Smart Tips For Travelling With Children

Dollar Store Prizes
go to the dollar store and buy a bunch of cheap make-up, toys, and anything that looks like fun for kids (age-appropriate items) and if they don't whine, argue, complain, or attempt to hurt each other - they get prizes every 50 miles or every 45 minutes. It's a lot of fun, and they have all new stuff to use on their vacation.

DVDs Keep Kids Quiet on the Plane
- Bring a portable DVD player and headphones on the plane with you. They're lightweight and keep the kids occupied during the flight. Remember to pack all your cables. You may also want to connect it to the television in the kids' room or play it on mini-road trips at your destination.

Ear Check
- If you are going to fly, have younger children's ears checked before you leave. Nobody wants to travel with a child who has an ear infection.

Easy ID
- To help identify your family quickly at the airport, dress everyone in matching colors.

Edible Jewelry
- This is a great project to occupy your children while you are in the car or on a plane. Provide your children with sweetened cereal rings and string licorice. They can string the cereal into the licorice and make edible bracelets and necklaces. When they get hungry, they can snack off their finished products.

Games
- You played them as a youth - now it's your chance to pass along the family favorites to the young un's. The license game - ever so popular on those cross country journeys - would work for the preteen set. Toddlers and preschoolers can help learn their colors by identifying the colors of cars. And be sure you learn a few family type songs. Even if your voice isn't of concert quality, you're sure to at least amuse your children. And if that doesn't work, you can always pawn them off on other drivers by getting them to wave to people from the back seat!

Get the Kids to Buy Their Own Snacks and Treats
- This tip works when traveling with older children. At the beginning of the trip give them a dollar or 2 for each day. They are then responsible to buy all those little treats they want (like sodas or a snack). They can keep any money they don't spend. This keeps the kids from begging to buy everything they see.

Glow Sticks
- If you plan to be driving into the night, bring glowsticks for each child. They will be occupied until they fall asleep.

Goodnites
- Look into purchasing some Goodnites. These protect kids from accidents (which tend to happen often while travelling) but are more underwear-like. They fit kids over 125lbs. Any kids who you are travelling with (especially in the car) should wear them just in case. It can really save clothes and car interiors in heavy traffic. Goodnites can fit kids anywhere from 3 to 16 years old too.

Goody Carry-On
- To keep children entertained and well behaved during long airplane trips, buy a small carry-on (children's size), with wheels. Go to an 'everything is a dollar' store, and fill the bag with 'surprises'. Have the children carry/roll the bag around the airport etc., and during the filght, give them one surprise every 30 minutes or so. You will be amazed at how entertained they can stay, and perhaps give you a chance to 'catch a nap'.

Help for a Lost Child
- When travelling with children, write down the name, address and telephone number of the place you are staying at on a piece of paper, and 'I'm lost, please call my parents' or something of the sort, and make sure your child carries it in his/her pocket/wallet. Tell the child that whenever he or she gets lost, he/she should hand the piece of paper to a woman (make sure your child hands it to a woman, much safer than a man usually!) so someone can help them.

Hot and Sweaty?
- Fill a zip-lock bag with ice cubes and a old washcloth. Being able to wipe hot sweaty faces and hands with something cold can be a life saver for children as well as adults.