I am so excited that summer is finally upon us and with the summer months ahead, family vacations are on the horizon. In honor of this season of travel, I wanted to share some fun tips for traveling with kids to help prepare you for this fun time. Those hours to and from your destinations don’t need to be painful ones though thanks to these great ideas we have gathered up for you for your next trip!
BINGO, anyone?
If there is one thing our family loves, it is BINGO and making a fun game set couldn’t be easier thanks to these beautiful watercolor Travel Bingo cards you can print out from say yes. Simply spray paint some wooden pieces and gather them in a small bag for a great game to take on the go. The best part about these cards is that they are not only gorgeous, but they also are a FREE printable. Yay!
Why Have One Activity When You Can Have Many?
Little hands need to keep busy especially on long flights so head to Goodwill to pick up a simple binder that you can fill with a variety of activities for your kids from shape matching games to craft stick building to creating rainbows from pom poms and snakes from buttons. This activities booklet from Mama Papa Bubba offers a great gathering of activities to keep your little ones busy your entire trip!
How About I Spy?
One of my favorite games to play growing up was I Spy! The best part about it for parents is that this is a fun and affordable game that your kids can help you create. Have your child gather small objects from Goodwill and at home and fill a plastic container with these small trinkets and rice to cover them. Print out a small picture of all of the goodies they can find and hand it to your kids in the backseat to see how many objects they can find. To get the full instructions on this easy (and affordable) travel activity check out say yes!
Eating is Entertaining, Right?
Raise your hand if you count eating as entertainment in the car? Of course it is! The balancing act of activities and food can be a tricky one though, especially in the backseat of your car. Take a tip from Lookie What I Did and utilize a basket with holders to create the perfect spot for holding all of your road trip food and to cut down on messes and spills created from the balancing act of trying to balance food in your lap. This would even be quite handy for the messy adults in the front seat, wouldn't it?
What's More Entertaining Than Magnets & Chalk?
In case you didn't know, I am obsessed with chalkboard paint and one of our activities for my kids is still our outdoor chalkboard door that keeps my kids entertained for hours outside. To keep kids entertained on the go, a simple cookie sheet from the housewares section of Goodwill makes the perfect base to a travel chalk and magnet board for the kids. Check out this simple craft tutorial from Sunny With a Chance of Sprinkles for keeping your kids busy for hours with this adorable activity tray!
Have a Builder on Your Hands?
LEGO blocks will always be a family favorite activity for the kids and adults in our house. Of course, transporting LEGO blocks can be a bit complicated especially when looking for somewhere to build with them. Consider creating a travel kit of LEGO blocks out of a donated tin lunchbox from Goodwill. This portable LEGO kit from Mama Papa Bubba is a great way to get your kids building on their road trip and even has a place where you can build right in the box.
My kids love LEGO Quest for inspiring their builds and this would be a fun one to take ideas from for a future road trip together!