1. Snacks

There is nothing more fun and distracting to a 1 year old than snacks! Bring a variety of snacks, for the wait in the airport and the plane, so you can always have one handy for when the toddler starts to get bored and wiggly.

If you know you’ll be traveling in a few weeks, you can save 1 small snack pack from each type you buy over the next month, so that you have a good variety of options and all the snacks stay interesting and exciting.

2. Favorite Toys

It may seem obvious to bring their favorite toys, but if possible, begin to hide a few favorites 1-2 weeks before the flight. Then, not only will they have their favorite toys, but they will be twice as excited to see them again since they haven’t been played with in a couple weeks.

3. Interactive books

Choose books with texture, flaps and bright colors to keep your little one focused for as long as possible during the flight.

4. Finger Puppets

These are so fun for little ones to play with in their plane seat, they can use them like dolls for creative play, or you can take a turn and make fun stories for them to watch.

5. Stickers

Bring a small notebook and sheets of stickers and let them go wild! Just make sure stickers don’t get left behind on your seats. You can also try a fun sticker book like this pack of 3!

6. Water Coloring

These simple water coloring sets are perfect for planes because it’s a mess-free way to let their creativity shine!

7. Balloon

This is the best tip I can share from times traveling with my toddlers. Bring a deflated balloon through security and blow it up once you reach your gate. This is a great toy for your one year old to play with while waiting to get on the plane, and it’s easy to throw away before you get on the plane.

As we all know, the best thing you can bring is your own patience, and make sure you’re ready to switch gears any second that your toddler feels bored.

The post Airplane Toys & Activities for a One Year Old appeared first on Traveling Family Blog.

When You Can’t Remember Why You Had Kids in the First Place

When the boys were little just leaving the house was an adventure.  Going to town needed to happen between naps, meals, playtime and after a fresh diaper.  Getting all the gear in the car left me exhausted and a few times driving way without the kids. (Boys, if you ever read this, I never did lose you at that age, that came later). Before you start your holiday travel do a few things to remember why you had kids in the first place!

• Go in and watch them sleeping.  (Why this should restore our faith in the little darlings I am not sure but the internet says it does.)
• Watch Old Family Movies.  (Like the Facebook/Instagram/Youtube clips from last year) We only put the good stuff on social media so fall in love with your kid’s avatar again.
• Call the Grandparents have them recite all the wonderful items you have now to help you parent. (Ipads, podcasts, DVD players, iPhone apps, sippy cups.)

Can you really believe people took children on long trips before portable DVD players?

*** If you are traveling soon, take advantage of this deal from our partners at Disney – you can get 4 Disney DVDs of your choice for just $1***

• Only fix the kids favorite meals for a week. (For 6 weeks on a road my kids ate pizza, hot dogs, and pasta) I might have pickled them from the inside with all the preservatives but dinner time was blissful!
• Old school it with the TV and watch crazy stuff like I Love Lucy, The Adams Family, and The Sound of Music.  Use this as a generation connector and constantly remind them how difficult life was without a cell phone.

Remeber How Dull It would Be to Fly Without Kids

Remember flying with babies?  The total stare down of the other passengers as you boarded the plane.  Their inner thoughts were audible.

• Please, please please don’t sit here!
• I bet he cries the whole flight.
• Why do they always sit next to me?
• Is she really going to change the diaper on the tray table?
• What was that? Is that food on my ear?
• Do you really need to turn around and look me the whole flight?
• No, I will not move you should have booked your seats earlier.

Without Children to Travel with You Would Have Missed

The toddler fascination with airplane bathroom

“I need to go Mommy!”

“You just went.”

” I can feel the pee!”

I think my kids wore diapers on the plane until they were 5 years old.  One trip to the bathroom on a two-hour flight no more! And please, please don’t touch everything.

Hide and Seek in the Cavernous Airport Bathroom

And what about the monstrous airport bathrooms where you could lose your child in the vast sea of stalls. I appreciate the convenience of multiple lanes of stalls but when your three-year-old crawls under the stall and then can’t find you it becomes a frantic game of hiding and seek.

Just think, those of you who travel without kids missed running up and down the bathroom stall isles hissing your child’s name and looking for their little legs under the stall doors.

