As I continue my series on family travel, let’s talk about the actual traveling part. Specifically, I want to share tips for family travel with young kids. (Don’t forget to check out the first post — the planning piece — as the first part of this series if you haven’t yet.)
I’m a lifelong international traveler and my husband caught the international travel bug when we started dating. We completely embrace family travel, both flying and road trips. And we’ve been traveling as a family since our boys were young. We did our first trip with our now 11-year-old when he was 19 months and when our now 8-year-old was 16 months (it was an international trip too!). We totally get what traveling as a family with young kids is like.
We’ve worked to build what I call the travel muscle so they’ve been good travelers from a young age. And we’ve done the trips and the vacations (yes, there is a difference!), both in the US and abroad. I’ll also add that since we’re in Central Texas if we want to leave the state, that often involves 10+ hours on a plane or in a car. I’m sharing some of the tips that we use regularly for our young boys when we’re en route to a destination.
Pack a change of clothes
If you have young kids, even if they’re not infants or toddlers, I highly recommend you take a change of clothes for all family members in your carry-ons while traveling. Accidents happen. Kids (or even grown-ups) spill drinks or food, kids don’t get to the potty in time, etc. You never know when your child might make a full-size mess all over you, which is why I recommend you have a change of clothes as well.
Get the wiggle out first
Whether we’re traveling by plane (our usual mode for family travel), train, or car (we’re working on doing more epic road trips), we let the boys get the wiggles out. You want to let your kids burn off some energy before a long trip. They’re likely going to be sitting down for a while and it works out even better when they’re tired.
Make them walk in the airport or train station. Look for a playground in the airport since this is something some major airports have or find a nearby park if you’re at a train station. Walk with them to get a drink or snacks. Do what you can before you leave your home and before you truly start your trip to burn off some of that energy.
Screen time
In my family’s case, my husband and I are OK with our boys watching movies on our long flights or using their tablets during long car rides. We watch little TV at home most days, so it’s a treat to have lots of screen time as part of the travel experience.
Bonus hint here: Don’t forget to charge tablet batteries, so you don’t have to worry about that mid-flight or upon arrival while mom and dad are trying to sort out things like car rentals, etc. Check that headphones are working too. We suggest doing this a week before you leave so you have time to get replacements. Our boys are not always gentle with their electronics and we’ve had to replace headphones and keep the new ones out of reach so they don’t become part of the toy box.
Alternatives to screen time
If you have young kids, TV screens might be of little to no interest. Little kids might start to get antsy. We’re prepared with unique items or activities. We look throughout the year for things on sale like LEGO kits (e.g., build a zippy car) that take time to build, fun activity books, games, dollar store random finds, and items related to where we’re traveling to. Hint on LEGO kits, grab a small piece of felt so LEGOS don’t fly everywhere en route to your destination.
We usually have one new item per child for each hour of a trip. As you can imagine I generally buy small things that are light. It can get really expensive to buy all the stuff last minute, so I pick up things throughout the year and keep them hidden. And don’t forget good old-fashioned things like simple card games.
You might want to have some things for an unexpected flight or train delay as well. Or games like I-spy. Instead of doing that first letter of a word, do it by color with your young kids (e.g., I spy something that is blue). And bring an option or two for your hotel, rain delays/rainy days, and unexpected or needed downtime while you’re at your destination.
And, yes, in case you’re wondering, all of these small toys and games easily fit in my carry-on along with a change of clothes. And small items work great. Nothing has to be too fancy or involved.
Family travel perks you didn’t think of
In some airports, we went through a different TSA line for families. No one was giving us the stink eye for being a bit slower with everything. The TSA team was a whole lot friendlier to kids being apprehensive. Our boys know the drill now, but it didn’t start out that way.
Let’s face it, the machines and whole TSA experience can be a bit overwhelming when you’re little, especially if you haven’t traveled much. And some of these family lines are faster. They don’t have as many people, so you can go through more quickly. Make sure you listen to instructions about shoes coming off, bottles separately, etc. for the different family members. For example, some airports don’t make you take off kids’ shoes. Don’t do extra steps if you don’t have to.
And you often get early boarding with young kids, so ask when you get your boarding pass. And pay attention to those announcements once you’re at your gate. We want to get on and settled before everyone else because we still need to make adjustments and get a few things out of our bags, etc. That can take a bit of time.
Airplane food sucks
OK, we all know that airplane food sucks. It’s usually not the healthiest option either. Consider bringing on food from the airport for longer flights. (Again, also not the healthiest option but you’re on vacation, so it’s OK!)
Really, though, you have more options and you can usually find things your child will like. There is almost always a burger option, a pizza option, and at least some kind of Mexican or Asian food option. One of those usually satisfies most kids (and most parents too). If you do choose to have airplane food, don’t forget to order a kids’ meal for your child(ren). And know that you can always bring a sandwich from home if that is an easier option for your kids.
Whatever works, make sure to have time. That might mean having a bit more time at the airport or taking a bit more time at home. Give yourself ample time, whatever that looks like.
Snacks, snacks, and more snacks
We always travel with a snack bag and I definitely plan out the whole snack side of things. Some of our snacks are treats and some are the usual snacks we have at home for the boys. It’s all about mixing things up with our boys.
Why bring snacks from home? First, our boys always get hungry en route, even if they’ve recently had a meal. Second, snacks from home can be a bit of a comfort item. Our boys are good travelers, but they still can have moments of being homesick. Even when we talk about what to expect, it’s still something new. The snacks help with that.
And, finally, the time you’re looking for snacks when you arrive at your destination is time spent doing something other than exploring. I’m not so excited about that. And who knows how close the nearest corner store or grocery store is! The reality is that we always end up grabbing a few things locally, but it’s not our first stop.
Have fun
As stressed as you might be when you’re walking out the door, make sure you have fun. Don’t worry about your children’s fun only. They will know if mom or dad is hating the experience. Know that some things will work well and some things you’ll wish you could do over. It’s all an experiment and a chance to do something new. Enjoy the moment with your family and don’t worry about the perfect pictures or the perfect moments! Take it all in stride and it will be OK.
What are your tips for making family travel easier? Struggling with an aspect of family travel? Let me know in the comments.
If you’re interested in getting more ideas on travel, check back on the Mompowerment website soon. I’ll be sharing more about my family’s travels in the coming months. You’ll get details on where we’ve traveled and details on where we go, stay, eat, etc. Check out actual itineraries so you don’t have to do all the homework!
