We have given you many reasons you should travel with kids. But let’s be honest, traveling with children is not easy! During a road trip, the playlist is full of kids’ songs, the drive includes continuous questions and possibly crying fits, there are frequent stops for potty breaks and snacks, and your vehicle is ANYTHING but organized. On a flight, you spend the entire time trying to make sure your kids don’t disturb any of the other passengers and you find your arms or legs falling asleep because your kiddos are latched onto you the entire flight. You walk off the plane hungry, tired, and irritable.
So how can we make traveling easier and more fun for ALL involved? Here are some ideas:
–Pack each child an individual, customized backpack of activities.
–Save electronics as a last resort (not because they are BAD but because you want your children to not get bored of their electronics too soon).
–Have plenty of snacks and water on hand! There’s nothing worse than hangry kiddos trapped inside of a car together!
–Remember that the trip doesn’t start when you arrive at the destination. The trip begins when you leave home, so make traveling FUN!
Source: kristendukephotography.com
1. Road Trip Scavenger Hunt
Your kiddos probably enjoy looking out the windows and pointing out what they see (when their faces aren’t in front of a screen). Make it easy for your kids to look for specific things with the printable scavenger hunt worksheet above! You can even do this activity together as a family and see who can find the most by the end of the trip!
Check out kristendukephotography.com for all things family fun! She captures her kid’s joy through the use of photography and shares it with us along with tips for how we can create a similar experience with our children.
Source: iheartcraftythings.com
2. Educational Games
Who says kiddos can’t continue to brush up on some learning while they are traveling? The tool above is an easy way for kids to practice their spelling! All you need is magnets, magnetic letters, popsicle sticks, markers, and a metal container to keep all the supplies together! You will write easy words on the popsicle sticks, place magnets on the back, and then your child will use his/her magnetic letters to spell the words on the sticks.
Check out iheartcraftythings.com for more kids craft and activity ideas.
Source: Buzzfeed.com
3. Healthy Travel Snacks
Remember how I said to have plenty of snacks on hand? Well. being asked for a snack every five seconds can be pretty irritating. So the food travel kit is a GREAT way to pre-prep the snacks, pick ones that each child likes, and limit the amount your children are eating. Let your children choose one snack every 30-minutes or whatever works best for you — maybe two snacks for the older children. Each time you stop, you can refill the food travel kit with the extra snacks you have as-needed.
Source: sweetrosestudio.com
4. Travel binder
I love the idea of a kids’ travel binder! It’s fun, educational AND a quiet activity. Customize each binder based on your children’s interests or what they are learning in school! Color in a map of the U.S. according to the license plates you see along the way. Also, include writing and drawing prompt worksheets. You can even include a journal page for each day so your children can record memories of their favorite things and how they felt about the trip once you arrive!
Check out sweetrosestudio.com for more kids printables and DIY tips!
For more travel ideas, look at these Printable Roadtrip Games from thejoysofboys.com.
Tell us in the comments all of your best tips for traveling with kids!