Travel hacks – Kids’ edition

After a few weeks off from the blog due to the BEST World Cup (Mundial) EVER and some holiday inpatient service time, I am back with some recommendations as we are once again getting ready to travel during a busy holiday season. We have been fortunate to be able to travel with the kids since they were small babies (although we have not been brave for very long flights yet…) and I wanted to share some tips that have made the trips just a little bit easier than expected.

Without further ado, here is my top ten hacks when traveling with kids.

1. Packing list. Yes! The hacks start even before you hit the airport. I actually do this for all my trips, not just the one with kids. I have several different packing lists for trips that we do frequently, for example, beach weekend, ski trip, Miami for the holidays, work trips. I just check the list the day before I am ready to pack and adjust as needed based on weather, current food preferences, etc.
2. Download Netflix ahead of time. Another thing to do before you hit the airport (or frantically while waiting to board). I am not above letting my kids use screen time the whole trip, although that usually doesn’t work. Different airlines have variable options for Internet. Many have free shows and movies or even access to YouTube but not all. I like to have a few things downloaded just in case there is no access to Internet or in-flight entertainment available.
3. Snacks. I probably don’t have to say this to most parents but the key here is to pack way more than what you think you need, choose snacks in individual packs, and get creative. I like to throw in snacks they don’t usually get at home, like potato chips, besides all the usual things they like. I also let my children pick one snack at the airport while we are waiting to board, which helps keep them calm during the pre-flight time.
4. Prizes. I call EVERYTHING prices. My children respond well to this. Shopping with kids at the store? Stay in the cart and quiet and you get a prize (peanuts at the checkout)… go to your sports class you don’t want to go to, get a prize (Wawa), do stuff for school you don’t want to do, get a prize (5 extra minutes of YouTube)…you get the idea. My favorite prizes though are the ones I get from the Dollar Store and Michaels. I go a few times per year and stock up on all kinds of random crafts, art supplies, little games, school supplies, and anything else that is under $3. I keep them hidden in the house and when the time comes, offer the kids “prizes”, so they don’t lose their mind. Flying on a plane is one of these times! I highly recommend silly putty. My 4 year old played with this for almost an entire 2.5 hour flight recently!
5. Headphones. This one is not really a hack since you actually need headphones if you want your kids to listen to anything with volume in the plane. Target has very affordable ones but you can also find them anywhere on the Internet.
6. Boosters. If your children are old enough to use boosters, travel with those instead of car seats. They can also get checked for free and are much lighter and easy to move around with.
7. Tablets. This one feels like the obvious one but it has been very nice to have each kid with their own tablet, which we hadn’t done until recently. Before we got one for each, we ended up giving up our phone, which was very annoying. Highly recommend, even if you only use it during travel time.
8. Travel times. We have experimented with different travel times over the years and found that trying to match any nap time or even fly late so they would arrive and sleep didn’t work. You will have to try what works best for your family. For us, mid-morning to early afternoon has been the best time to travel now that we have no naps.
9. Check-in ahead of time. Another obvious one but many people forget to do this until it is too late. I put an alarm for the time I want to check in. It is also worth looking at whether you want to buy luggage, seats, early seating, etc. even before the check in time.
10. TSA pre-check, lounges, etc. If you haven’t done TSA pre-check, it is a wonderful, easy way to have shorter lines, not have to take shoes off and other things from your bags, and your kids get it automatically if you have it. Having a credit card that gives you access to lounges is great. Most credit cards affiliated with an airline will also give you priority boarding, seats, and luggage at no extra costs.

These tips work best from toddlers to early elementary school. I hope they are useful! Hit me up with your own travel hacks! I may re-visit this topic after we fly to Argentina for Spring Break, which will be our longest flight yet. Happy Holidays!