It is March and we are getting ready to kick off Spring Break season! When my husband and I were stationed in Florida, Spring Break meant a lot of college students swarming the beach and ridiculous posts on Facebook by the local police about the silly things that happen during the week. Spring Break looks a little bit different for us these days. We now have three (almost four!) children and we have discovered a love for seeing everything our country has to offer. In the last six years we have come up with some tips, through much trial and error, for traveling with little ones, to make the trip much more enjoyable for everyone.
Keep It Short-ish
The first thing we do when we move to a new location is draw a 6 hour radius from our new home. Generally, we do not drive more than six hours a day. Can we do it if we need to? Sure, but we know going into it that the kids will be tired and cranky, and we will be sick of hearing Moana for the millionth time. When we are planning a longer road trip, we make sure that no single day of driving is more than six hours.
Stop and Stretch
The next important trip planning detail is to find well-rated playgrounds along our route. Our children are 6, 4, and 2 and we have done road trips since our first was born. My husband started planning Chick-Fil-A stops so we could all eat, use the restroom and the kids could play and burn some energy. Once covid hit, that wasn’t an option anymore, so we pivoted to playgrounds. Everyone can get some fresh air, use the restroom, and stretch their legs. Then, we usually eat in the car as we continue to drive. In all honesty, some of my favorite vacation photos are of my kids having a blast along the way, not just desperate for the destination.
Organization Baskets For the Win
The final step is an ever-evolving process for us, but the basic idea is to have a functionally organized kid space. Right now, with little ones, that looks like having a basket for each child that holds a water bottle, a few snacks, shoes and socks, a blanket, and some games. This basket sits under their feet in front of their car seat. Since my kids are little, they can’t reach the baskets while in motion, but the passenger in the front can help, or we just make sure everyone is holding what they need each time we stop. Having the baskets can cut down on trash all over the car, lost shoes and blowing through all the toys before we even get out of town. When we stop for gas or the restroom, they can switch toys around and it keeps them happy for a while. As our kids get older, I’m sure the contents of the baskets will change, but the organizational strategy will remain.
My husband and I often talk about having the travel bug, but we don’t mean grand international trips alone, we LOVE traveling with our kids! It doesn’t have to be stressful or complicated. If you limit your expectations, know your own limits as well as your kids’, family road trips can be such a great bonding experience. Let Spring Break inspire you to plan a trip of your own!
