A Parents' Guide to Holiday Travel
It’s that time of year again—the time of year parents and kids never forget. Over the next two months millions of families all over the country will pack up and head to their relatives’ for the holidays. They’ll travel by car and by plane, wrestle boredom and hunger, become experts in crowd control, and accept the fact that they’re never going to find that Hawaii license plate.
Before you step out onto the field (or start packing your suitcases) you need to decide whether you’re going to run a man-to-man or zone defense. This is the ultimate showdown of Parents v. Kids and you’re going to need a solid game plan to come out victorious in the end.
Sports analogies aside, the essential point is to make a conscious decision about who is going to be responsible for entertaining which kid(s) and when. No strategy is better than the other, but your decision will be based on your mode of travel and the number of kids versus adults on the trip. Below are some tips about family travel and what to do when you arrive as well.
By Car
Take into consideration the fact that one adult will be occupied with driving the vehicle. The driver can play the license plate game or participate in family sing-alongs, but shouldn’t be involved in anything too distracting. Listening to audiobooks is another great activity that can occupy everyone. Tapes and CDs are available at your local public library, and iTunes has a wide variety available to download. I particularly recommend the Harry Potter series. Jim Dale, the narrator, was nominated for a Grammy for his performance. Here are some great educational toys for the road:
100 Things to Do on a Trip
Pack of cards includes puzzles to solve, pictures to draw, and things to spot. Cards are wipe-clean so they can be used again and again.
Gentle Giraffe on the Go
Entertain your toddler with a cuddly friend that comes with soothing white noise soundtracks.
Wikki Stix Activity Set
Desk to Go
Great for packing craft supplies for a Travel Journal project.
Games
Travel Blokus
Rush Hour / Rush Hour Jr.
Travel Hangman
Shop Online for more ideas. Be sure to check out our assortments of Sticky Mosaics (craft activity for kids 6+) and Brain Quest cards.
Worried you’ll forget something? Check out the Car Trip Essentials Checklist from Disney’s Family Fun website.
By Plane
Flyingwithkids.com is a great resource for families who plan to travel by plane this holiday season. Check out the recommendations about entertainment, snacks, and safety. Remember to take out one educational toy at a time. Kids will get bored if they’re presented with too many options. Remember to save some things for the trip back as well.
For families with toddlers Flying with Kids suggests bringing along a little photo album with pictures of the relatives you’re going to visit. The idea is to familiarize the child with the faces and names before you arrive. Great tip!
Transitioning
There is usually a lot of chaos when families reunite—the door opens and for the next hour it’s non-stop activity. Kids tolerate the obligatory hug and then run amuck as parents sidle through the door balancing piles of presents. It’s all part of the experience, but it’s also a recipe for disaster.
With young kids in particular it’s incredibly important to establish boundaries as soon as you get through the door. Leave the presents and bags in the car when you arrive. Even if you’ve flown in and someone has picked you up at the airport, have everyone enter the house together. This will help that potentially tricky transition.
After you’ve greeted everyone, but before the kids go running off to play, decide together where the time-out chair is going to be. When a daily routine is interrupted by something like a change in location, taking this step will establish the fact that the same rules apply here as at home. Enforcing good behavior will always be a challenge when you’re dealing with multiple families who all will have different rules and expectations, but this step may help. Being proactive is key. Make sure your message is clear and consistent throughout the entire visit, regardless of what the other parents are doing.
“Dad, I’m hungry.”
A potential point of conflict during the holidays is food. Food is a crucial part of the daily routine for both you and your kids at home, and the schedule will definitely get off track during a holiday visit. Kids (and adults!) who are hungry tend to be irritable, which isn’t fun for anyone and can spoil the holiday spirit. Make sure that you’re stocked up on snacks in case meal preparation is running late. (It will.)
“Mom, I’m bored.”
At some point you’ll hear this. Kids will eventually wind down and run out of things to do with their siblings and cousins. Even snow gets old at some point. Beyond the classic, “Nice to meet you, Bored. I’m Carol,” response, be prepared! Make sure you’re stocked up on books, games, puzzles, crafts, or other educational toys. Activities that can be shared are a great idea. If it’s something that can include adults, all the better. Turn your kids’ boredom into family time.
Check out these ideas:
Bananagrams
A fast-paced word game. Bananagrams’ simple, simultaneous play lets each member of the family play at their own level, using their tiles to form individual crosswords. The resulting race to grab more tiles and rearrange already-laid letters into new words is fun and addictive. 2 to 8 players. Ages 7 to Adult
Dinner Games & Activities
Easy and quick to play. Each game takes just 1-3 minutes. Fun for parents and kids ages 3+. Designed to be played at the kitchen table while you eat your meal. Most games don’t require any materials that aren’t already on the dinner table. Some are thought-provoking conversation starters and others are just fun.
A Family Adventure
The holidays are about bringing family closer together, and traveling is all part of the experience. Don’t forget to have FUN together and enjoy yourselves. Best wishes for a safe journey!
-Toy Talker
