Traveling with little ones? The thought of plane rides or long car rides with two young ones gives me so much anxiety, but my husband and I love to travel and we also need to visit family. That being said, traveling with our three year old and infant is inevitable. Friends have given us some tried and true advice on how to ease our fears. And let me tell you, these travel tips are lifesavers!
Tips for traveling with young kids
Snacks, snacks snacks – bring plenty of yummy snacks to occupy your kids. These don’t all have to be sugary or unhealthy but can be treats your child doesn’t get to have on a regular basis. Think goldfish, pouches, fruit gummies, string cheese, granola bars, lollipops etc.
Toys – make sure to pack plenty of activities to keep your kids busy. New toys from the dollar section at Target are always a hit. Post-its are great to stick all over the seat and they’re easy to remove! Stickers are fun to peel off and stick onto paper. Some other ideas include: pipe cleaners, pom poms, floss etc.
Books – books are always a great distraction, pack some of your child’s favorites and throw in some new ones. Touch and feel books or ones with flaps help to keep them entertained! Color Wonder coloring books or Water Wow are both amazing! If you don’t have either of these, purchase them now! They provide lots of entertainment and don’t make any mess!
Photos – print out photos of family and friends and put them in a small album. If you don’t have time to do this, you could always make an album on your phone. Our son absolutely loves to look at photos of himself and people he knows. He loves practicing saying everyone’s names and talking about memories he has with them. Kids also LOVE watching videos of themselves, so you could also show them some of these silly clips!
iPad – download shows or videos or even a few games before your trip. And don’t feel guilty about letting your child watch a show here or there! When your asking your toddler to sit still for hours on end when not that long ago he/she became mobile, it can feel like TORTURE for them! Do what you have to do to get through this time to keep your own sanity and the sanity of those you’re traveling with. After all, it’s only a few hours. Just don’t forget to pack headphones!
Clothing – dress comfortably (think leggings!), wear slip-on shoes, and bring an extra change of clothes for you and the kids. It seems like your doomed for messes to occur when you travel, even when you’re being extra careful. Yes, it’s a huge pain to have to clean up, but it’s even worse if you don’t have clean clothes to change into. Be prepared!
Have some of your own travel tips to share? Add them to our comments section!
