Planning a summer vacation with young kids is a lot more work than just planning one for yourself and your husband. If you’re in the market for planning a summer vacation with young kids, you might need these practical planning tips for moms. For some reason, I enjoy family vacation logistics. I even enjoy my logistic failures because I can learn from them and share my tips with all the people who don’t enjoy it. If your vacation is a Disney Cruise, make sure you check out my Disney Dream Cruise tips (and failures) page!
Smart Tips for Planning Summer Vacation with little kids
#1. Pick a family friendly destination- For us, our kids are still little enough that I need a family friendly destination for them. While I’d love to a remote island with my husband and enjoy the beach all day long, this isn’t possible when you have kids. They need something to do and keep them entertained, which is why a family friendly destination is a must. Making memories together is what vacation is all about. If you are traveling to Florida, I highly recommend check out Destinations in Florida for special discounts and pro tips.
#2. Safety is always a #1 concern- When I think about planning a summer vacation with young kids, safety is also a huge concern to me. I don’t want to travel anywhere that would be unsafe for small children. Although I’m aware that anything can happen at any time, I still want to be aware of my surrounding and sure I’m not placing my family in any imminent danger.
#3. Keep distance in mind- Planning a summer vacation with young kids means you have a lot to consider. One of the top things to consider is distance. Are your kids good with long distance car travel? Are you okay flying with multiple young children? Do you want to sit in a car for several hours with small children who might get carsick? (Don’t worry. I have many solutions for kids who get motion sickness like mine!) Ask yourself the hard questions to avoid travel regret later.
#4. Communicate with your family – If you plan on going on vacation with your spouse and children, make sure you’re communicating with them during the process. You do not want to leave them out of the loop. Young children don’t always deal well with uncertainty. Give them enough information to let them know what to expect. You’d be amazed at how this tip can prevent tantrums.
You can still make major decisions while keeping the family involved in the planning process. Actually, my husband prefers that I do all the planning and logistics. However, keeping him in the loop saves me a headache later. I think that planning our Disney Cruise last year would have given him heart palpitations.
#5. Plan for activities and rest- When it comes down to traveling with little ones, they need to have fun but they also need to have rest. Keep in mind that you are not just traveling by yourself or alone with your spouse. Carve out downtime to allow the young kids to rest. If you don’t, it may catch up with them in a few days. I always plan for plenty of fun activities but also plenty of rest time. Bring light up toys, bubbles, or light up toys. At Disney we would stop for awhile in the afternoons to play with bubbles in a less crowded area. The kids thought we were just playing with bubbles but in reality I was giving them a break from the lines, noise, people, and excitement.
When it comes to planning a summer vacation with young kids, you can still rock it. It’s just a matter of keeping the kids’ needs in mind, which can be hard. What tips do you have for planning a summer vacation with young kids?
You may also enjoy these smart family travel tips:
8 Tips to prepare for travel with a carsick child
Our summer road trip carsickness solution
Don’t forget to pack some healthy snacks!
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