The kids are tracked out of school for summer break and that means we’re doing a lot of traveling. Some of the trips are more kid-centered, with lots of fun activities for the kids, and others…not so much.
We learned many years ago, that no matter how fun the destination might be, we should always have something fun to do as a back-up plan.
When it rains at the beach. When all three kids are stuck in the condo because only one needs a nap. When there aren’t any kids’ toys or books at grandma’s.
Vacation is always more fun when everyone is happy. So to help keep our little ones busy and happy, we let them each choose one toy/activity to pack in their suitcases for family trips.
And they always choose LEGO.
The kids’ choices have almost always stayed the same, but the way we travel with LEGO has definitely evolved.
Check out these bad boys:
These are absolutely perfect for our kids. They have everything our kids need to entertain themselves, all packed up neatly in a cute little suitcase. Easy to use at home or on while traveling, with everything the kids need all packed up in a fun little travel case.
Each set comes with a customizable suitcase, complete with slots to divide the storage area however the child likes. There are also instruction booklets and pieces divided into sets to help make following the directions easier.
We happen to be at the beach right now on a family trip, and the kids have been taking their new LEGO JUNIOR suitcases with them all over. They played with them on the trip here, have been playing with them in our condo, and even took them over to their cousins’ condo to play with them there.
They’ve been a huge hit!
Here are some great travel tips to help keep your little ones entertained and happy:
• Pack each child his or her own backpack with individual toys, snacks and activities. Let the child carry his/her own backpack like a “big boy/girl”.
• Bring several different activities so that children can move from one activity to another once they get restless or tired of something.
• Make sure each child has his/her own items so there won’t be any disagreements about who gets to use each item. (i.e. bring a small pack of crayons for each child instead of a large box to share)
• Consider where the child will be sitting and pack toys according to how much room they have and whether or not they might drop/lose pieces. A magnetic doodle toy with attached wand may be better that a coloring book if the child is small and might drop crayons
• Bring a few books to read with the kids. A search-and-find activity book can help keep kids occupied for longer than a short picture book.
• Head to your local dollar store and buy notebooks and stickers for each of the kids. They’ll have a ball decorating their books and showing off their creations.
• Stagger the activities so they aren’t used up all at the beginning of the trip. Offer to give the children a new activity every hour or 45 minutes. In between activities, if there is extra time, let the kids have a small snack or read a book together.
• Think about what toys your kids play with the longest. If play dough keeps your young children entertained for hours, bring several small bags of it along with beads, glitter and other fun pieces to work into the dough.
If you have kids who are 4-7 years old, be sure to check out the LEGO JUNIORS Suitcases!
How do you keep your kids entertained while traveling?
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
