Traveling With Kids

Hello Friends, and welcome to today's post.

If you are planning a summer vacation with kids now that school is out, I've got you covered. I love traveling with kids, and there are ways that you can make this easier for you and your kids and save your sanity as well. Traveling with kids is not hard; you just have to know a few tricks and tips.

Most of these items can be found in my Amazon Storefront (linked below), and you can scroll through my Baby and Children's Essentials List and Traveling Essentials List to read all about them in their descriptions.  You will also be able to read reviews on most of these products to see if they are a match for you. 

I will also be linking videos below from my YouTube channel of how I organized my truck for myself and for kids for travel, and what all I bring or have in my personal vehicle to make things easier for traveling or small road trips. 

Before our children went to public school, we traveled some with dear hubby's job. Our first trip was across country to AZ, then on to CA. It took us 3 traveling days to get there. So I am no stranger to traveling with kids. Our oldest was 5 years old, and our youngest was 7 months old. 

Fast forward to now,  sometimes when I am on a work trip with dear hubby and we are close enough to home, I can make a trip home and grab those grandkids, and bring them to where we are, and it is like a little road trip for them. But if you are planning a vacation and going to be traveling for several hours, here are some ideas to help things go smoother. 

First, you are going to need some items, especially if you are traveling with babies and toddlers. 

While traveling in the vehicle with a baby, they have toys that can hook onto the bar of the carrier that they can easily reach and play with. It is very boring for a baby when they are rear-facing and only looking at the back of a seat for hours. Get creative too and find a way to hook a tablet or smart device to the front of the seat so they can have something to watch as well. Make sure to have bottles ready-made and snacks if they can eat solids as well. Their little bottoms can get sore too, so make frequent stops as well, so you can get them out and let them stretch their backs and legs. You could arrange to leave at night, close to their bedtime, so they can sleep most of the way there. Nighttime traveling is sometimes better due to less traffic. 

I would remember to pack some small toys for entertainment for wherever you're going to be staying. 

This is a great solution to hold a device for babies or children. For babies rear-facing, you can hook it onto the front of the seat under the headrest. For front-facing, you can hook it under the headrest of the back of the seat in front of them. 

I even came up with this brilliant idea as well. I found a way to hook a baby mirror so babies can see themselves, and I could see them as well rear rear-facing. Neat huh? 

Keeping them comfortable is another plus. I use window shades in my truck to help keep the sun off of them and from having trouble seeing out. 

I try to make them comfortable while falling asleep in their car seats as well. There is nothing worse than looking back and seeing their little heads leaning forward or fallen over. Ouch. So I used some of these handy little things when they were little. It hooks around the headrest of the car seat and the front goes on their forehead to hold their head back. 

Or this one,

For older ones, a neck pillow or traveling pillow works wonders 

You can't forget to pack something like this for emergencies either. 

I use this in my own vehicle and it has saved me tremendously with potty training kids that just can't hold it til the next stop and can't go along side the highway because they are girls. It is a blow up potty seat. It can be cleaned out very well with water and wiped clean and sanitized or you can line it with a diaper, pull up, puppy pee pee pad, or a plastic bag. It is easy to store into a diaper bag as well. They can also have privacy in the vehicle as well. 

You can also use this hack as well. 

You can line your child's carseat with a puppy pee pee pad to help protect the seat in case of an accident. 

Not only is it wise to pack an extra set of clothes in a diaper bag for babies, but a set of clothes for toddlers and preschoolers as well, for times such as this. 

Here is a big tip for older kids and us females. Sometimes, desperate situations call for desperate measures, and there may be nowhere to pull over or an exit any time soon. This is called a Female Urinal, and you can research it in my Amazon Store on my Traveling List. I have one for me when traveling with my dear hubby.  I have been in traffic jams, stuck in traffic on the interstate a few times, and honestly felt as though I was about to.....you know......

You also have to think of sleeping arrangements. You want to keep the sleeping arrangements as close to the same routine as you have at home. If you don't co-sleep, you can always bring a pack and play with you. They fold up and pack easily. It will also give you a safe place to put the baby down for napping and playing, so they will not get hurt on anything in the room (hotel rooms are not baby-proofed; it will be up to you to keep them safe). Or at a family member's home that may not have a spare bedroom for children.   

