Traveling is the best—especially when we get to bring the whole family! And it never hurts to keep a few tips in your back pocket to make travel with kids a bit more stress free. 😉 Laura's quite the adventurer, and this week she's sharing her best tips to keep the fun times rolling while you're on the road! Whether you're road tripping or flying, visiting the big city or the great outdoors—or even Disney!—she's got you covered. (and a bonus: she has a few money-saving tips for you too!)
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Number 1: Tips for Road Trips
- Find a show, playlist or podcast that everyone will love. We like Story Pirates, Molly of Denali, But Why?, and I’m really excited to start one that Emily recommended: The Unexplainable Disappearance of Mars Patel.
- Play the license plate game!
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Hand out the devices with zero regrets.
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Fill the car with snacks that are special for your road trips.
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Stop at your favorite road trip spots—or go off the beaten path to see something cool!
Try the Roadtrippers app. They’ll help you find the best food, gas, and activities all along your route.
- If you’re traveling with pets, make sure they have frequent access to water. For dogs, you can find a pet water bottle on Amazon, and they’re genius.
Number 2: Tips for Flying
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Coach kids about the flight before you go.
- Keep special surprises packed away for only airplane times. For the older kids, maybe it’s a fun card game or a Rubik’s cube. For the littles, you’d be amazed how far a pick pack of stickers and an empty notebook will take you.
- PS: If you’re going on an international trip, get your passports early.
Number 3: Tips for the Big City
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Go somewhere your kids have seen in a movie or in school.
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If your kids are bored, find a children’s museum.
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Try a favorite local food.
- Go to a musical! Go to a game! Go to a park!
Number 4: Tips for the Great Outdoors
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If you’re going to be around water: Make sure you bring plenty of gear! Get pool toys and noodles, and plenty of snacks and drinks. And make sure you have floaties and life jackets for everyone who needs them.
- If you’re hiking: Bring sunscreen, bug repellant, and Band-Aids for blisters—even some Ibuprofen, if you get a little achy. Also, download the All Trails app, so you can find cool hikes wherever you are, and interactive maps that’ll help you stay on the trail.
- If you’re hitting the National Parks: Make sure you check in advance if you need a reservation to get into the park!
Number 5: Tips for Disney!
Listen, we both know that I could create a whole podcast on Disney tips. But these are a few of my favorites:
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Decide early what’s important for your family. Does your kid want to have breakfast with their favorite character? Do they want a royal makeover at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique? Is there a restaurant you love that you want to return to, or a ride that you’ve got to go on? Then friend, go ahead and decide now what you’d like to do, and make some reservations as soon as you can.
- Decide how much stuff you’re willing to carry around all day in the parks.
- Wear comfy shoes and quick-dry clothing. You’ll be outside and walking in the heat, so make life easy on yourself. This is not the time to look cute for the ‘gram. This is the time to be comfy and enjoy yourself.
Number 6: Money Tips
- Add a “travel” line item to your monthly budget.
- Credit card rewards are a game changer (caveat: only if you pay your cards in full every month!).
- Do you want to save on airfare? Then you need to get a credit card that allows you to rack up the airline miles.
- Or, maybe you don’t fly so much, but you do stay in hotels. If you want to earn hotel status and get some free nights and upgrades, then maybe you need a Hilton, World of Hyatt, or Marriott credit card.
- Oh, and PS: for all you Walmart Plus subscribers out there, if you’re road tripping this summer, be sure to fill up at Exxon/Mobil stations for an extra ten cents off per gallon! That’s a sweet deal.
A Blessing for Your Week
Wherever you go this summer, I hope your adventures make your spirit soar.
I hope you rest and play and have so much fun with your people.
And more than anything, I hope you make memories that fill your heart with joy for years to come.
Simplicity Tip of the Week
If you need to simplify some logistics as you travel, I have an idea for you: try to make dinner the same time every night. That way, when you know that dinner is at seven every night, you can plan your whole day around that time. You can make reservations for that time slot, and you won’t forget what time you made them for. Same goes for lunch and breakfast too, if that’s easy for you.
Oh and PS: if you’re at a hotel with a free breakfast, I cannot emphasize this enough: take advantage of the free breakfast!
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