Pre-kids, I thought going to the beach was the ultimate way to relax. I loved listening to the sound of the waves gently crashing in the background while I enjoyed the feeling of the sun on my face and the sand beneath my toes. Before kids, my biggest problem at the beach was forgetting to apply sunscreen.
Going to the beach with 3 kids ages 4 and under is a sharp contrast to those days. We live only a few miles away from the beach, so we go there quite often for free entertainment. No matter how prepared we are, though, it still feels like it takes hours to even get out the door with all the gear we need, and I consider hiring a sherpa to carry everything.
Travel with toddlers is not for the faint of heart. Gone are the days of spontaneous trips with just a carry on. Travel now requires careful planning and packing. There’s all kinds of extra gear like diapers, wipes, car seats, strollers, and baby carriers.
Ah, the open road. There's nothing quite like it. Upbeat music blasting on the radio, bare feet on the dashboard, car snacks on point...and, of course, that feeling of freedom that comes with jumping in the car and road tripping.
Thinking of taking a family spring break in Florida in 2019? This article will share the best spring break beaches for families, and some safe spring break destinations for families to avoid the crowds of college kids.There are also a few toddler friendly spring break Florida ideas to help you figure out where to go with little kids for a relaxing Florida vacation.
So you're planning a visit to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, but you don't know where to start. Friend, I've been there. I'm a Harry Potter fanatic, and I couldn't wait to immerse myself in all things magic with my sister, a fellow HP geek. I discovered that as I began to plan our trip, though, a lot of questions came up.
Everything about fall with kids seems idyllic: the apple cider and hot chocolate, the brightly colored leaves, the apple picking and pumpkin patches, and the time spent together exploring nature will make some of the best memories for years to come.
I hope these tips help you plan the perfect fall road trip to enjoy with your kids!
If you’re preparing to take a family road trip you know there are a lot of logistics to figure out. One of the biggest concerns parents of young kids may have is how to keep their little ones entertained on the long drive. I want to share what we’ve learned along the way about road tripping with kindergarteners and early elementary-aged kids so that I can make your family vacation just a little easier and more enjoyable.
Planning an itinerary for your family vacation can be incredibly fun and exciting, but it can also be frustrating and tricky. Here are the top resources and tips I use to get the most out of my research while planning for a trip to make it more exciting and less frustrating.
How to make a Disney Trip with toddlers magical: Magic Kingdom is the best Disney park for toddlers. Here are the best rides and attractions at Magic Kingdom for toddlers, and insider tips for surviving Magic Kingdom with little kids from an experienced mom.
When you’re traveling with kids, simplicity, ease, and any tricks that can save time are everything. If you’re planning a family trip, you might be looking for some travel hacks to make the packing process, the flight or road trip, and the hotel stay less stressful. I surveyed some seriously experienced parents who travel with kids often, and asked them for their best travel hacks for families with young children.
Our family has been doing a lot of travel with our three kids, and there’s not teacher like experience. Each trip we get a little more efficient, and the kids do better and better on the road or in the air. However, sometimes it helps to turn to parents who have been there, done that to help shorten the learning curve and make your life a little easier as you plan your next vacation.
Tips for doing Disney World with a baby. Whether you’re bringing a 1 year old or a 3 month old to Disney World (or anything in between), there are some tried and true tips you can try to make your vacation more enjoyable. We’ll go through what to bring, what baby gear to pack, where to stay, and how to map out your days. Bringing a baby to Disney can be downright fun!
Travel is full of adventure and the unexpected. It's pushing outside your comfort zone and learning how to problem solve in creative ways. It's eye-opening and mind-opening. It can be stressful. It can be exhausting. It can also be unforgettable.
Traveling is not for the faint-of-heart.
Traveling with a one-year-old is definitely not for the faint of heart.
I used to pride myself in how light I could travel. I traveled to Russia for 2.5 weeks with simply a carry-on bag, and Mexico for a week with just a cross-body bag (I rewore the same clothes a LOT on that trip). It was nice to move through the world unencumbered by too much stuff.
Then we had kids, and packing light was a skill I had to relearn. There is so much gear to contend with, especially in the baby and toddler stages. Minimalist packing with babies and toddlers is really tough. You have to worry about a bed for them, whether to bring a stroller or baby carrier or both, and what to do about car seats.
The more you travel, the easier it is to figure out your own system. However, sometimes you hear a tip that completely changes the game for you, and makes packing for travel with kids so much simpler. It is with that hope that I’m sharing everything I’ve learned about staying organized when packing for travel with kids.