Of course, you know you can't go anywhere without their favorite stuffies (stuffed animals) and blankies (blankets). Anything from home also makes them comfortable because it is something familiar. 😊 

For older kids, you can always get air mattresses and sleeping bags and save money on hotel expenses or staying with family members 

Comfortable car seats make a difference, also. 

I have these, and the money was worth the investment. We bought each grandchild one when they were born, and so far, it has lasted up to 8 years of growth. We have gone through infant, rear facing, front facing, each reclining position, and head rest uprising, to high back booster, to now bottom booster. These are designed to last up to 9 years old. So yes, the investment was worth it. 

I also protected my leather seats from scratches, spills. scratches, etc., with these. 

If you are going somewhere that requires a lot of walking,  you are not going to want to carry them all the time. Here is where my G-Maw Mobile comes in. I love my double stroller. It goes along with my Graco Carrier from birth and snaps right into the top. After they outgrow the carrier, they go in the top seat so they can sit up and see things. The older siblings can sit in the front section. When they outgrow that front section, it has a stand-up or ride-on portion in the back by the handlebars. This stroller goes from infant to about 4 years old. It is another great investment. 

There are also plenty of stroller accessories to create more space. 

On one of our outings, it was an extremely hot day and I took some clip-on fans to help keep the babies cool. We also wet down some bandannas in a water fountain. 

Don't forget that these come in handy too. 

Now let's talk about eating and entertainment while traveling. 

I keep my truck organized and I had a system for when they were younger and as they grew to be able to help themselves.  

I had each child one of these back of the seat organizers. They could reach things as they needed. 

As they grew, I changed things up a bit. I added an organizer bag and put it right between their car seats. They had trays and activity backpacks, which I will cover in a minute. I had Kleenex, wipes, trash bags, etc., in it. 

It's always good to have DVD players in your vehicle with extra dvds and some headphones. Tablets preloaded with games and movies that do not require internet is also helpful. 

I had two types of lap trays for them, but have settled on one now. I had this one,  but it seemed to take up a lot of space. 

So I settled for small food trays that I picked up at Dollar Tree. They are perfect for eating their food and snacks on and for other entertainment. 

Let's talk about the snacks and food, then I will get to the activity backpacks. 

I started out using little art caddies to help put drinks and snacks in while they were younger. You can put anything you want to in them and they want spill or get your carseats messy. You can use different sizes. 

You can also use little organizers like these 

All you have to do is use your imagination. And you can still spread out their food on trays like the pictures above. 

Now for the activity backpacks. I made these personally for my grandchildren.  They are simple Pioneer Woman placemats from Walmart. Later, I sewed on an appliqué patch so they could tell them apart. 

In their backpacks, I packed all the Dollar Tree items. Small coloring books and activity books with crayons and small pencils, note pads, sticker books, small finger toys, fidgets, small puzzles, a small canister of playdough and small cutters, little games, a pair of sunshades, lip gloss, and a mirror, basically small things that pack easily. Also, don't forget a few toys that they can get out to play with once you reach your destination, such as hotels or family homes that might not have toys for children. I had a pencil box with little dolls and doll furniture, and even Legos. 

You can organize these into small tubs with lids or bins and put them under their seats. 

Now, they are older and we switched some things out and have bigger backpacks. I now have a purse hook on the back of the seat's headrest, and they can hang their backpacks on it. 

This is the fun part. I made activity binders for activities, games, and travel bingo. I took an activity book and some printables I printed for free online, and put each page in a sheet protector.  I put those into a binder with a pencil bag of dry-erase markers and an eraser. You can use these pages over and over because they wipe off. Brilliant huh? 

You can use the wipe-off pockets as well. 

Just look how busy, quiet, and comfortable they can be while traveling 

Traveling with kids does not have to be hard, but it does take some thinking and creativity. A lot of these ideas can work for vehicle rides, plane rides, train rides, bus, etc. 