Mommy Can I Have

The airport offers a plethora of worldly goods all at you figure tips.  Toothbrushes reside right next $12 dollar bacon filled chocolate bars that are only a stone’s throw from exciting animal shaped luggage.

I tell you what is a child to do?

Without children, you might have sat quietly scrolling through Facebook.  With kids, you now need to get up a look at everything while repeating the word no a 100 zilloin times.

Practical Tips for Holiday Travel with Children

1. Put the children and yourself to bed early the night before travel
2. Cuddle, snuggle and talk about all the fun you will have the next day
3. Set expectations of time if they are old enough ( we will leave at 10 am and be at Grammy’s by 6pm)
4. Pack plenty of snacks
5. Explain airport rules– age appropriate about how important it is to listen to mom while traveling.
6. Make sure you have packed the lovey, toys and new games on the electronic and to hold their hands
7. Podcasts are awesome family driving entertainment
8. Pray

Finally to Get a Little Perspective

Watch this over and over until you can quote it by heart!  Then the lines at the airport won’t seem so long.

If you are going to Grandma’s house take a look at the 5 Tips for Extended family Travel

The post How to Get Jazzed Up About Holiday Travel with Your Kids appeared first on Traveling Family Blog.

We aren’t the type of family to sit down every morning at 8:30 am after a warm breakfast and quiet time to begin our lessons. We don’t work until 11:30 am where we stop to take a nutritional snack break of organic carrot slices and cucumbers cut into smiley faces.

In our house, homeschooling looks very different than the idyllic scene described above.

At 8:30 am, sometimes my eyelids haven’t opened for the day.

Other times, we begin school in our PJs at 11:30 am. Some days, we’re touring Mammoth Caves with a park ranger. Other times, we’re exploring the historic district of Charleston in a horse-drawn carriage.

We travel a lot.

So, we’ve had to adapt learning to our lifestyle. And while education from a textbook is a valuable experience, we never want to limit schooling to only that. Here are some of our favorite places to see when we are traveling and homeschooling:

1. Children’s Science Museums
2. City Tours
3. Civil Rights Museums
4. Zoos
5. Art Museums
6. State Capitals
7. Libraries
8. Zip Line Adventures
9. Nature Centers
10. Farmers Markets
11. Shorelines and Tidepools
12. Planetariums
13. Symphony Halls
14. Aquariums

Be sure to grab a city guide or stop by the visitors center of any city you visit. They will be able to guide you to the locations above in their areas.

For those families traveling on a budget, be sure to ask the following questions:

1. Are there discounted homeschool days?
2. Are there any FREE visitor days?
3. Do you have reciprocal agreements with other city museums or zoos?
4. Is there a city pass (discounted multiple day/attraction pass for the city)?
5. Are there any discounts with a teacher’s ID?
6. Are there any coupons available on Groupon or Yelp?

The post 14 places to see in a city if you travel AND homeschool appeared first on Traveling Family Blog.

Sounds like a super idea until you start adding up the numbers, and even in inexpensive Antigua, Guatemala, the costs add up.  The hotels in Antigua are absolutely beautiful.  They are a mix of old world charm, with brightly painted walls, brick and stone, and relatively not that expensive.  The nicer ones go for $200 a night and the lower end for $90.  But that adds up after 14 days.

That’s when we contacted the language school, Don Pedro de Alvarado, and they suggested we stay with a local family.  In fact, the school would even arrange the details.  They offered us three options ranging from “rustic” (vaguely translated, no private bathroom), “comfortable”, and “luxury” (vaguely translated, personal T.V.).  We opted for the “comfortable” accommodations.  They included private bathrooms, internet AND 3 meals a day for $140 a week per person.  YES! The room included 3 meals a day, cooked by locals.  Not only cooked by locals, but we actually sat down and shared a meal with them around their table.   Our decision to stay comfortable was based on the desire to spend more time with the host family, whereas the luxury option was more like a hotel.  Add it up, for 14 days our family of four STAYED and ATE for $1,100.

