How to Travel With Kids

With a little planning, your vacation with your children can be fun for everyone involved.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Infant Car Seats
• Infant Carriers
• Crayons
• Bottled Water
• First Aid Kits
• Games
• Toys
• Travel Games
• Crayons

1. Involve children in the planning of the vacation; let them look at maps and guidebooks and watch videos about your vacation destination.

2. Find out what amenities your hotel already provides, such as irons, blow dryers and even cribs, and pack accordingly - this will help reduce luggage.

3. Have children help pack their own suitcases, as well as day packs filled with games, favorite toys and comfort objects such as teddy bears and security blankets.

4. Pack the phone number of your pediatrician and a first aid kit, as well as cleaning products such as wet wipes and paper towels.

5. Keep your children occupied on the way to your destination. Hand out snacks that won't make too much of a mess, such as raisins, sandwiches, bagels and water bottles. Pass out a toy every hour.

6. Pick some stops along the way that might pique their interests, if on a road trip; plan plenty of rest stops too for those much-needed breaks. If you're flying, provide games for layovers.

7. Give children a quick tour of the area surrounding the hotel upon arrival, and teach them to call the registration desk in case they get lost. Make paper ID bracelets for younger children with their name and your family's lodging information printed on the underside.

8. Plan an activity a day - bored or tired children are unhappy children. This also allows for flexibility in your trip.

9. Be prepared for any setbacks on your vacation. For that rainy day, bring board games and coloring books.

Tips & Warnings

• Avoid difficulties in making reservations by booking your vacation as soon as the school calendar comes out in September.
• Rehearse with your children a few nights before you leave; pitch a tent in the backyard or pretend you're eating in a fancy restaurant; take a short day trip to get your kids used to spending time away from home.
• Encourage your child to collect items to make a scrapbook about your travels.
• If you are traveling with a small child and plan to rent a car, make sure the rental company can provide a car seat. Otherwise, make sure to pack one along with your luggage.

on 8/8/2006 Rent an apartment or condo instead of booking a hotel room. You can enjoy the bedroom and the kids can be in a separate bedroom or on the sofa bed/roll aways in the living room. Everyone gets their own TV and their own privacy.

on 11/22/2005 I recently returned from a trip with 29 students. It was an eye opening trip for me. It was very obvious which students did not pack their own bag, their parents had packed for them! The travelers did not know what was in their bags or what they had brought! They would go without important items or lose the items that were packed for them, thinking they belonged to someone else! Please do not put anything into your child's bag! Make a list and have them physically put the items into the bag. That way they will know what they have and where it is! I will never again put anything into my child's bag (not even a special treat), they don't know it's there!

on 11/22/2005 Take gum, or ask the flight attendant prior to takeoff for a glass of water. Encourage the child to swallow, or see who can do the biggest yawn to equalize pressure in the ears during ascent and decent.

on 11/22/2005 I recently took my 8-year-old nephew to London. Each night when we returned to the hotel we used the material we'd collected that day to make a beautiful scrapbook. It also was a good transition to calm him down and get ready for bed.

on 11/22/2005 A baby and 12-hour flights can be stressful. A good (strong) "sleeping syrup" prescribed from your doctor solves all problems. Consider the advantages. Baby sleeps, an entire passenger load sleeps, you sleep and everybody arrives well-rested.