If you are going somewhere and you will be taking a picnic lunch, here are some great ideas for lunch accessories. When I travel with dear hubby on work trips, I will pack mine as well because I always find a park or somewhere I can pack myself a lunch.

Most of these came from your local Walmart. 

 

Here are some cute ideas for Lunchables for kids 

If you like Bentgo, well, I can hook you up there as well. 

They not only have children's lunch boxes, snack containers, bentgo boxes, water bottles, and insulated thermoses, but they have them for grown-ups as well.  You can also personalize them to your liking. This is an added feature that Bentgo offers. The only way to get the extra discounts is to shop through my link. Affiliates are offered extra discounts to be shared with others. So be sure to find the link below. 

Down below are the links to my Amazon Storefront, where you can find most of these items, and they are on two lists. The first is Babies and Children's Essentials List and my Traveling Essentials List. Then you will see my Bentgo Affiliate link as well. Don't forget Amazon Prime Days are July 8th through the 11th, and there are so many great deals. 👍 

Here are video versions of Travleing, Packing Hacks, Car Organization and Stroller Hacks, and Lunch Box Ideas 

 This post contains affiliate links to which 4D Farms LLC. participates and earns a small commission on purchases you make when visiting our links at no extra cost to you. 

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You can visit our store here 

Other affiliate links for your shopping experience:

Dollar Tree:

I love Dollar Tree and in case you didn't know, you can order from their website online. This is a great feature for anyone who might need to order multiple quantities of something. Perfect for Schools, Daycares, Churches, Nursing Homes, etc. You can find all you need in one place and have it delivered right to your door and you can shop in the comforts of your own home. You can get to their website by clicking here

Nutri Mill:

Nutri-Mill: Stand Mixers and Grain Mills: ( use Code: 4DFARMS20 at check out) If you are interested in grinding your own grain into flour to turn into the most nutrient-dense bread ever, then you need a grain mill. I love my Nutri Mill Classic Mill. They also have the best stand mixers. You can also purchase grains from them or you can find some on Amazon too. I have a few companies in my Amazon Storefront , who carry Non-GMO grains. You can order any size pounds you like and have them delivered to your home. Look for them on my Kitchen Essentials List along with all of my bread-making utensils, pans etc., that I personally use in my own kitchen to make delicious bread with. Link to my Amazon Storefront is above. 

Smokers and Grills for the guys:

PIT BOSS Outdoor Smokers and Grills: are the smokers and grills my guy uses to smoke and grill all of our meats. He even has some videos on our YouTube channel of how he smokes and makes a lot of our meats. He has even smoked eggs before. Yes, EGGS. They were so delicious. One of these bad boys is the perfect gift for anyone who loves to grill or smoke meats. Check them out. 

Bentgo:

If you are into lunch-making and meal-prepping for you or your kiddos, you have to check out Bentgo for all your lunch making needs. Lunch boxes, water bottles, backpacks, utensils and other lunch making accessories: They are not just for kids, They have a line of adult items as well and you can have then personalized now. This is awesome. I have a playlist of Lunch Making Videos on our YouTube Channel. Link is above. 

TideWe:

If you are the hunter or huntress in your family, check out TideWe for all your hunting gear for guys and gals: Most of our hunting seasons are in the fall and winter and their line of insulated hunting gear is one of my favorites. We also love their hunting blinds for ultimate concealment. Be sure to visit them. We have a Hunting Playlist on our channel as well. 

Optics Planet, Inc.:

Since we are avid hunters, we rely on ammo, gun parts and scopes to be accurate and on point. You can visit their website here and find all your essentials 

Garden Tower Project:

If you are a gardener and love those flowers, herbs or veggies, but you don't have the garden space, then consider going vertical on your porch or balcony to save space. You can check out Garden Towers here I know you will find something there you like. 

Herb Affair:

If you want to save money on supplements and want to make your own like I do, you can find all you need here at Herb Affair Here, you will find an array of powdered herbs and spices for medicinal use, Capsule It Machine to make your own capsules and an assortment of different size capsules to fill with your herbs. This machine is so easy to use and has clear and easy instructions to follow. 

Have a Blessed Day

Tracy 

Keeper of the Home