With spring break officially over, it is time to head back to reality! But let’s be honest, without reality, those times away would not be appreciated nearly as much! We recently enjoyed a wonderful trip to Florida with my family! It is always so nice to get away! Brit and I have this joke that while the times away with the kids are fun, we like to call them a “trip” rather than a “vacation”! While traveling with kids may not be quite as relaxing as traveling without them, here are a few tips for your next trip with kids to help things run a little smoother!

1. Pack a Little Surprise

Every year before we leave, I pick up a little surprise for each of the kids to open when we board the plan! This year, Lucy is obsessed with Hatchimals! She literally played with these the entire plane ride!! Henry is super into Legos, right now. Those have parts that are a little too small for a plane! I can only imagine Henry trying to open that plastic bag and Lego parts flying EVERYWHERE!! So instead of Legos, I picked up Uno for he and Brit to play on the plane ride!

2. Have an Activity to Keep Them Entertained

Along with a little surprise, I always pack books and coloring books! (Must be the teacher in me!) Henry absolutely loves the Hidden Picture Books. Lucy is content with a coloring book and a pack of crayons! Bonus tip –  pack the crayons in a Ziploc bag so if the crayon box breaks, you have something to keep the crayons in! If you have small children, buy some window clings for them to use on the plane window! This was a huge hit for my kids when they were under two!

3. Invest in a Quality Backpack

The kids have had these backpacks from Pottery Barn Kids since they were born! They are the perfect size for traveling and can hold just the right amount of stuff for the kids! My kids each have the small size for traveling and the large size for school!

4. Bring a Drink Thermos

Even though you can’t take water through security, I always take an empty thermos for each of the kids. Once we pass through security, we buy a big bottle of water and put a little bit in each of the kids’ thermoses! Word of warning, open carefully on the plane! When Henry and Lucy each opened their thermos, it totally exploded some water out!! That pressure in the plane made Henry laugh and Lucy cry after being sprayed with water!

5. Download a Couple Videos

Did you know that you can download self movies from Netflix onto your iPad?? Netflix just started this about a year ago. This is awesome for the plane because then you don’t have to use Wifi! You can also do this with the videos you own on Amazon Prime!

6. Snacks, Snacks, and More Snacks

This is a no-brainer right?! I pack two lunch bags full of snacks! Somehow, my kids can survive the entire school day without eating snacks every ten minutes, but, oh my goodness, when they are home full time or when we are traveling, I swear, every ten minutes they are telling me they are hungry!

7. Pack Headphones

While I am glad that kids enjoy watching different movies on their devices, I don’t want to hear it! I always pack a pair of headphones for each of the kids. If you just have one device for your kids to share, you may want to consider purchasing a splitter! The splitter allows more than one set of headphones to be used with one device!

8. Pack Clothes in Ziploc Bags

Right now, my kids are young enough that we can fit their clothes in our suitcases so we don’t have too many bags to lug around! Because, dear goodness, we have so many things to carry already with carseats and luggage! I pack the kids clothes in Ziploc bags. Each kid has one bag per day. In that bag, I put EVERYTHING they need for that outfit – including underwear and bows! Then I zip it most of the way and push out all the air! This is such a space saver! And since I am a crazy organized person, I also label each bag for the days of the week!

I hope this makes your traveling with kids a little bit easier!!!!

Candace