Top Ten Baby Travel Tips

Travel days are fun days!  Use these tips to transform a boring trip to one filled with delight and wonder.  After all, life is about the journey, not the destination.

1) Use a crayon that won’t roll away!

The BabyTravel favorite is the Color Wheel which includes six large crayons in a wheel. No tears over broken crayons, no digging in airline seats or chasing errant crayons down the aisle. They’re worth their weight in gold… which isn’t saying much because they’re also very light. If you can’t find a Color Wheel, triangle-shaped crayons work great too.

2) Celebrate travel days with small gifts wrapped in brightly colored tissue paper.

You can find lots of inexpensive gifts at www.orientaltradingcompany.com. With a glue stick, tissue paper can be used to make “stained glass” airsickness bags on the airplane. You can also glue the colored tissue paper to shapes cut from poster stock or transform an empty Kleenex box into a magical stained glass wish box.

3) Make an edible Cheerio necklace.

Its a snack… no, it’s entertainment… no, snack… no, entertainment. Hey, wait! It’s both! And fashionable too. What more could you want in a BabyTravel tip?

4) Rediscover the world of Crayola.

They make a whole lot more than crayons! And their website, www.crayola.com has over 1,000 craft ideas, many of which are suitable for travel. Crayola Color Wonder products are a boon to traveling parents. The special mess-free Color Wonder markers and paints only work on Color Wonder paper. They are PERFECT the car, airplane or hotel.

5) Pack a change of clothing.

When flying, be sure to pack your carry-on bag with an extra change of clothes for your little one AND for you! Whether it’s the tummy bug that decides to manifest itself at 20,000 ft. or just a spilled cup of apple juice, a set of clean, dry clothes does wonders for maintaining your equilibrium.

6) Faster is better when adjusting to time zones.

When adjusting to time changes, immediately switch your child’s meal times to match the new time zone. A change in eating patterns will signal the body to change its biorhythms, thereby allowing them (and you) to get more sleep!

7) Give yourself some space.

If you are spending several nights in one location, consider renting an apartment or house rather than staying at a hotel. Prices for a vacation rental are often comparable and sometimes even less than hotel prices. With a kitchen to prepare a few meals, you will probably spend less money with a private rental. And it’s always nice to have the extra space when traveling with a little one (or little ones). The most popular website for private vacation rentals is www.vrbo.com.

8) Invest in a food dehydrator.

This is as much a parenting tip as a travel tip. Over time, it will save money over buying dried fruit, which can also contain sulfates and harmful preservatives. You will also avoid filling your kids up with a lot of processed foods like Goldfish, which are devoid of nutrients. The natural sugars in fruit are significantly preferable to foods with processed sugars, which contribute to a host of health and behavioral problems.

9) Strengthen your child’s immune system.

Travel exposes us to new and different viruses and bacteria. Travel is also very dehydrating. Bring leak-proof water bottles for you and your child so you can move these pesky critters through your system.

The latest research shows that Vitamin D plays an important role in stimulating the body’s immune response. Since your body synthesizes Vitamin D from sunlight, it’s also one of the least expensive nutrients to get. If you are not able to expose your child to direct sunlight on the face and arms for at least 15 minutes a day the week prior to leaving on a trip, you may want to consider Vitamin D supplementation. BabyTravel is now offering a pharmaceutically manufactured, chewable Vitamin D tablet made just for kids. For more information, contact us at [email protected] and put “Vitamin D” in the subject.

10) Create really cool photo memoirs.

Upload digital photos of your trip to www.snapfish.com and use their photo book templates to make a simple, yet sophisticated memoir of your trip. Tip: These make GREAT Christmas gifts!

Comments

  1. I love your website! Making a Cheerios necklace for the plane is a genius idea! I’m so going to do that when we go on our trip next week.