The PRO’s:

1.  Obviously the price!
2. Local, home cooked food.  We were asked about dietary restrictions before hand, and our host was even sweet enough to pay attention to the things we gobbled up and the things we left on our plate.  When we wanted a change of pace, we would let her know in advance, and go out to a restaurant instead.   ALSO… this momma did not have to cook!  Or do dishes! For FOURTEEN days!
3. Relationships.  We loved getting to know the host family.  The language proved a little tricky but it forced us to practice Spanish and it never was a barrier or problem.  Some nights after dinner we would play board games and our host family would join us.  BEST MEMORIES ever!
4. On-line reviews.  Before arrival we were able to see the reviews of prior visitors to the host home.  We even had the choice to change our accommodations.

The CON’s:

1. The food choices.  While our host was very accommodating to dietary needs, we did not have any choice about the meals she made.  As a lover of different cultures, I’d probably put this in the PRO column, but as a mother of 2 young boys, it had its difficult moments.  Of course there was food they didn’t like!  It was such a teaching moment for us.  My kiddos may not be thankful for the specific food she cooked but they can be thankful for the hard work that went in to it. On days the days the food wasn’t our favorite we made a stop by the ice-cream shop and indulged in a treat.
2. The privacy.  Staying at a home we had our own rooms and bathrooms but we did share the house with 2 other guests and the host family.  Sometimes on vacation, you just want to be alone with your family.  We balanced this with time outside the house and occasional meals out.
3. Less control.  Usually when I am hotel shopping I am super picky.   Obviously, with the home stay, our options were more limited.

We had such an incredible 2 weeks, I decided to look into possible host family options in other countries.  Turns out, it’s quite popular.  Most of the host families were tied to language schools but even if you weren’t interested in classes, the school could put you in contact with host options.  Using the schools gave me security.  They depend on the quality of their host homes for their reputation and therefore usually weed out the unreliable places.

I realize skipping the hotel and staying with a host family isn’t for everyone or even for every vacation, but if you are up for an adventure and truly desire to know the people and food of different cultures, I’d say it is an amazing option!

The post How to save Thousands on your International Accommodations appeared first on Traveling Family Blog.

Albert Dros Captured Volcano Erupting Under The Milky Way In Guatemala

You can very plainly see the photos we took (below) are nothing like those above, probably because we chose to enjoy the eruption a good safe distance away  on our hotel roof in Antigua.

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Try explaining to your three young children what a BIG DEAL it is to see a volcano erupting.  I mean, how many people can say they’ve seen lava pouring down a mountain side in person?!?!

My oldest, who had just finished reading a book about Pompeii, was definitely feeling more fear than awe.  My middle son was just thrilled he got to stay up past bedtime to see it.  And my youngest (who we had recently adopted from Thailand) had no concept of  what a volcano was.

But my husband and I knew, we knew what an incredible, once in a life time opportunity we were experiencing.  We choose to travel with our kids for these exact moments!  You know, the ones you can’t really plan for but get to marvel at anyway.

— For tips on how to save THOUSANDS of dollars staying locally in Guatemala check out this post!

Old wooden door

The post That Time a Volcano Erupted on our Family Vacation appeared first on Traveling Family Blog.

Yes, it was a little bit crazy. Throwing kids on an eleven hour flight and hoping all goes well is not necessarily the perfect starting point for traveling families, but it was worth it.

Traveling with kids isn’t nearly as easy as traveling solo, but it’s worth it.

If you are on the fence about traveling with your young kids, I encourage you to go for it!

Kids are flexible – If you are calm about travel, your kids likely will be chill about it as well. We weren’t stressed in transit, we just waited in line, played silly waiting games and got on the plane. I kept it as low key as possible so the kids didn’t worry, and it worked! They did a great job in all the airports and stayed right by me.

Seeing history – When you travel with preschoolers they are able to touch history and learn so much more about the world than they ever could from a book or show. Hearing about distant Kings and Queens and the way they lived is one thing, actually getting to tour palace gardens with your kids and walk through the oldest zoo in the world? There’s nothing quite like that!

This is the palace where Marie Antoinette grew up. We were able to visit the zoo that is located in the palace gardens and used to be private only for the royal family. It’s open to the public now, and the kids got to see new animals that they’d never seen before, like polar bears! 

Exploring cultures – There is nothing like letting your kids interact with other cultures in the world. I loved watching them learn about the different ways people do things in other countries, and why. Seeing other cultures adds so much to any traveler’s life. It makes you seem small, in the most beautiful way. I also love that it teaches my kids that different is just…different, and it certainly doesn’t mean bad! It’s really hard to keep any subliminal prejudices when you travel and meet people from all different cultures and walks of life, and it’s something that I love to do with my kids!

