How to Make Traveling with Kids Fun and Easy
This is a guest post by Daniel Sherwin, who has his own blog over at Dad Solo. We encourage you to take the necessary precautions if you choose to travel during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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When you’re traveling with children, the key to keeping things stress-free is planning. While you certainly can’t control every aspect of the trip, it pays to take care of the basics. This will ensure that everyone enjoys the trip equally and keep the hassle to a minimum. Below are some important tips to follow that can help you keep your journeys fun and breezy.
Pre-Planning Is Essential
Whether you’re going to stay close to home or hop on a plane, it’s best to know as much about your destination as possible. You should look for places that will allow family members of different ages to have fun. According to Today, a trip to Millenium Park will delight kids from 2 to 12, while the Aspen Snowmass in Colorado works well for those up to the age of 17. If you’re traveling by car, make sure to get it checked out so it’s ready for the trip — and don’t forget your emergency kit. If you’re going to travel by air, consider getting TSA pre-check approval. This will save you time and energy when you’re actually at the airport. This is great when it comes to young children as you don’t have to worry about them getting flustered in the line. Since you’ll be away, plan to keep your home secure, and consider using smart home features like programmable lights and a doorbell camera so you’ll know if someone comes to your door.
Food, Food, and More Food
Let’s face it: Children get harder to handle when they’re hungry. Depending on your time of travel, make sure your kids eat properly before they leave the house. You should also factor in how soon they’ll be able to eat when you get to your destination. If you’re driving, you can put a few good snacks together, such as sandwiches and mini pizzas. For really long trips, you should make note of rest stops and restaurants along the way. For parents taking an airplane, Super Healthy Kids suggests dried cereals, nuts, granola bars, and cut fruits. For babies who are being bottle-fed, make sure to pack single servings of formula and water. Don’t forget to carry your children’s favorite utensils and cups so they’re comfortable.
Safety Is Paramount
It’s essential that you keep your child’s safety in mind at all times, If there are any special aids they need when traveling, be sure to take them with you or make arrangements for replacements. You should keep an eye on them at all times, but also ensure they’re aware of what to do if they should get lost. According to Lasting Thumbprints, you can help young children learn their address and phone numbers through the use of songs or hand-drawn maps. Take advantage of this technique by adding some info about finding each other while on vacation. This will also be a good time to teach your child about emergency numbers.
Don’t Forget Entertainment
Since kids of all ages have a tendency to get bored during long trips, you have to make accommodations for keeping them entertained. While tablets and other electronic devices can be helpful, you don’t want to depend on them too much because kids can get tired of them too. Instead, play fun and educational car games while on the road. You can even create your own family band, singing everyone’s favorite songs. Noise won’t be an option when you’re on a plane, but you can still find ways to have fun. You can bring card games as well as small toys with you. Additionally, markers, crayons, pencils, and a sketch pad are also excellent ways to keep your creative child occupied on a long flight.
There’s no doubt that traveling with kids can be challenging, but you can avoid the hassle and keep things fun if you start planning early. You can’t prepare for every single thing, but do what you can to make sure the fundamentals are covered.
