Traveling with kids can seem daunting, no matter if they’re a newborn, an antsy toddler, or an active kindergartener. But traveling with kids can also be enlightening, exciting, and dare we say, even fun! Read our tips and tricks for entertaining kids on flights, packing the best toddler travel bag, and staying sane once you arrive at your destination.
Traveling With Kids Tip #1: Explain the Trip In Ways that Excite Them
Anticipating a big trip is one of the greatest pleasures of travel for adults and children alike. Whether you get in the car and are taking a road trip to grandma’s house several states away or hopping on an international flight to Rome, help your child feel included by telling them about what they will experience, the sights they can expect to see, the foods they might eat, and more. One of the bigger challenges of traveling with kids is that kids are so routine oriented: by explaining the differences between home and your destination, not only will you get them excited about the journey, but you’ll be able to help them anticipate ways that their experience will differ from their normal routines with new sights, sounds, foods, beds, and even languages.
Traveling With Kids Tip #2: Pack Smart
When you travel with kids there’s a fine line between well-prepared and overpacked. Pack your toddler’s travel bag over the course of several days so that you have time to run out and get any last minute supplies you need, like extra wipes, tissues, travel toiletries, and diapers. The perfect duffle diaper bag will help keep you organized during your vacation and at your destination—and chances are once you land, you’ll be on-the-go even more than you are at home as you try to see the sights and check off the items on your bucket list! Go for a lightweight JuJuBe bag that won’t weigh you down but that also has plenty of compartments for snacks, bottles, bibs, diapers, and extra layers of clothing.
Traveling With Kids Tip #3: Plan Snacks Wisely
One of your biggest worries when it comes to traveling with kids (especially on a plane) is how to keep them happy and entertained in a confined space. Take care of both your worries by packing healthy snacks in their toddler travel bag that takes time to eat and can double as entertainment. We like string cheese as an easy-to-pack option for young kids or you can slice up pepperoni, cheese, apples, and bring crackers and have them arrange their own snack combinations. If you are usually mindful about what they eat, travel days can be a nice opportunity to include a typically off-limits food item as a special treat.
Traveling With Kids Tip #4: Anything Can Be a Toy
Travel with kids requires that you pare down on the usual brigade of toys that your baby or toddler loves to pile into their bed, but with a little resourcefulness, you’ll be able to pack some easy entertainment for your long flights and busy vacation without taking up much space in that toddler travel bag. For whatever reason, kids tend to adore office supplies: think Post It notes, stickers, and tape. Crayons and index cards offer easy (and eventually disposable) coloring options so that you won’t be weighed down by a million coloring books. And, best of all, you probably have many of these items lying around the house or can pick them up on the cheap at your local dollar store!
Traveling With Kids Tip #5: Keep Them Happy with Surprises
In addition to surprise indulgences, we love the idea of using your toddler’s travel bag to pack fun, small items to parse out to your child over the course of the flight, car ride, or train trip. Use the same approach you would as if you were packing a favor bag for a party—a cute, Be Snacky bag filled with simple items like erasers, pencils, plastic rings, and decks of cards for games like Go Fish can help make long trips go fast. For longer trips, you can give them one surprise every hour, half hour, or however often it takes to pacify that antsy toddler and give mom a much-needed break.
Traveling With Kids Tip #6: Leave Room in Your Schedule for Downtime
It can be tempting to book every day to the max as you travel with kids, see all of your relatives on a family trip to your home state, or tour a new country. But your toddler will quickly become exhausted and cranky if you don’t allow a little downtime here and there—and chances are, you might too! Try to incorporate some elements of your child’s usual routine during a family trip, whether that’s nap time at the same time every day or a half hour of screen time in your hotel room before you start the day. Plan that things will not go according to schedule all the time and be prepared to be flexible with your sightseeing and activities even if that means giving something up.
Traveling With Kids Tip #7: Build in Breaks for Mom and Dad
Just like kids, mom and dad need breaks too! Flying with kids isn't always fun, and we know some parents who will book seats in different areas of the plane, and each parent takes a shift sitting with the kids while the other has a chance to relax. Once you arrive, you can also try to schedule blocks of “me” time for each parent—whether that’s an afternoon for mom at an art museum or a quiet morning for dad with a cup of coffee at a cafe. You’ll both be grateful for the moments of peace and will rejoin the family activities feeling renewed and refreshed.
Shop Toddler Travel Bags and More at JuJuBe
JuJuBe’s selection of bags for parents and children are perfect for everything from trips to the park to traveling with kids to more far-flung locales. From a foldable lightweight totes to a handy diaper bag backpacks, we have everything you need to keep your busy family happy wherever you go. Shop our selection of high quality, intelligently designed, and always stylish toddler travel bag and accessories today!