It’s family time – Travel can really bring you together as a family. I don’t know if it’s the unique shared experiences or just spending so much time exploring together, but I always feel closer to my kids after I’ve spent time traveling with them.

You find the coolest places – I try not to get too caught up in hitting every “must see” tourist spot. There are so many neat things to see if you just go at the kid’s pace and see what they want to do. Sure, there are some touristy things every one will want to hit, but there are also some amazing things you can find just exploring with the kids (it helps if you are friend with people who live there, but exploring on your own can be fun too!).

We ended up riding the oldest running ferris wheel in the world because it looked like fun on the way home from something else. It was an amazing and memorable experience for everyone… and let’s not forget the parks. 

The parks – If you ever take your kids to Europe go find a local park and let them run free. We played at four or five different parks and each was unique and the kids had a great time. In fact, it’s one of the biggest things they ask to go do again!

Not too young – A lot of people say not to waste a trip on such a young child and to wait until they are older. While I’ve never traveled with an older kiddo, I found that traveling with preschoolers was really fun. They already see the world differently than me, so it was neat to watch their views change and grow, and even to see how they were excited and in awe of even the simplest things in a new place. It was such an amazing experience!

If you are considering taking your kids on a trip, let me encourage you to take the plunge. There’s nothing quite like sharing the exploration with your little ones, it’s something neither of you will ever forget!

The post Why You Should Travel Internationally With Preschoolers appeared first on Traveling Family Blog.

Right now, Cars 3 is doing a Road to the Races Tour in cities all across the United States! We went to the event today in Houston, it was held at Memorial City Mall, outside the Sears automotive center. If you are local to Houston, you still have time to make it out, the even will be in Houston Saturday the 15th and Sunday the 16th too.

If you aren’t local to Houston, don’t worry! The tour is going all across America, in preparation for the movie coming out in theaters! You can check out when it will be in a city near you on their site – Cars3Tours.com

Cars3Tours.com is also where you can pre-order tickets. It is a FREE event open to the public, but getting tickets will help you reserve a specific time to see the tour and will mean a MUCH shorter line to get in to see the show!

Once you are in the event, there is so much to see! Plan to spend an hour or two there, because your kids will want to see EVERYTHING!

From the coloring wall to the smoothie sampling station and even an exclusive sneak peek of Cars 3!

You get to go in the trailer of a big truck to watch the show. It’s set up like a theater with a huge screen and comfy chairs. The kids thought it was awesome to be in the back of an 18 wheeler!

After the show, the kids can race mini cars, and take photos with the cars and Mack!

I was impressed at how quickly the lines for everything went by, the line for the photo opp was the longest, but they were getting people through quickly. It was all very efficiently done.

My kids are 6 and 4 and they didn’t get too restless in any lines, which made it a fun afternoon for all of us!

They are so excited to watch the new cars in action in the new movie. My son was SO EXCITED about Jackson Storm, the new shiny black race car.

Another big hit was the pit crew game. The kids get to remove wooden wheels with a real (lightweight) tool! They were VERY impressed with themselves at this part.

Overall, we had SUCH a fun time at the Road to the Races event. I highly recommend it! Don’t forget to check if it will be coming to a city near you, or try to make it out to the event at Memorial City Mall this weekend, if you are near Houston!

The post Don’t miss the Cars Movie Road to the Races event near you! appeared first on Traveling Family Blog.

Here’s what the kids REALLY want from vacation…

Did you make it through the video without tearing up? I know I didn’t! In all your vacation planning this year…make sure you do it RIGHT. It doesn’t matter where you go, or if you even have to stay home this year. What matters is spending quality time with your kids, doing things they will love and giving them ALL your attention.

The post Parents listen up! This is what kids REALLY want from vacation appeared first on Traveling Family Blog.

While most of the time “lost” only lasts for a few seconds, it’s important to prepare your kids and teach them what they should do if they become truly lost and can’t see mommy or daddy.

I hope our family rules can help you in starting this conversation with your kids. Especially before traveling with them where they’d be in unfamiliar surroundings.

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Here are the rules about getting lost that we teach our kids.

