Simple Ways to Keep Your Sanity While Traveling with Kids
Traveling with kids is always an adventure! You can do things to help make the vacation planning, packing, and time on vacation a great experience for everyone in the family. For this podcast episode, Sinead from Map Made Memories joins Lisa to share practical tips she has gathered while traveling around the world with her family. Learn how Sinead gets her kids involved in trip planning, practical tips for packing really light, plus ideas for fun ways to spend time while on vacation.
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“Trips are to be enjoyed, not endured.”
Planning Tips to Make Things Smooth When Traveling with Kids
One of the most exciting aspects of traveling is getting to make plans for the trip.
How do you let your kids help you plan trips? Let the kids make suggestions about things they are interested in seeing such as buildings, animals, and experiences. Make sure the parents suggest their ideas too.
What's your advice about having everything be kid-friendly while traveling? Don’t plan everything around the kids. Be sure to plan time to see and do things the parents want to do too.
Tight schedule or build-in free time? Schedule a few things and then leave some days open for resting, chatting with locals, playing on playgrounds, or doing something new that you’ve discovered while being in the destination.
Playgrounds are a great way to use up some energy and even relax while on vacation.
Practical Packing Tips for Families
When traveling with kids, all of the stuff they want to take along can be a challenge! Here’s a look at some of Sinead’s tips for packing success.
Travel light: move easily, cheaper if flying (no bag fees), pack layers so you don’t need bulky Items, pack things that are quiet and do not require batteries. Plan to do laundry often.
Put these things in your bag:
Tissues/toilet paper
Wet wipes
Hand gel (and masks!)
Paper sick bags
Pack of cards
Water and snacks
1st aid kit
Remember that wherever you go there will likely be a store to get a forgotten item
Charity Shops: Check out local charity shops for toys to use while traveling. You can donate them at the end of the trip. This is also a great stop if you need a coat or weather-specific items.
Toys: maybe one toy per kid. They don’t need this to stay entertained. Consider bringing a notebook, LEGO, or other small items.
Take time to slow down and allow for creative playtime.
Sanity Tips to Use While on the Vacation
Playgrounds: Visit them! Kids need to blow off steam, it gives everyone a chance to recharge. It’s a fun way to meet local families.
Food Expectations: Ask kids to try new things but don’t make a big deal about it.
Learning new languages: If you are traveling to a foreign country, ask your kids to learn a few basic words in the new language.
Public Toilet Tips: Never let your kids go alone, bring sanitizer and wipes, everyone uses the toilet on the restroom break. If you have to pay for the restroom, consider going to a cafe for a soda, rest, and use their toilets.
A huge thank you goes out to Sinead for sharing such practical and useful ideas with us!
Connect with Sinead
Map Made Memories Website