Picture this: You’re headed on what is sure to be an amazing, highly anticipated vacation. You’ve been on the road for a few hours and you feel it start to come on – your kids are in the back seat about to have a meltdown. They’re over traveling (even though you’ve got a few hours left). As they begin with a chorus of, “are we there yet?”, you start wondering if it would just be easier to turn the car around.

We know the feeling all too well. It makes your destination seem farther and the drive seem more daunting. Never fear, we’re here with some tips on traveling with kids that will help keep the car moving in the right direction! And while they aren’t guaranteed to stop a tantrum, they can definitely help to ease the traveling blues.

Vacationing with the family should be enjoyable and a platform for memory making. It’s easy to allow the stress that comes with preparing a family for travel to set the mood for the entire trip. At VacationCondos, we want to help! Below are ten tips to make traveling and vacationing with kids a breeze!

1. For kids, it’s all about feeling involved. We suggest including your children in all vacation aspects from the start. If you don’t already have a destination in mind, select a few that you approve of and let the kids choose where they want to go. Already have a spot picked? No worries! Allow the kids to help with the remainder of the planning, like where you’ll stop on the way and what activities you’ll do when you get there. Knowing that everyone gets to participate will leave kids excited about their role and help the trip get off to a great start.
2. Once you have your destination picked, get a map and trace your route. Mark any stops (or layovers) you might be making. This will help the kids to follow along with your journey and add a quick geography lesson!

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   Pack smart – especially if you are going to be on a long drive or flight. There is nothing worse than a cluttered car and a crabby kid! Make lists of the necessities to make sure you don’t forget anything important. Pack suitcases by outfit/day to help eliminate bringing anything unneeded. Keep things like toys and games, headphones, and books all in an easily accessible bag – this will come in handy when the boredom hits and you need to act fast!
4. Take your time! Vacationing is about relaxation and stepping away from the hustle. When you’re mapping out your route identify any places you may want to stop. Visiting another site worth seeing adds a little extra to your trip. If that isn’t an option for you, plan breaks along the way where you can find some parks or green space just off the interstate. We know you want to get there fast, but giving the kids (and yourselves) even just fifteen minutes of outdoor time will make the drive easier on everyone! Flying? Get to the airport a little early to give your kids some time to explore and walk around.
5. Be prepared! The boredom will evidently hit and you want to be ready when it does. Your above-mentioned bag of tricks comes into play here. And if you find that isn’t cutting it, you want to make sure you’ve got back up! Bust out some of your favorite road trip games. The license place game works great for car traveling and the Alphabet game is always a winner on the road or in the air.
6. Bring snacks. It doesn’t matter if you’re flying or driving, snacks are a game changer for kids (and adults)!
7. Once you’ve arrived at your destination, make sure you plan for downtime. With the excitement vacation brings, we often forget just how exhausting it can be. If it’s difficult on adults, just imagine (because you know they’ll never admit to being tired) how it is for kids. Plan an afternoon break back at your accommodations that will allow everyone to refresh before any evening activities.
8. Help your kids to record their own memories. Give your kids a camera (or let them borrow your phone) to use and encourage them to write a travel journal. Taking pictures will allow them to focus on what they find exciting and better observe their surroundings. A journal will help them to capture some of your vacation memories in their own words. It will keep them engaged and create a wonderful keepsake!
9. Bend the rules. Not a lot, but enough for the kids to see just how special your vacation time together is. This could mean being a little more relaxed about bed time routines or allowing a few extra sweets for dessert!
10. Lastly, you’ll want to make sure that your lodging is suitable for the whole family. Hotels tend to get cramped and not give everyone space to spread out. At Coconut Palms, we’ve got a number of accommodations to suit your family’s needs! Here you’ll find spacious accommodations that offer your family amazing amenities and help keep your vacation stress free! Some of our favorites are pictures throughout.

Any traveling can be unpredictable and stress inducing. We hope these tips will help to ease some of the vacation worries. So, pack up your kids with confidence, knowing that your next vacation will be the best one yet! We can’t wait to hear about it!