Whether it’s planes, trains or automobiles, parents all dread hearing the immortal words “Are we there yet?!”. These road-tested travel tips have been shared with us by Digital Nomad Families. Grab your builder’s tape (yes, really!) and let’s go!! 

1. Travel Treasure 

This one came up time and time again as a ‘super hack’. ‘Travel Binders’, ‘Treasure Bag’ and ‘Activity Pack’ - they have many names, but their purpose is to distract and delight our little ones for as long as possible. 

The only limit to their contents is your imagination (and the airline’s carry-on rules, of course). Ideas include:

• Small toys. If you can get some inexpensive new ones that are revealed on the flight, even better! This will help extend their interest. 

• Colouring Books. You don’t need to limit yourself to the traditional ones. ‘Water colouring’ is great as you just need one refillable water pen. As soon as the coloured page has dried, and the colours faded, they can start all over again! 

• Stickers! Bonus points for the repositionable ones that can be moved around and placed on various imaginative background scenes.

• Games. Depending on your children’s ages, travel games such as Uno, Snap, Dobble and Travel Scrabble can help pass the time. Magnetic games are fab! 

Bonus Tip! Slowly reveal the contents of the bag one thing at a time. Once they’ve completely exhausted their interest in one item, move on to the next.

‍

‍

2. Your friends, Melissa & Doug! 

Your one-stop-shop to create your Travel Treasure! I am not an affiliate - just a super-fan 😍. They are the masters of creative ways to keep children occupied in a fun and stimulating way. You can get your water colouring in (their Water WOW range), repositionable stickers and so much more. Seriously, Melissa & Doug, thank you! You’ve saved the sanity of parents countless times! 

3. Overnight 

Embarking on a trip that traverses bedtime? Pop them in their PJs before you leave to get them all cosy and help them make that mental link with going to sleep. Don’t forget some woolly socks for head-to-toe snugness. Got their favourite teddy at the ready? Let’s catch some zzz.

Extra Legroom - yay or nay? If you can pre-select your seats, the extra legroom seats on larger planes (the ones that permit kids) are located behind the bulkhead. These seats often have fixed armrests that you cannot lift up - removing the option for little ones to use you as a human pillow. 

4. Story Time 

Whether these are audiobooks on long car journeys, reading devices like Kindle, or a good old-fashioned paperback, stories are a great way to zone out for a while. 

5. Screens

This one is not for everyone and that's fine. Games and movies on handheld tablets or seatbacks (if available) can cover a good chunk of time. 

Got older kids? Maybe pre-download a documentary or travel show about your chosen destination to get them interested before you arrive. 

‍

‍

6. Bring snacks. All the snacks. 

However many snacks you think you might need, triple it! Healthy snacks that require a bit of manual dexterity, like raisins, are great for younger children. 

7. Question Time 

Children are naturally curious and travel will inevitably generate a lot of insightful questions. Be ready with the answers but also have your own questions or mini-challenges ready to go. For example, ‘Where do you think those people are travelling to?’, ‘How many different airlines can you spot?’ etc. 

8. Builder's Tape

The mystery is revealed! Easy peel repositionable builder's tape (AKA masking tape) came up time and time again as a tip. Colourful washi tape works too. Whether they're using it to tape tiny toys to the armrest or dad's ear whilst he's sleeping, or creating a race track on the floor of your apartment on arrival, this tape is the Swiss Army Knife in the world of travelling with kids! 

‍9. Jet Lag

These tips to avoid or lessen the impact of jet lag are equally applicable to grown-ups:

• If you can, adjust your sleep pattern in your home country to be closer to that of your destination. Do this for a few days before you depart to reduce the impact on the body. 
• Stay hydrated. Lots of water before, during and after the flight. Avoid sugary drinks. 
• Pick flight times strategically to allow for sleep. This is where picking a night flight can really help. 
• On arrival, stick to local meal times. This will help the body adjust to its new time zone. 
• Lots of fresh air and natural light will help regulate your children's circadian rhythm. 
• Avoid extra naps and stick to your bedtime routine from home. 

10. Don't sweat it! 

More than anything, try not to worry. Things may not go perfectly but in the great scheme of things your journey is just a brief moment in time. Relax and enjoy the ride and don't sweat the small stuff. 

With a bit of practice, the journey can be as fun as the destination - with and without kids. Boundless Life wishes you many happy travel memories!