5 Things You Should Do when traveling with kids

For those of you who have already traveled with kiddos, you know that these vacations aren’t like the ones you had before kids. Honestly, that’s part of what makes them amazing. You get to have new adventures, and even get to experience things you’ve already done through the eyes of a child. That makes them so much more magical. No matter where you choose to go, here are 5 things you should do when traveling with kids.

#1 Plan Activities around their interests

Okay, think about this one in regards to how you’ve planned trips in the past. Generally, you find something that would interest each person on the trip, and you do those things. It’s the exact same thing when planning a trip with your little one. You must find activities that they’ll enjoy and mix them in with things that the adults in the group might enjoy. For instance, I love trying to find street art in every city we travel to. Poppy loves the outdoors: parks, water, nature, etc. So when we travel, I try to find parks that have street art or art we can get to by walking past a playground. She’s always more interested in posing for pictures if I’ve let her play or explore a bit first. (We even swing back by the playground on the way out.) Planing things in this way means I must be very intentional when looking up locations.

#2 Let them set the pace

You know your little one the best, so you know when they’re at their best, worst, and everywhere in between. Poppy is at her best first thing in the morning, so I generally try to plan the more structured activities during that time. However, there are some mornings when she wakes up cranky. These may be mornings where we hang out at the hotel for a bit longer, go to an activity specifically for her first thing, or get a treat. These are all things that lift her mood. When she gets cranky, even if we’re in the middle of something, we try to meet her need as quickly as possible. This may mean getting her a snack, some cuddles, or a nap. If you don’t get something done, try not to stress. I’ve actually found most locations offer you all-day entry, so you can return when everyone is in a better mood.

#3 Plan Rest Days

This goes along with letting your little one set the pace, but planning rest days is so important. Every vacation we go on is a mixture of busy days and relaxation days. It honestly just depends on the location as to how many rest days we build in. And guys, a rest day doesn’t have to look the same for every family or every vacation. For instance, sometimes we have a slow morning, or an early evening. Sometimes we hang around the resort and play in the pool and order pizza. The most important part is slowing down and reconnecting with your kiddos. Allowing them to be your singular focus. It’s also especially important that you add these times in with little ones, because most of the time, they can’t tell you when they need a break.

#4 Always Prioritize

Have you ever gone on vacation with a long list of activities and only get to half of them? Were you still pleased with your vacation or did you feel upset that you didn’t get everything done? Let me tell you, I’m an over-planner. Always have been, always will be. (I think it’s the teacher in me.) And I’d generally be bummed that I’d planned something amazing, and we never got a chance to do it. I feel like this is especially true now that I have Poppy, because I really want her to experience everything. (I’m also not super patient, so I want her to experience everything immediately.) The best thing I’ve ever done is start to prioritize activities. Before each trip, I create a list of activities I’d like us to do. I then put a star next to the ones that are most important. We always start our trip with these things in mind, making them some of the first items we accomplish. If we don’t get a chance to do the other items on my list, it’s okay, we can always do them the next trip.

#5 Remember to have fun!

The biggest piece of advice I can give you is to remember to have fun. Things will inevitably go wrong, no matter how well you planned them. Even though there’s no storm listed on the weather app, one will pop up out of nowhere and change your plans. The highway will get shut down due to some unforeseen accident, and you won’t make it to your destination on time. (Yes, all of these happened to us on our last trip!) But I encourage you to find fun in the smallest things and enjoy your time together.

The biggest thing to keep in mind when traveling with kids is that they’re only this age once. You only get to experience this exact day with them one time, so hold onto it for all it’s worth.

For more information on some of our favorite trips, check out the links below:

Top Things to do in New Orleans with a Toddler

A Family Friendly Day Trip to Helen, Georgia

Exploring Disney’s Magic Kingdom with a Toddler

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please let us know in the comments.