Travelling with children is much like anything with children – not always easy! Children make activities that are usually exciting and fun rather difficult and they don’t mean to; it’s just that they need to be entertained, fed and paid attention from morning until night, and when you factor into travel time and moving from destination to destination, it’s a challenge.
Children are easily bored, and waiting for airplanes to take off, waiting in traffic for other cars to move and waiting for the next fun thing to do can grate on that boredom. They then become difficult to manage and impatient, and while we get it, we have to learn to manage it to make travelling fun! It can be overwhelming to travel with children, but with the ten tips below, you can keep it as fun and exciting as possible for the kids. Travelling should be exciting for all of you, so here are some of the best tips you’ll find to make it a good time.
Don’t Rush
As with anything with children, don’t rush it! You don’t want to be doing a mad dash through an airport when you can take your time and make sure that you have all the kids accounted for. Planning for extra time as a parent is a must. This way, you can get to each check-in stage calmly and you can ensure that you will be on the plane within a few moments. You have to also remember that with shorter legs, the kids won’t run as fast across the airport as you will! While you’re away, keep your schedule loosely planned. Children don’t often like to listen to your schedule, especially when they want to do their own thing. Allow for some movement!
Pack Games
Whether you are on a road trip or a plane trip, you need games to keep the kids entertained. The older kids can learn the rules to chess before you go away and have a running tournament going during the trip. The little ones will love any games you pack that involve guessing colours and sights, and they will love to play some of the travel games that you can buy for the plane, too.
Avoid Overpacking
Most families overpack for their travels. Parents believe that they need to have seven outfits per child per week, with spares to go with that, too. It’s a terrible idea. Instead, book somewhere with a washer for halfway through your trip. You can then wash the clothes that you have all used so far. Packing too much pushes the weight limit up on your suitcases for the airline and it’s also a good idea to avoid lugging huge bags around with the kids, anyway! Pack a capsule holiday wardrobe for everyone and wash as you go. You can even wash it all before you come home to make life easier when you return.
Let The Kids Make Some Choices
Do you want to make your holiday fun for kids? Well, it’s a great idea to let them choose some of the holidays you’re going on. You don’t necessarily have to let them choose the destination, but you can give them a choice of things that they can choose to do on arrival. If your holiday location has activities or theme parks, you can let them have a hand in what they do. Children often get dragged around on holidays based on what the parents want, and you can make it the best time they have ever had by simply getting their opinion!
Shop For Accessories
Are you heading on a long drive? Buy new headphones for the kids. Choose some funky blankets to keep warm and let them have a hand in choosing some of the accessories that they’d love to go away with. Do you have a budding photographer in the family? What about an instant camera to add to your family memories after the trip? Buy accessories that the kids will benefit from while they’re away and you’ll keep them entertained.
Pre-Booking Is Your Friend!
If you want to make sure travelling is fun for the kids, pre-book all activities and excursions. The worst thing for the whole family is whining and impatience, and children cannot help themselves much of the time. If you pre book everything, you can skip queues for tickets and book time slots to enjoy yourselves, too. Everything can be booked ahead of time, and your kids will be able to do the fun things you’re booked without waiting around.
Talk About The Trip
Getting the whole family in the mood for a holiday is easy when you introduce everyone to the trip ahead of time. Talk about the things that you can all do together, where in the world it is and ask the kids to find the place you’re going on a map. They will feel so happy and excited about the trip when they know what to expect, and that in turn will help you to feel more excited about it, too.
Bring SnacksÂ
The key to any child’s heart – snacks! Travelling is so much more fun with the snacks that are packed on a roadtrip or even for the plane. You can even ensure that they have snacks so that they get some food in them among all of the different flavours a new place brings. Snacks will prevent hangry behaviour, too, and it’s so much more fun to travel places when people are happy and calm.
Pay Extra
If you need a travel car seat or travel backpacks, pay the extra and get something long-lasting and good quality. Children need to be as safe as possible in the car on a long trip, and they especially need to be safe in a car abroad. Paying out a little extra for that will make a big difference, as they will be more comfortable along the way. Travelling should be relaxing, and your kids deserve some comfort while they travel, too.
Acceptance Is Key
Things are always unexpected when children are in the mix. When you travel with the kids, you will face some hiccups along the way. Keep it calm and travel will be brilliant for the kids!
