50 Tips for Traveling with Children

Have more fun and make traveling with kids a breeze with these 50 easy but brilliant tips for traveling with children. Have your best vacation yet!

50 Tips for Traveling with Children

Whether by sea, by air, or by land, traveling with children can be a challenging adventure. The bottom line is, kids get bored, tired, and frustrated just like we do when traveling, however, they just express it in a different way. So, here are 50 tips for traveling with children and still keeping your sanity!

Keeping your Sanity when Traveling with Children

1. Bring extra clothes. When traveling, you never know what will happen. Always have an extra outfit for each kid on hand.

2. Bring coloring books. Coloring books and crayons can be a lifesaver in an instant. It's a quiet, distracting activity that doesn't take up much space. Never travel without these items.

3. Remember your Kindle if you have one. Kindles are great for watching movies, playing games, and reading. You can grab one on Amazon HERE.

4. If you have handheld game systems, those are sure to keep kids busy. Make sure to bring those along for the ride as well.

5. Take your time. Kids don’t like to feel rushed, and can get a little fussy when they do. Make sure to start out early and take your time.

6. Let your kids take pictures with a camera. Documenting their adventure is a good way to keep kids excited.

7. Invest in a child locator. Just in case you or your children get separated from each other in the chaos, it may be good to have a child locator.

8. Play fun travel games in the car or plane, like I-Spy, punch bug, or the alphabet game. You can never have too many activities.

9. Remember the baby wipes. Wipes are great for almost anything.

10. Take a pillow with you for long trips. Kids get tired and you want them to grab a few Zs when they can.

11. Bring healthy snacks with you. Things like carrots, granola bars, nuts, and peanut butter sandwiches will keep your kids satisfied.

12. Discuss the trip with your kids beforehand. This will help get them prepared for the trip.

13. Check for family specials before your trip. The more the merrier seems to be the game. Lots of large amusement parks and hotels will give discounts if you look around and do your research before purchasing.

14. Take water with you wherever you go. Not all water is safe to drink, so it is important to bring water with you. But even if you're going somewhere with safe water, having water bottles on hand is a smart way to stay hydrated.

15. Designate a meeting point for each new place. That way if you get split up, you'll all know where to find each other.

16. Talk to your kids about strangers before leaving on your trip, and help them understand the dangers of wandering off.

17. Pack clothes for all seasons. Mother nature has a mind of its own. It is always best to be prepared.

18. Take a deck of cards with you. From Go Fish to a good old game of poker, cards can offer quiet entertainment on any trip.

19. Give your kids a picture itinerary. This will help them to know what is happening when and keep down on bad behavior.

20. Enjoy a lot of breaks as you travel. Get outside and let your kids walk around or play a game.

21. Stop every two hours for a bathroom break. This may be hard on a plane, but it is important to remind your kids to use the bathroom when they can.

22. Have just the right amount of activities. You don’t want to exert your children, but you don’t want them to be bored either.

23. Pack a first aid kit. Something is bound to happen where you'll need one. So, keep band-aids, ointment, and alcohol swabs on hand. You can grab a handy travel first aid kit HERE from Amazon.

24. Chew gum while flying. This will help limit the pressure build up in your children’s ears when taking off and landing.

25. Buy inexpensive toys to take with you while you travel. Give your child a new toy as they get bored with other things. Also, it won't be a big deal if a cheap, replaceable toy gets lost on the trip (whereas a lost favorite toy could be catastrophic).

26. Take books about your trip along with you. Get kids excited about where you are going with some books from the library.

27. Always have a cap or hat for each of your children. Hats and caps can help prevent them from overheating in the sun and the sun out of their eyes.

28. Use the family lane, if there is one. This helps get all your family through at one time.

29. Look for play areas if you are breaking at an airport or station for a while. This will give the kids a chance to get rid of some of their energy.

30. If you are going through security, put flip flops on everyone. This takes less time, and you won't be stuck trying to tie everyone's shoes.

31. Get a bag just for shoes. Your kids will most likely want to ditch the shoes, so carry an extra bag for them just in case.

32. Bring the barf bags. Traveling long distances can make anyone a little dizzy. Bring a few sandwich paper bags for those little accidents.

33. Make puppets out of your paper bags. If you don’t need to use the barf bag, bring googly eyes and some markers to make puppets out of them.

34. Offer toys one at a time, so it seems like you have more things to entertain your kids while you are traveling.

35. Use a map to point out landmarks as you go. This helps with map skills and keeps kids interested in the trip.

36. Have a stash of toys for each kid so there is not fighting and arguing.

37. Set 15-minute alarms on your phone for kids to switch their toys around and play with each other’s toys without fighting.

38. Pack sunscreen and bug repellant. No matter where you are going the sun is sure to shine and bugs will always come out at night.

39. Keep any medication needed with you. Bring Tylenol or Ibuprofen just in case you need it while traveling.

40. Make sure you bring your children’s favorite security toy with you.

41. Make sure to look into anti-nausea meds if your children get sick easily. You will want to keep that on hand.

42. Do a combination of activities for adults and children, so no one is bored or restless on the trip.

43. Encourage your children to make a travel diary. Not only will this keep them busy, but it is something they can look back on for years to come.

44. Utilize kid clubs at hotels if they are available. Just because you’re traveling with kids doesn’t mean you don’t need some adult time.

45. Stick to your meal routine at home. It is important that your kids still have a similar schedule as this will help them adjust easier.

46. Avoid eating food from venders. This will help save on your food costs while you travel. Bring as much food as you can from a grocery store. Try bringing non-perishable breakfast items, like mini muffins, store milk in the mini-fridge at the hotel, and bring PB&J for lunch. You'll be amazed at how much money you can save this way.

47. Wash your children's hands often to prevent sickness. Wash your hands before eating and after using the bathroom.

48. Only pack what you need. Traveling light makes having fun easier. You have less to carry and tote around. Less to remember to pack back up!

49. Have a lap tray for your kids to have for food, drinks, or toys on. This makes it easier, especially driving in a car.

50. Create an activity bag to incorporate learning into your travels. You can fill this full of worksheets, puzzles, and educational activities.

Keeping your kids occupied while you travel is the key to surviving traveling with children. What other tips do you have for traveling with kids? I would love to know in the comments below!

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