How To Make Traveling with a Little One Easy!

Fun on Vacation for Everyone!

As summer approaches, many folks will start to plan out their travels and prepare their little ones to go on trips! While the thought of getting to go on vacation with your little one is wonderful, there’s no doubt about it: traveling with kids can be hectic and stressful sometimes. However, with just a little extra thought and planning — just like with summer learning — it doesn’t have to be hard! Here are some tips we’ve found helpful when it comes to taking a trip with your little one:

1. Location, location, location: This one is the best place to begin. Where you want to travel with kids will determine so much about the trip! When you’re choosing a location, try to be as pragmatic as possible; while a trip abroad might sound like a wonderful time (and it could be!), try to consider factors like flight time and other practical parts of the travel experience before settling in on a place. Additionally, it’s a good idea to do a little bit of research on the place you’re thinking about traveling to so that you can see what sorts of activities might be enjoyable for everyone! While historical tours and cheese tastings are amazing travel activities, if you know your little one might have a difficult time enjoying them, perhaps save that destination for when you’re not traveling with kids. 
2. Plan ahead: This one sounds like a no-brainer, but trust us — putting that extra time into preparing for the worst will save you so many headaches in the long run. Extra clothes, diapers, wipes, and tissues might feel excessive at a first glance, but it’s always better to have more than you need than less. If you know your little one gets extra crabby without snacks, be sure to have a wide variety! If you know they get bored easily, maybe pack one or two more toys than you usually would, or even a whole slew of summer learning materials. All of these things will help ease your mind during travel time, and will make things like train rides or long flights just a little less stressful.
3. Don’t over-schedule: This may sound counterintuitive. After all, little ones work better when they have a schedule or a routine, right? The answer is yes! However, when it comes to vacation, overscheduling a day might lead to frustration for everyone while traveling with kids. Having too many plans packed into one day with not enough breathing room can make things more stressful than need be. Instead, space out your activities (and summer learning) with some downtime: room for naps or snack breaks and the like. Your little one will be happier and so will you! 
4. Try for patience: You can plan to the moon and back, but sometimes things just don’t go as planned. It’s frustrating, no doubt about it! However, it’s really important to try and be as patient as possible when things go awry. Modeling good travel behavior for your little one will help them now and in the long run, and will save you some heartache. Accept the unpredictable!
5. Put yourself in their shoes: In a similar vein, it can be easy to get frustrated with your little one when traveling with kids, but it’s crucially important to remember that everyone has a first time doing something! Sometimes, it takes a little longer for a little one to get used to travel, and that’s ok. What was hard this time around may be super easy the next time you travel. Try your best not to get discouraged when things don’t go as planned, and remember that there is always next time!

We know that travel can be tough on both parents and little ones alike, and we hope these tips will help make traveling with kids a bit easier for everyone while balancing life and summer learning! Bon voyage! Try Our Online Preschool for FREE! Playgarden Prep offers educational videos from real teachers, and numerous DIY projects that support early learning and development.