FAMILY
10 tips for travelling with children
By Krista Lii
Before the pandemic started, our family had travelled to the Greek islands (our last big trip). We absolutely love exploring new places together! There is nothing that fills our cup quite like it. And yet, we are often met with surprise when people find out we enjoy travelling frequently with our kids. I recently heard another tourist whisper a little louder than they needed to; “Oh, I could never bring kids here…” But I beg to differ! Travelling with children can be SO rewarding if done right! Although it has its challenges; with the right strategies in place, the whole family can have a wonderful time! Over the years we’ve learned a thing or two about travelling with children, and we’ve partnered with Hatley to share those helpful tips below!
10 tips for travelling with children
1. Dress them as comfortably as possible for the plane (or train, or car…) We dress our kids in their pajamas to travel all the time! Haha! For one it’s super cute, and it also happens to be the most comfortable travel wear! Our kids are instantly in a relaxed mindset when they get into a plane wearing their pjs. Comfy kids are happy kids!
2. Find the closest playgrounds right away. Locating the playground, beach, splash pad, etc. should be a high priority. It means that kids have a space to unload. And it means parents can get a chance to breathe! Remember, our kids are just as exhausted as we are. My children have made so many fast friends abroad, all because we spent some time at the playground. Play is a universal language that has no barriers.
3. Be flexible. Because you just never know what’s going to happen! During our travels to the Greek islands, my son fell ill, which can be a scary experience while travelling away from the comforts of home. He was suddenly not himself at all so we took him to the island hospital to see the pediatrician, and the diagnosis was mononucleosis, for which the only treatment is rest and fluids. So needless to say, our travel plans had to change a bit. We spent the next couple days at the beach so he could lie down in the shade whenever needed while his siblings continued playing in the sand and sea. Sometimes things happen and it’s best to just go with the flow (and be equally OK with that).
4. Find your rhythm. From our family travels, I’ve found it to work best when we have moments to breathe in, and times to breathe out. Sometimes it’s a little bit of exploring, followed by a sit-down dinner. It’s swimming in the pool, and then wandering the maze-like streets of an old town. Make sleep and food a priority over anything else. And whenever possible, try to keep some home routines in place. For some families that might mean a bath before bed. Or cuddles in bed first thing in the morning! Whatever it is, find what routines make sense to keep in place wherever you are travelling.
5. Don’t overfill your schedule. Take it SLOW and leave plenty of time to explore the place you’re in! You and your kids will get so much more out of it, and experience the place you’re in more thoroughly. I never want it to feel like we are jumping from place to place too much. The act of travelling in itself in pretty tiring (and sometimes, quite boring for kids). Sticking to only the most important places is a great way of getting the most out of your travels.
6. Remember to enjoy the small things. Because the seemingly small things are often the big things to children! When we are at home in Canada, we regularly do nature walks together, so when we travelled to Greece, we continued the nature walks there! My kids loved seeing the different types of nature on our trip. We spotted lizards, eucalyptus trees, cacti, palm trees, countless clusters of snails, bougainvillea flowers, growing grapes, fig trees too, and so many other things I don’t even know the names of. And another thing we loved doing; listening to the sounds around us! Most people rode scooters/motorcycles in the islands and so it sounded distinctly different from home.
7. Bring it down to their level. Simply put; Make what you’re doing interesting for the kids. I hope this one goes without saying! I’m sure nobody would love being dragged from place to place without any understanding or appreciation of what they are seeing. We recently had the opportunity to visit the Colosseum in Rome, and the Acropolis in Athens. It was amazing to witness first-hand the places we had already been reading about in preparation for this trip! My kids LOVED seeing the places they learned about, and envisioning how things may have looked differently two thousand years ago!
8. Don’t forget the essentials. Specifically, don’t forget the water bottle and snacks! Snacks are fuel. Water is life! Always, always be prepared with easy snacks and a bottle of water. You don’t want to be stuck in a situation where your child is thirsty/hungry, and you’ve JUST arrived at the archaeological ruins you’ve been wanting to visit for years. 😅 If you have picky eaters, it’s a good idea to pack some dry snacks along from home too.
9. Learn the language. Before you go, teach them some basic phrases in the local language (“hello”, “goodbye”, and “thank you” are a great start). There will undoubtedly be plenty of opportunities for your kids to practise the phrases they know, and I bet they will be thrilled doing so! The locals will appreciate it as well.
10. And finally… Feed them gelato every day. OK, I kid, I kid! I’ve learned the hard way that this can be a bad habit to fall into, and a tough one to break! But jokes aside, while you’re filling up your cup, make sure your kids are getting their cups filled too. What kinds of things do they enjoy? How can this travel experience fill up THEIR cup? What’s special for them? Give them a say! After all, it’s a family vacation, and they are members of the family. If your kids are happy, you will undoubtedly enjoy your trip more as well.
Over the years, these have become some of our tried-and-true methods to ensure that our travels with our kids go as smoothly as possible. ☺️ Travelling with children may sound daunting if you’ve never done it before, but I promise you that it’s worth it! I hope these tips come in handy when you’re planning your next family trip!