Ah road trips. There’s something so nostalgic about them. Family bonding time, Mom and Dad sharing stories from their youth, and rocking out to upbeat playlists.
But gone are the days of worn atlases and mixtapes in the tape deck. We are in the golden age of technology, and we have everything we need for a successful road trip right in a tiny rectangle-shaped computer in our pockets. Apps can do everything from helping you pack to planning your route to navigating your way through bad weather and traffic.
We try not to stop for fast food if at all possible since it can really add up and it also makes everyone feel sluggish and maybe a little greasy. Our strategy has always been to pack healthy snacks that travel well, meals we can eat on-the-go, and, of course, a few treats. Because what is a road trip without a little bit of sugar?
After staying in multiple hotel rooms, Airbnbs, and friends’ and family’s houses with our three kids ages 1, 3, and 5 this year, we’ve got some great strategies that have worked for getting our kids to sleep away from home. Maybe they’ll help you out, too!
I think if we’re not going to let toddlers stop us from doing things, we might as well at least be prepared and learn from each other. The following list are all mistakes I’ve made and learned from when traveling with toddlers. Maybe you can take something away from this list and make your next trip with toddlers a bit more enjoyable.
Are you nervous to fly with your baby, toddler, or small children? I don’t blame you.
Being trapped in a metal tube hurtling through the air with a kid who just wants to move and explore is a challenge, to put it kindly. Then there’s the enjoyable process of navigating airport security with a baby on your hip and a bored TSA agent hustling you along without even making eye contact. No matter how prepared you are, there is bound to be some stress involved in air travel with kids.
Are you thinking about traveling to Brazil? Many people dream of visiting the largest country in South America, but never follow through because it seems overwhelming. Visas, vaccinations, and the inability to speak or understand Portuguese can stop even adventurous travelers from hitting “buy” on those plane tickets.
So why do people do it? Why do we keep subjecting ourselves to the trials and tribulations of air travel and long road trips with our tiny dictators who leave destruction and lots of crumbs in their wake? Why do we open ourselves up to disrupting routines and sleep schedules?
It's because the reward is so great. The return on our investment is huge. Yes, travel with kids is tough, but the growth you will see in your children and in yourself makes every sleepless night and transportation nightmare totally worth it.
This summer my side of the family decided to rent an Airbnb in the mountains of North Georgia for a week-long getaway. It honestly was the perfect destination to relax, hike, swim, eat s'mores, stay up late playing games, and just spend some quality time with one another.
If your family is looking for a mountain getaway, and Georgia is within driving distance, I would encourage you to check out the community of Big Canoe. It's very secluded and situated in the most beautiful natural setting.
I think almost anyone you talk to these days would say they want to travel more. With social media, it's easier than ever to see what our friends, acquaintances, and random bloggers we follow are up to, and it seems many of them are constantly on an exotic vacation. If you're like most normal people, you want to jet set to that overwater bungalow or 7-country Europe tour, too!
It would have been easy to feel very overwhelmed and let my kids watch unlimited TV and eat every snack they begged for while I regained my sanity. However, I knew that putting these 10 tips into action would make the transition much smoother in the end.
Re-entry into your everyday atmosphere doesn't have to be miserable. If you remember to implement a few key strategies, you'll be back in the groove in no time.
Some of the biggest obstacles to traveling with kids are time, money, and exhaustion. Travel can get pretty expensive, and I know it's tough to justify spending money on a trip when your kids might not even remember it. Many families don't get much vacation time, and when they do, they want to spend it with their extended family, catching up around the house, or relaxing.
The first time I took a really long road trip with a toddler I was 9 months pregnant with my second and moving across the country. I basically let her watch as many movies as she wanted because I didn't have the mental space to think of other activities nor the physical agility to turn and help her out in the back seat.
Now that I'm a mom of three, and I have taken countless road trips ranging from 1 hour to 20 hours with my little ones, I am determined not to get out of the car ready to pull my hair out or have my kids be movie zombies.
The prospect of entertaining toddlers and preschoolers on a long road trip is enough to deter even the bravest parent from traveling. Kids can go stir crazy, whine incessantly, drop things a million times, and refuse to nap.
If you're traveling with a 2 year old by car, you'll need activities to keep them entertained. In my experience, a cross country road trip with a 2 year old isn't so bad if you're prepared. The best road trip activities for little kids are simple, mess-free, and something they can do without supervision. Here are the best road trip activities for 2 year olds, 3 year olds, and preschoolers that I've come up with!Schedule