Every parent knows how important it is to pack your patience and sense of humor when traveling with children—but sometimes, that’s not enough. On your next trip, make room in your bags and on your itineraries for diversions that will keep the kids entertained—and Mom and Dad sane.
1. Pack surprise gifts
Young children with short attention spans are more likely to develop a case of “Are we there yet?”-itis. To keep them occupied and distract them from the clock, pick up several inexpensive items at the dollar store—such as coloring books and card games—to dole out as surprise gifts at intervals along the route. If traveling by car, you can gift wrap them to add to the excitement. You can also grab some “blind bags” that are prepackaged surprise gifts. These bags, which you can buy at places like Walmart, Target and Amazon, usually contain small toys your kids can collect and play with.
2. Minimize the mess with self-contained games
Space is at a premium, especially when traveling by air. Self-contained games that don’t rely on scads of small pieces can help contain the mess. For younger travelers, think Etch-a-Sketch, mini Magnatiles and Melissa & Doug’s Memory and Hangman. For older kids, opt for trivia games, such as the Brain Quest series, Mad Libs or National Geographic’s Quiz Whiz books. Don’t forget classic travel games, too, such as Travel Bingo, I Spy and Twenty Questions.
3. Choose destination-focused books
Generate excitement for your journey by bringing along books—paper or digital—about your destination. Yes, guidebooks are great resources for the facts, but remember fun fiction titles, too. Ask your local librarian for suggestions or search Barnes & Noble.
Remember audiobooks, too. In addition to your library’s titles, Epic has more than 40,000 kids’ titles for reading or listening to. For example, if you’re heading to Florida with middle schoolers in tow, the whole car might enjoy listening together to the Kingdom Keepers series set at Disney World.
4. Up your app game
For many families, electronic devices rank as high on the packing list as toothbrushes. In addition to your children’s usual favorite apps, download engaging travel apps onto your devices.
Stack the States and Stack the Countries (both available on iOS and Android) combine trivia questions with a Tetris-like challenge. An alternative is Geography Drive USA, which is an engaging trivia game. Roadside America points out strange museums, quirky statues and other unusual or odd places to visit along your journey. And don’t underestimate the power of Google Maps to answer the evergreen travel questions: “Where are we?” and “When will we get there?”
There are also plenty of educational games to keep young children entertained while learning something new during your trip. PBS Kids Games (free) covers subjects such as math and reading. Another good option is the ABCmouse.com app that outlines a learning path consisting of videos, activities and quizzes; it’s free for the first 30 days and then $14.99 per month after that. Khan Academy Kids (free) provides children with simple exercises, learning videos and digital books that develop their math, reading, and social and emotional skills.
5. Maximize your meal stops
While fast-food outlets along the highway can be convenient on a road trip, you can turn a meal stop into a cultural lesson for your kids and a favorite trip memory by seeking out stand-out local spots along your route. Try the website and app TV Food Maps, which lists 5,000 restaurants that have been featured on more than 40 television shows, or seek out historic restaurants, like the James Beard Foundation’s America’s Classics winners.
6. Let your kids help plan
While of course you can’t let your kids plan an entire vacation, letting them be involved in some choices goes a long way to getting them excited for the trip and each day. Even giving them a few options to choose from will give them an important stake in the vacation. For example, if you’re traveling to the Grand Canyon, let them decide whether you’re going to bike or hike that day. Or if you’re in a city like Chicago or Boston, let them choose between three museums or parks one day. It gives them agency and allows you to be assured they will enjoy the day’s activities.
7. End the day with some physical activity
When asked about their favorite part of a vacation, young children are just as likely to say “swimming in the hotel pool” as any other activity. Many campgrounds and hotels at a range of price points offer pools as an amenity. On NEA Travel: Hotels, you can filter your hotel search so the results include only properties with pools. Outdoor pools may be refreshing in warm weather but if you're headed to a chilly destination in the fall or winter, you'll need to book a hotel with a heated indoor pool.
Depending on when and where you're traveling, you can enjoy other outdoor activities, such as hiking and biking. There are plenty of hiking trail apps you can use as a guide, such as AllTrails, or ask for directions or trail maps at your hotel.
Biking with kids helps encourage them to establish healthy exercise habits. And, with numerous bike rental companies around, a gentle nudge may be all it takes toward some outdoor family bonding before you hit the sheets.
