Top Tips for Traveling with Kids

There’s no denying that traveling becomes more difficult when you’re traveling with children. Whether it’s your first time traveling with kids or you’re in dire need of some new suggestions to make the trip easier, here are some helpful suggestions for making your next trip with the kiddos a smoother one.

Give Yourself Plenty of Time

A good rule of thumb is to give yourself 30–50 minutes more time than you think you’ll need for unexpected delays. Children tend to pick the most inconvenient time to decide they must pee––you’ll need plenty of time for stopping at rest stops. Also, be sure to know beforehand if any little ones get car sick to avoid time-costing disasters (some children cannot eat in the car for this reason, so you’ll need to plan meals accordingly as well).

Trips Get Hectic: Keep Track

It’s always surprising how fast someone with such little legs can be. Relieve some of the panic of not knowing where a child is by taking precautions. Write your name and cell phone number on their clothing and/or track them using a Trax GPS locater. For those toddlers who seem to dart everywhere in an instant (especially after being cooped up in the car), try a wrist-linking walking harness. 

Download Apps to Entertain

Consider downloading puzzle and/or game apps to distract your child on long car rides or plane rides. For children 2–8, consider making an ABCmouse account (the first month is free) and accessing it through your phone or tablet so your child can have fun playing educational games in the car. The ChatterPix Kids app can be downloaded for free and will provide kids of all age groups with fun times on long trips.

Baby Wipes and Hand Sanitizer

Little hands have a way of touching every single germ-infested service and, let's be honest, it seems like before a certain age they’re somehow always sticky. Save yourself the unnecessary headaches and have baby wipes and hand sanitizer at all times.

Activities

Maybe you’ll be one of the lucky ones and have a child who sits with your tablet for the whole car ride and/or flight and happily plays the same game. But, really? How likely does that seem? It’s best to have several things to keep your child busy. Pack a few specific toys, books (coloring books are great too. There are lot of coloring pages.), and puzzle games the child enjoys. This will provide another distraction when the child begins to get restless on long trips.

Car Games

For bigger groups of travelers, try playing car games together as you drive. Games like "The Alphabet Game" (trying to find the letters of the alphabet in order on the side of the road- first person to Z wins) or "The Restaurant Game" (everyone picks a restaurant and sees how many times they can spot it in an ad within a 20-minute window- every ad equals a point, most points wins) can be a fun way to enjoy spending time together while distracting the kids from the length of the ride.

Travel Journals

Buy all the kids small notebooks and colored pencils so they can keep a travel journal (or merely use it to doodle or color on the ride). This is a good way to keep them busy, creative, and reflecting on their experiences seeing new places.

Pack Snacks and Water Bottles

Things like dry Cheerios, Goldfish crackers, pre-washed and de-vined grapes, dried fruits, granola bars, baby carrots, bananas, string cheese (if you have a cooler), etc. are all great little snacks to stave off hunger until the next meal stop. For toddlers, consider keeping small quantities of pre-cut goodies in a bead organizer to give them variety and ensure there is something they will want to eat. To keep kids hydrated, get them all their own little refillable water bottles with a sucking-style spout to avoid spills.

Schedule Travel Time Around "Nap Time"

For traveling with little ones, try to schedule the longer drive times during your child’s nap time. This way, hopefully, they will sleep through the bulk of the ride with less fuss.

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• How to Get the Most Out of Your Family Trip to Disneyland