Travel Tips With Babies, Toddlers And Young Children

Traveling with babies, toddlers, and young children can be overwhelming and exhausting. Just thinking about my upcoming trip with my three kids is stressing me out. I am sure you can relate!

I have talked with other mom friends about their family travel tips and I just knew I needed to write a post about this. With summer around the corner, I know we are all looking for the best travel tips when it comes to traveling with our kids.

I will be flying with my three kids (1, 3 and 5) for the first time as a family of five. I remember how hard it was with one and two kids, but please send help, coffee and booze for this upcoming trip with all three!

Here are my traveling tips for families with babies, toddlers and young children:

1. Dollar Store Toys

This is the most popular tip I hear moms talk about and it is all so true! Take a trip to the dollar store and stock up on dollar toys and prizes, art supplies and coloring books and even snacks.

Kids love discovering something new and if anything gets lost along the way, it was only a dollar, so no need to fret! These toys will also be great to have wherever you may be staying during your trip.

2. Balloons

I came up with this idea recently when we celebrated my daughter’s birthday. Those balloons all over our living room floor kept my three kids entertained for weeks!

I decided that I must buy a bag of balloons from the dollar store that I can blow up at the hotel to keep my kids entertained the entire week without taking up a lot of luggage space or making a huge mess.

3. Tablets

If you aren’t opposed to tablets (especially for older kids), keep them entertained with movies to watch and games to play. I like adding new apps before a trip so that my kids have something new and exciting to play on the plane or on a long car ride.

4. Snacks

Give them all the snacks! Even if you feel like you have packed too many snacks, I assure you that you have not. For some reason, kids seem to get extra hangry when it comes to traveling. I usually pack an entire grocery bag or small backpack full of snacks packed to the brim.

If your baby is still on a liquid diet, always pack extra bottles/formula than they would normally drink or be ready to nurse more often. If they are on baby food, having plenty of baby food pouches comes in handy too.

5. Booze (for the parents and/or other passengers)

If you are a booze drinker, even if only on occasion, this is the occasion to drink. Don’t feel guilty about drinking a little more than usual to get through that flight or those long waits at the airport. 

I have even heard about some parents offering to buy drinks for other passengers so that they will be more relaxed and less likely to complain about their kids. I personally prefer buying myself a drink, but I wouldn’t hesitate to buy one for a neighbor if my kids were totally driving someone nuts.

6. Make your own Thieves spray!

Thieves spray is a lifesaver on any trip or outing! You can spray it on the airplane tray tables and seats, use it to clean hands and wipe down surfaces on the go. That way you don’t need to pack cleaning wipes and hand sanitizer. This DIY Thieves spray replaces both!

What are your tips for traveling with babies, toddlers and young kids? Let me know in the comments below so that we can help one another get prepared for those upcoming travels!