Are you headed on a family road trip this summer? Let’s be real. Traveling with kids is not all rainbows and palm trees. Traveling during a global health pandemic brings an entire new level of concerns and planning.
After much consideration, we’ve decided to attend our annual family vacation in a beach home rental – considered “low risk” by experts during COVID – and will drive to help limit potential exposure. After three-months of constant family togetherness, a three-day car trip (just one way) doesn’t look all that daunting?!
With some planning and a glove-compartment packed with masks and hand sanitizer, we’re looking forward to time spent outdoors in the ocean air with loved ones we don’t get to see nearly enough.
Tips for Traveling with Kids
I’m always looking for ways to up my travel game as a family so in preparation of our summer road trip, I asked some of my mama friends their tried and true tips for making travel with little ones just a little bit easier. Here are seven realistic and simple ideas you’ll want to remember for your next vacation!
First up, here’s my travel snack approach tip.
When we travel with the kids, I pack enough snacks to last us an entire day spent on the road. They have to be non-perishable and that perfect combination of wholesome and yummy to keep the kids happy. The night before our trip, the kids will fill their own snack trays from a board of choices I put together. These cute boxes are actually craft boxes I found at the Dollar Store years ago (here are similar boxes from Amazon).
Favorite fare include:
- Dried tropical fruit
- Freeze-dried fruit slices (strawberries are a fave)
- Cereal (Kix or Cheerios)
- Goldfish crackers
- Peapod crisps
- Annie’s Homegrown Fruit Gummies
- Nuts like Marcona almonds and pistachios
- Welch’s Fruit ‘n Yogurt snacks
The kids love creating their own snack mixes and often decorate the lid with a few stickers to make it feel a little extra special. The kids keep these in their travel backpacks and nosh happily throughout the travel day. These boxes also help us stay green while on vacation. We re-fill and use them on daily adventures to the pool, beach or parks during the trip.
(Get a list of my favorite “go anywhere” snacks for more healthy snacking inspiration!)
Don’t just take it from me! Here are six other smart approaches to family travel from my mama friends:
“Once plans are confirmed, we let our daughter know about the upcoming trip so she’s mentally prepared, has something fun to look forward to, and if it’s somewhere totally new, we like to research the place together. For example, we went to Valle Bravo off of Mexico City last Thanksgiving and had lots of fun reading up about the lakeside town and pulling up pictures before the trip. For the day of the trip, I put together a “busy box” – filling her metal lunchbox with all kinds of knick knacks, puzzles, paper and colors, stickers, etc to keep her busy for part of the ride. Rest of the time, screen time rules go out the window and we give her the iPad + kid-friendly noise cancellation headphones.”
Dharma Nemani, Creator of Love, Mischka, a self-care community and resource for mindful moms and their kids
“When it comes to any kind of transit, snacking = survival.”
Kate Cristi, “Top Tips for Travel with Tiny Ones“
“Traveling with little ones is stressful and exhausting, no way around it. In order to help ease our travel days and prevent meltdowns, I always prep our children’s travel backpacks with their favorite snacks, surprise toys and mess free activities. Prior to our trips, I will stock up on goodies from the Dollar Tree and Target dollar bins to fill their backpacks. We try to keep their backpack goodies a surprise until we board a flight or start a road trip and then they can have fun unpacking their new toys and treats. If all else fails, have a nice glass of wine ready for you upon arrival!”
Katie Romant, Owner of Tinker Tots Boxes, s a monthly subscription box service created for toddlers geared for ages 2-5 and parents to spend time together. *Exclusive for The Style Du Jour readers. Use code THESTYLEDUJOUR for 10% off your purchase which is good through August!*
“I have to pack toys!” No, no you don’t! Think about it, how often have you given your child a gift to only have them more interested in the box or bag it came in? That’s not to say I don’t pack any sources of entertainment, I just limit them to items that can fit in the diaper bag. If you’re really feeling like rocking the mom game, you can wrap these items, then ration them out during the trip.”
Kate Christi, Blogger for Kate and Crew. For more of Kate’s tips, read her post “Top Tips for Travel with Tiny Ones“
“Make sure you bring a CHARGED iPad (with a case that allows for it to stand on it’s own) that you’ve loaded with downloaded episodes on all the streaming apps. Don’t forget to pack headphones too! We LOVE these bluetooth ones for baby and toddler! A few kid-friendly apps to download for babies and toddlers…
- Bubbles {where you pop all the bubbles on the screen and it makes noises – it’s awesome for hand-eye coordination},
- Drawing app to make any creation they want! This is the app that Levi is using in the first photo in this post!
- Puzzle app – Brody LOVES this app and could do it foreverrrr.”
Dana Ivy, Creator of I Adore What I Love, a Mom blog showcasing ways to make life a little easier.
“Picking out and packing her own little backpack with fun snacks and toys that she chose herself and easily access, this helps my daughter express her independence and feel like a “Big Girl”.
Kristen Baffo, @detroitmoms Podcast Producer, cookbook author and Creator of House of Baffo.
“Bring a bag of fun disposable toys. Run to some horrible kitsch Party Store, grab the “party favors” for all of 30 cents each and bring them out in timed increments. Balloons are my absolute favorite. They can be chased, kicked, laughed at, and easily disposed of.”
Christina Anker, Creator of Two Anchors, a blog about raising two sons.
(Photo Credit: The Shalom Imaginative)
Will you be traveling with your kids this summer? If so, what are your simple ways to help keep everyone (mostly) happy? I’m all ears!
XOXO,
Emily
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