they’ll start to engage in the different sights around them, Ms. Norcross said. “Destinations get to be enjoyable for them to explore,” she said. But when building your itinerary, be sure to leave plenty of down time to let them release and refuel their energy by hitting a playground or your hotel’s pool.
School Age
The key to keeping kids 5 and older engaged on a family trip is to get them involved in the planning, even in a small way, Mr. Jenss said. “The more you empower kids this age to pick what they’re interested in doing, whether it’s seeing a cool site or trying surfing, the more engaged they will be,” he said.
Tip: Let your children choose between several activities instead of giving them no direction whatsoever. In a beach destination, for example, the options might be a half-day snorkeling trip or a fishing excursion. In an urban setting, share choices of interesting walking tours, and let them pick the one or two which appeal to them the most.
Teenagers
Ms. Norcross said that the best way to keep teenagers engaged is to have them take ownership in planning a part of your trip. She suggests having them choose some attractions which they are interested in seeing and even letting them design one of two days of your itinerary.
Also, Mr. Jenss, a father of two teenagers, said that parents may want to consider giving older teens the option to spend an hour or two exploring the destination on their own —maybe they want to check out a certain neighborhood or go to specific stores.
Don’t overload your itinerary, but let everyone pick an activity. If you are heading to Paris for the first time, it can be tempting to put the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Musèe D’ Orsay, and Michelin-starred restaurants among the many musts on your list, even with little ones in tow. “Packing an itinerary with insane amounts of activity, or booking reservations at restaurants that won’t make you feel comfortable with children is a common pitfall,” said Biba Milioto, a writer and postpartum doula based in Brooklyn who travels frequently with her two children, ages 3 and 5. “What we do is basically try to approximate our normal life at home, but with a different — hopefully more beautiful! — backdrop.” It’s also important to know your child’s personality — they aren’t going to be a different character on the road, or at least don’t count on it.
Drop some rules and allow everyone more freedom. Allowing my 7-year-old to use his iPad as much as he wants on a trans-Atlantic flight or during a bout of jet lag can make me feel guilty at times, but as Henley Vazquez, the chief executive and co-founder of Passported (an online travel company that specializes in luxury family travel), as well as a mom of three (including a newborn), said: “Loosen up. Sure, at home we all limit screen time and sweets and all that other stuff that we know isn’t great for our kids. When you’re traveling, let it go. Eat ice cream every day, let the kids YouTube for an extra hour in the morning so you can drink coffee in bed, allow yourself to relax and not enforce all the rules you keep while you’re at home.” Although it can be hard to believe that little ones can return to the regulated world of home, if you are clear that things will go back to normal after the trip ends, kids can enjoy vacation as a time to be a little more unsupervised, and they can understand, just like adults, that holiday rules are different.
Be clear about who is responsible for which bag (and then be prepared to carry everything yourself). Kudos to the parents who have organized each child to carry on his or her own bag and to not lose anything en route, or on the plane. Especially on red-eyes, when we are half asleep, stuffed animals, iPads, and favorite sweatshirts have all been left behind. We find that it is best if there is one bigger trolley bag with perhaps a smaller bag for our son’s toys and activities, and we make sure we have repacked everything an hour or so before landing. Ruth Coady, a London-based film executive and mother of two young boys who travel to her home in Australia frequently, is firm that until her sons are really ready to be accountable for their own roll-on, they each get only a small knapsack, with a few additional things they want or need going in her bag. “Otherwise, I end up carrying everything and everyone,” she said. “Keep it simple. Pack a small zip-lock bag of Legos or some smaller toys, a change of clothes, and dry snacks.”
Don’t change your sleeping setup too drastically, but think about what type of accommodation will best suit your family. Hotel rooms and resorts can be a great deal of fun, but everyone sharing a room can prove distracting at bedtime, and extra costs can mount up quickly if there is a mini bar or room service. Many families instead turn to apartment-rental or swap services like Airbnb, One Fine Stay, or the children-oriented Kid & Coe. An extra room is always a plus so you don’t have to go to bed at the same time, and having your own kitchen for early risers or fussy eaters is great, too.
Let go of expectations and plans - things dont always go the way we want and it will all workout!