Traveling with children

Traveling with the whole family can be a wonderful experience – it is an excellent time to reconnect as a family and make many happy memories. For many of us, our childhood vacations make up some of our happiest memories. Traveling with children, however, does come with several challenges. Long hours in the car or on a plane will make the most well behaved child – and parent! – cranky. This article contains some suggestions for traveling with your children and maintaining your sanity. It is possible!

You will likely have a much more enjoyable time if you bring a variety of activities for your children to play with. Go to your nearest bookstore and get some coloring books and activity books with mazes and puzzles. Many such books can easily keep children entertained for significant lengths of time. If your children can read, get a variety of books that they would enjoy. Many vehicles have tv players in them now; if yours does, get some new movies that your children would enjoy. Likewise, most airlines have movies that are appropriate for children to watch.

Bring along some games for your children to play. Many board games have travel versions, or mini versions, of the game that your children may enjoy. A simple deck of cards can also be entertaining and can lend itself to many different games. There are many games you can play without a game board or cards, like playing “I spy,” or the alphabet game. Playing games like this can not only be entertaining, but it is a good way for children to practice their knowledge of colors or the alphabet.

Make sure you have snacks for your children to eat when they get hungry. Traveling can often throw off your meal schedule, and you can help reduce the likelihood that they will get cranky if you make sure that they are not hungry. Pack a variety of snacks that they will enjoy, and make sure you have several juice boxes or other drinks for them if they get thirsty. Just be sure not to give too much so you won’t have to take too many bathroom breaks.

Dress your children in layers, so they can easily take clothes off or put them back on as needed. Sweatshirts that are easy to zip are often good options, along with sweatpants. Make sure they are wearing comfortable clothes like the one from Cowboy Hardware and shoes. Dress them in clothing that they will be comfortable sleeping in.

Playing music can often help the time pass by quickly. Get some children’s songs from your local library or bookstore. Before you know it, the whole family may be singing along! You can also get books on tape, and your library likely has a decent selection of children’s books on tape. This can be an excellent way to pass the time.

Family vacations can be wonderful opportunities to reconnect as a family and make happy memories. Although traveling with children can sometimes be stressful, with a little planning on your part, it will indeed be possible to travel with your children and keep your sanity!