Why it’s so hard to travel with kids under 3 and what you can do about it.
Most people think travel with kids under 3 is pure torture but I’ve taken my 3 year old son on a trip every year of his life and managed to make each of them just as enjoyable as a trip without kids.
Here’s how I did it.
Let naps work for you
Grocery store make the best pit stops
Screen time?
Toys and activities to fight the boredom
Take time to see the world through their eyes.
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Let Naps Work for You
Naps are the best time to make miles and enjoy a peaceful drive so try to plan your day so that you are traveling during naps. Avoid planning excursions either right before or during naps. Right before naps kids are at their fussiest so everyone’s enjoyment of the excursion will be lessened. Your kid may be able to nap in the stroller or carrier during an excursion but they won’t sleep as well and you will spend the whole time worrying about them waking up.
Grocery Stores Make the Best Pit Stops
When you are planning stops on your trip make sure to be stopped for at least 20 minutes. Kids need time to get out of the car and get some exercise. A 5 minute gas station stop is not going to cut it (you may end up with a kid who is even fussier than they were before the stop). Grocery stores are great! There is plenty of space to move around. Kids love going down the aisles and looking at things and if they’re learning to walk helping to push the cart is great practice. Also you can pick up healthy snacks without the gas station mark up. And you don’t have to worry about inclement weather the way that you would at a park.
Screen Time?
This is a very personal question and I think the choice should be entirely up to you. I personally make sure that there are lots of options for my kids to choose from and I include screens in those options. I have picked out some educational apps that are loaded on a tablet. I also download a few of their favorite movies.
Toys and Activities to Fight Boredom
Kids attention spans are very short. The first time I went on a trip with my son I was very surprised by how quickly he went through the toys I brought him to play with and after he played with them once he didn’t want to go back to them again even if it had been several hours since he had played with them. So bring as many toys as you can fit in your bag. Most of these toys should be completely new to your kids. If they have been played with before they will hold interest for a shorter amount of time.
Here are some of my favorites to bring along.
This little plush is great for building fine motor skills. All of the different buckles will keep your little one busy for at least a little while. And the compact size makes it perfect for travel. If your kiddo is mouthy there is an aglet on the back that you may want to remove.
These books come in so many themes that you can easily find one that will match your little ones interests. Kids love popping the little dots on their own and they also have great stories for reading together.
This is a wonderful compact toy with so many things for kids to explore.
These are amazing toys that kids think are complete magic. All you need is some water and the colors of the picture magically appear plus some hidden images for kids to find.
I have found that kids under the age of 2 don’t seem to see the magic of this and aren’t into coloring the picture.
Give your kids a flat place to play with toys keep a snack or draw a picture. It also has a cupholder to keep your kids drink close.
I understand that travel is already expensive and so buying a whole bunch of new toys can be unrealistic. What I like to do is buy a few really special toys and then go to the dollar store. I just go through the toy section and grab anything that is small and not too messy. It’s pretty impressive what you can find at the dollar store. Once I’m done in the toy section I like to go through the craft section. Really think outside the box about what things your kids might enjoy exploring.
Take Time to See the World Through Their Eyes
I always try to remember why I’m traveling with my kids. It's because I want them to see the world. So, when they're making us late for dinner because they found an interesting leaf on the ground or just want 5 more minutes to do something, I take a breath and really watch what they're doing. I try to remember what it was like to be a kid and see things the way they are seeing them.
Happy Travels!
Have older kids too? Check out these other posts for tips on traveling with them.