Stay still – So often a child’s gut reaction is to go wandering around looking for mommy or daddy. The know they weren’t supposed to get lost, so they try to make up for it by finding you immediately. Make sure they know that as long as they are in a safe place to stay put so mommy and daddy can come back to them. If there is a bench to sit on or a chair to find we always make sure they don’t have to root themselves in the exact spot on the floor where they realized they were lost, but rather stay in the general area out of the way and somewhere that they can safely wait for help.

Find a mommy – We’ve taught our kids that the best person to help them is another mom. If they need help, they should search for a nice lady with kids and ask for help. People with kids are oftentimes the best equipped to comfort a child, and get them back to their parent.

Not a uniform – I know some might be raising their eyebrows at the above advice. Shouldn’t kids go to police officers or firemen? Yes…but in most situations there isn’t a police officer handy. Unless you happen to be in the grocery store at the same time as one, your kid could be stuck searching for a cop for a long time. Uniforms can also be VERY confusing. At amusement parks the security officers aren’t dressed in familiar police uniforms and it can be hard for a kid to discern which uniforms are genuine and which ones are not. The same goes for traveling overseas. This is why we always tell our kids to look for a mommy if they are lost.

Name & Number – There are a few facts your kids need to know about YOU to help them be prepared if they are ever lost. Most important is you real name. Have them practice saying your full name several times. This way when some one asks what their mommy’s name is they won’t be stuck paging “mama” on the store intercom. Once your child is old enough, teach them your phone number too so they can clearly communicate to the person helping them and give you a phone call with their exact location instead of waiting with your child until you are found or needing to page you through a store.  Here are a few tips to help you teach your child your phone number. 

tip: If your child isn’t old enough to learn your number but you will be in a large open area with them, get these temporary tattoos. We’ve done them with our kids at the beach and other places with great success! I was super impressed with how long they stay on! These also come in handy if your child will be traveling with a grandparent or friend. You kid might not have had the chance to memorize grandma’s phone number yet, so this is a quick way for a helper to be able to get your child back to their guardian without any extra steps.

While being lost is a scary event for kids and moms alike, we hope these tips help you all feel more safe on vacations and even in your every day adventures with your kids!

The post Teaching kids what to do when they are lost appeared first on Traveling Family Blog.

My husband and I both listen to a number of podcasts. The thought struck me, “Do they have podcasts for kids?”  Well, yes, the podcast folks make all kinds of podcasts for kids.  Here are our current favorites.

Brains On   A podcast about kids and science produced by MPR and Southern California Public Radio explores kid listener science questions. As the mom of two boys, the gross ones are our favorites.

Farts: Understanding the Gas We Pass

Your Booger Questions Answered

These people are serious about being curious, they answer listener questions and even have a kid co-host the show from their world wide audience.

The mystery sound in each episode lets all family members hazard a guess as to what the sound might be as it relates to the topic.  Who knew a cow chewing its cud could sound like the opening of candy wrappers.

Well produced, this podcast will be enjoyed my multiple generations in the family car and spark discussion afterward.  In fact, Why couldn’t rain lemonade?

The other one we really like is Stories Podcast, created to provide family friendly content to families on the go.  Amanda Welldon’s perky voice reading any given story, be it a fables or an original work by Daniel Hind, just makes you want to smile.

This wonderful story is perfect for a bed/nap time lesson.

The Dog Who Wasn’t Useful

After we enjoyed the stories Amanda read we stumbled upon Max Goodname.  This is a dramatized reading that captured the boys attention, and mine, immediately.  A hero’s series, where good triumphs over evil and 3 young teenagers complete astonishing quests.

Magic Armor- A Max Goodname Tale

Max Goodname And the Song of the Basilisk

While the Goodname stories are for a little older elementary audience there are plenty for the preschool age such as Goldie Locks and the Three Bears.

Podcasts bring the whole family into one expereince while traveling. Sure you can listen to them by yourself, but why not use them for family time and disscussions?

Download a few to your phone and the next time your in the car and hear “I’m bored,” get serious about being curious!

Other Podcast For Kids:

Storynory  Myths, Fables, and Original Stories

Tumble Science Podcast for Kids All Life is an Experiment – a podcast for the whole family

But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids A Show Lead by Kids Curious Questions

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