Travel Tip 103
How to plan travel with kids
Traveling with kids this summer? I’ve got tips for you!
I have travel with kids on my mind this week. I’m preparing for the arrival of my friends Bénédicte and David, arriving from France this Monday with their two children. Also, this past week I met up with my friend Laura who is preparing to take her two kids to Portugal, Andorra and France.
Even if you’re not going international, these four tips will help you plan a trip with kids.
1. Dream big but be flexible
Think about what kind of experiences you want on the trip and then be open to different kinds of destinations. Do your kids love dolphins, but Hawaii and the Galapagos seem too expensive? There are dozens of other places in North America and around the world to see dolphins, so be flexible on where you’re willing to go for those big dreams.
2. Mix planned activities with free time to run around
Plan activities they’ll love like surf lessons, a trip to a wildlife sanctuary, or a cooking class. But also plan time for your kids to run around at a park or somewhere they can be active without any particular activity planned.
3. Leave room for surprises
This goes as much for the adults as for the kids. Of course, it’s important to give your kids enough information about what you’ll do that they’ll feel prepared, but don’t tell them every little detail of every plan. One of the best things about travel is the surprise of new places and experiences, so let your kids have a few surprises along the way. Also, leave some room for the adults to be surprised by the destination and experiences. Even if you plan every hour of every day, allow yourself to change plans, even last minute, if you find something you didn’t know about and what to try.
4. Listen to the experts.
I read a lot of blogs and travel articles by parents, so I have to recommend a few of my favorites. One is Globe Trotting Mama and another is Sasha & Megnote of Off the Beaten Travel. I also have a list of tips from my friend Anisa Goforth. Anisa traveled extensively and lived in several countries as a child and now travels with her own daughter.
(Anisa’s tips have some Amazon links. I don’t get any kickbacks from Amazon and am not here to sell you stuff. I’m just sharing advice from a real parent).
Here’s some of Anisa’s top tips:
An ultralight travel stroller: Get one that fits under the seat in the plane. Traveling with a child is awesome, but sometimes the long walks can be too much. We love the Pockit Stroller because it is lightweight and fits under the seat in the airplane. This is particularly important if you are running between gates and don’t want to wait for the flight crew to bring out the stroller. Also, helpful because it collapses so small (the size of a large purse) that if you’re renting cars or jumping into taxis, they don’t take much room. The main disadvantage is that the wheels are smaller (compared to a large stroller) so if you’re going down cobble streets, or like in Guatemala, pavements with lots of grates, it can be a challenge.
A car seat cover that is a backpack: When you’ve got bags and a stroller, having a car seat cover that is a backpack style is super helpful. Car seats are free on all US flights. We had something like this one but if you want to go fancy, get one with wheels.
Foldable potty seat: We liked this one. When their little tooshes are too small for public toilet seats, this is super handy. It folds down small and easy to clean.
Water proof bag for extra clothes & wipes: We used this one. Leave an extra pair of clean clothes in there and take it everywhere. When you need those clothes, it will be for some sort of disaster that needs to be contained in a waterproof bag.
Travel toys: If you’re driving or have plenty of room in checked luggage, bring a new toy or two. We bring those out when she’s tired/grumpy/about to have a meltdown, and having a new shiny toy made the difference. On road trips, some parents wrap each one as that also takes time to unwrap. Our favorite ones we still go to are the Water Wows by Melissa & Doug as well as reusable sticker books.
Bring lots of snacks: we like to use the snack catcher when my daughter was a toddler and now Bentgo Box.
Anisa’s General Suggestions/Random Thoughts
● In some airports, there is a children’s play area. If you have a long layover, bring them to the airport play area and get their wiggles out
● Latin American immigration/customs are amazing–they will let children in strollers jump the line! Keep an eye out for signs or ask an officer. (From Heather: In Peru, families with small children use the same line as disabled and pregnant people).
● Talk about new things together– sometimes my daughter would comment on the garbage on the street, and we talked about how some communities may not have the resources to pick up garbage or places to put it.
● Talk about the new culture–highlight how different clothes are being worn and what they mean.
● Use dog bags to put dirty diapers in–many places might not have good garbage system.
