January 24, 2018 @Kinga

Travelling Corner: How to have fun when travelling with kids

Many parents ask me how we organise our travels, so that we all have fun and enjoy them. Well, to be honest with you, I think it’s easier than it sounds and here are some steps we follow:

  1. Prepare! Yes, if you plan your own travels, it’s important to get organised beforehand. If you travel by car, prepare some fun music you can listen to and sing along or games you can play, e.g. word games or curiosity games (e.g. have you seen…?). If you travel by plane, have some books, colouring books, puzzles, hand puppets, so that you and your children can play with them. I have a special basket with travel activities and our daughter doesn’t play with them on a daily basis, but only when we travel. This makes her super interested and engaged. It’s also important to know what your travel destination has in offer, e.g. if there are beaches, walking paths, waterfalls, forests, museums, etc. Having all those details handy, you can decide on a daily basis how you and your family want to spend your time.
  2. Fun for everybody! Yes, we usually plan our travels so that everybody can have fun. For example, if our daughter wants to play in a playground, we try to find one and let her play there for an hour or two. My husband wants to go to the bigger fruit & veg market which is in next town, so we plan a little visit there, too. And I want to find a wild beach I’ve read about in my travel guide, so we start looking for it, too (this one with varying outcomes! ;). Another example: we want to go hiking, so we put our daughter into a sling and then we do some walking. Once we’re back, we go to the beach where our daughter runs and plays with our walking sticks.
  3. Slow pace! Yes, it’s important not to overschedule your days, when you travel with kids. Take it easy and follow your desires. Don’t rush everywhere (unless you want to catch that one train that goes every two hours, then that’s a reasonable excuse for rushing!). Have some agenda you want to follow, but if it doesn’t go according to plan, forget it, play with your children, go for a long swim or get to know your neighbours on the beach or campsite. It doesn’t matter what you should be doing, enjoy your time away the way you and your family want to!
  4. Connect with your loved ones! Yes, travelling is a perfect time to re-connect with your loved ones. I love this time when we spend 24 hours a day together and we learn so much about each other. Enjoy every precious minute of being together!
  5. Enjoy, it’s your travel time!

What are your tips for having fun when travelling with kids? Please let me know in the comments below.

Written by Kinga Macalla

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