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Kids Travel Tips

Bring cookie sheets - Road trip tip

by Tracie A. Handley (RSS feed) on Aug 6th, 2010 at 1:02PM

Cookie sheets may seem like an odd suggestion for a road trip, but they have LOTS of uses! If you're traveling with kids, cookie sheets make great trays for snacks or on-the-go meals -- the edges help catch spills!

If you flip them over, they make a great desk for coloring, card games, and other activities that are better on a flat surface. If you have really little guys traveling with you, bring along those metallic letters and numbers. They stick to the cookie sheets, for lots of fun play.

Finally, they're a good seat divider between arguing siblings.

[Photo: Flickr | Veganbaking.net]

Disposable cameras for kids - Traveling with kids tip

by B. Abbott (RSS feed) on Jun 22nd, 2010 at 5:28PM

Buy at least one disposable camera for each child on the trip. These are very inexpensive and will keep your child entertained for a long time. Tell each child that they should take pictures of things on the trip that they find interesting. Mom and dad should have one too.

When you get back home and develop the film, each person should make a scrapbook and tell the family why they took each picture.

You may find that traveling through a child's eyes can be even more rewarding than the trip itself.

Order baby supplies online and ship them to your destination - Traveling with kids tip

by VibrantMama (RSS feed) on Apr 1st, 2010 at 2:28PM

We've been traveling a lot lately, and a baby usually means less room in the car/trunk.

Rather than lug boxes of baby necessities around, consider ordering supplies online -- diapers, food, etc. -- and shipping them to your destination. You'll have more room in your car; there'll be less to pack and unpack; and your neck won't be so sore from hauling boxes in and out of the house.

Have a road trip scavenger hunt - Road trip tip

by Janice Forrest (RSS feed) on Mar 31st, 2010 at 6:35PM

Planning a family road trip? To avoid hours of boredom, plan a "scenic scavenger hunt."

It's easy. Just write down a list of 100 things you might see along the way, like landmarks, buses or bridges. The first person to complete the list wins.

For preschool kids, substitute magazine photos and trim the list to twenty familiar objects. For older kids, include a challenge: require them to provide one additional fact about each item they find.

Have fun. And by the time you reach the end of the road, you won't be at the end of your rope.

Pre-packing with individual freezer bags - Traveling with kids tip

by WPK (RSS feed) on Mar 26th, 2010 at 3:57PM

The best idea that we've had about traveling with young children is to pre-pack each day's clothes in plastic freezer bags and label them for each day. Include the entire outfit from underwear, to socks, to shirts, to shorts or pants or skirt.

This may require a little more pre-departure work, but it makes our vacations much less hectic when dressing the kids in the morning. Each child gets their bag and puts their clothes on, and out the door we go. This avoids pulling the suitcase apart and trying to find each neatly arranged article of clothing.

Bonus: It also helps ensure we don't forget anything important at home.

Roll the dice, make decisions - Traveling with kids tip

by David P. Sims (RSS feed) on Mar 16th, 2010 at 2:21PM

When traveling with the family, there will inevitably be disputes over things like the television station, choice of restaurants, and who gets the pull-out couch.

Bring a pair of dice along, and let everybody roll the dice to make decisions. Whoever gets the highest roll wins.

Create an adventure storybook as a souvenir - Traveling with kids tip

by Tamar Auber (RSS feed) on Mar 5th, 2010 at 12:04PM

A favorite stuffed toy can be an excellent way to create an inexpensive and creative souvenir for your child.

Everywhere you go with your child, be sure to take a picture of your child and the toy doing something fun (making faces, pretending to run away, etc.). Make sure you get a good view of the sight in the picture as well.

Then, when you get home, combine these images into a storybook and use your imagination to create a storyline. Don't forget to include a 'blooper' page for pictures that did not make the 'final cut'.

Use a junior navigator on road trips - Traveling with kids tip

by Dawn Lucan (RSS feed) on Mar 5th, 2010 at 11:28AM

The front passenger is always the navigator when I'm traveling with my family or a group. However, I discovered that you can turn your children into junior navigators while helping them learn geography at the same time. It helps eliminate them from asking, "Are we there yet?"

Just ask them to look for a specific landmark or road sign. It will keep them interested in the travel and less likely to be bored along the way, because they're actively doing something. In short, it keeps their interest in traveling while having fun -- and learning about the country!

Let your kids run before getting to the hotel - Traveling with kids tip

by Dede Bonelli (RSS feed) on Feb 26th, 2010 at 7:22AM

Kids may have pent-up energy if they've spent a long time on a plane or in the car. If you remember to let them stop at a playground or a mall on the way to the hotel, or use the pool right away when you arrive at the hotel, you can help them tone it down when they're in the hallways or the room.

Others will appreciate if you teach your children not to make excessive noise because they may be resting.

Control your kids' feet and arms - Airplane tip

by Mary Alice Murphy (RSS feed) on Feb 19th, 2010 at 11:02AM

Don't let your kids bounce on the tray or kick the seat in front of them.

Don't.

Ever.

Swap seats - Traveling with kids tip

by Melinda Walters (RSS feed) on Jan 20th, 2010 at 11:04PM

If traveling with another adult and children, change seats from time to time.

Swapping seats gives the grown-up a new perspective ... and makes the child feel important for sitting in the seats normally reserved for "Mom" or "Dad."

Finally, it also gives everyone a chance to have different conversations and makes the trip more fun.

Make a talking diary - Traveling with kids tip

by Sylvie Branch (RSS feed) on Jan 14th, 2010 at 2:54AM

Give your children the task of collecting memories.

A fun way to do this is to set your child up with an audio recorder: the old cassette version can be found in second hand shops for only a few dollars. Bring lots of blank tapes and a set of headphones.

Articulating on tape everything they are noticing keeps them engaged in even the most mundane travel activities. Sightseeing takes an interesting turn when the child is encouraged to capture the moment. Preschoolers through elementary school age children love this -- and so do worn out parents.

Bonus: having your child's young voice on tape is a priceless treasure.

Bring games - Road trip tip

by April Paul (RSS feed) on Jan 9th, 2010 at 6:04PM

Entertaining kids -- or adults! -- on a road trip is all about what's in the bag. Bring along an eco-friendly grocery tote stuffed with some of your favorite items that aren't heavy or messy. Some key items to pack include: