Restaurant meals are the norm, for the majority of family travelers. If you are traveling with children who tend to get bored while waiting for their order, consider passing the time playing a game of ‘portable Scrabble’.
All you need are the game tiles. No board is required. Simply place the tiles, face down, in the middle of the table. Have each person take a predetermined number of tiles. You will find that choosing a number between 7 and 15 works the best.
The object of the game is to be the first person to spell two words. If no one can do so with the letter they have, draw until two words can be spelled.
Reward 1 point for each round of play. The game ends when your food is served.
Traveling with preschoolers is at times the ultimate challenge… regardless of the mode of travel you happen to choose.
The good news is doesn’t have to be that way. With a little bit of careful and CREATIVE planning, your next trip can go off without a hitch.
Let’s face it; preschoolers are by nature, curious. As wonderful as that is in regard to their future, it can make a long trip longer.
When packing for your next trip, consider including a variety of the following items to make the trip more enjoyable for everyone concerned.
Stickers or activity books, finger puppets, magnetic letters in a tin, pop-up books, small lap-sized easels, small mirrors and small wrapped presents are all good choices that will amuse your preschooler, when you travel.
One of the biggest challenges with traveling with your family is knowing how to keep your kids occupied during the down times. You need to be able to keep the kids happy while driving between destinations and keep them satisfied during down time in the hotel rooms. There are many things you can do to keep your kids happy and engaged throughout the duration of your trip.
One of the best inventions modern technology has brought us is the portable DVD player. Kids love movies and cartoons. What better way to keep them occupied during travel then to give them a lap sized DVD player with their favorite movies? You can purchase these DVD players relatively cheap, but the value is priceless.
MP3 players have made traveling with children a lot less stressful by providing older kids with the ability to listen to music for hours at end. With MP3 players, a person can listen to 350-1000 songs without changing CD’s or searching through music they do not like. It is a good idea to let your kids take their MP3 players on the trip to keep them from getting restless in a long car ride.
If you have 8-18 year old children, invest in a portable gaming system. You can find very popular portable gaming systems from Sony and Nintendo. These game systems are just as good as their regular sized counterparts. Video games look and feel as good as a game played on a big screen TV. These gaming systems will make travel times go by like a breeze for your older kids.
Technology has replaced the old time passer bys of old. You do not have to try to find license plates from each state or look for letters on road signs. Now, your travel time can be greatly relaxed with all the family emphasis on the destinations.
LegoLand California is located in Carlsbad, CA. The park was constructed with kids, ages 2-12, in mind… but it offers fun, for the entire family. It features fifty rides and attractions, including a Dragon Coaster and driving school… no license required.
Visit Miniland U.S.A., constructed of 20 million Lego bricks. Reconstructed landmarks include the Freedom Tower, Kennedy Space Center and the Statute of Liberty.
Dino Island invites curious kids to dig for bones and fossils and take a ride on the Coastersaurus roller coaster, which takes them on a fun filled ride through a prehistoric jungle complete with life size Lego brick dinosaurs.
Browse the Big Shop for the largest selection of Lego products, available under one roof. Besides the bricks themselves they also carry LegoLand clothing, accessories, hats and jewelry.
Both, one and two day attraction tickets are available.
When you are planning a family ski vacation, there are several things to consider. After you have decided on where you will go, the real planning begins.
Most ski resorts have websites. Start by visiting several of them, in effort to narrow your choices down to two or three.
If there are members in your family who don’t yet know how to ski, consider choosing a resort that offers some type of ski school, on the property. This option probably isn’t as expensive as you think. You want to make sure that everyone going has a great time.
You need to also look into the slopes, trails and lifts the resort has to offer. You want to make sure that there are options available for each level of expertise, your family members possess.
If you are planning a family vacation that includes small children, you will be happy to discover that more and more hotels and resorts are offering VIP child care options and day programs.
This enables parents and older siblings to occasionally do things, together, that cannot be easily accomplished with younger children, in tow. This could be anything from a romantic dinner for two to skiing down a mountain trail.
These daycare programs are quite affordable and enable small children, who would otherwise remain at home with grandma and grandpa, to take part in family festivities.
Should you decide to plan your trip through a travel agency, your agent will be more than happy to assist you in incorporating VIP treatment for your little ones, into your the trip.
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