Before the kids, Adam and I were nomadic travelers. Living and experiencing life through eyes that absorbed everything around us. We took in as much as we could using our senses and movements.
We took a bit of a break when the kids came, but when you look back on it, not that much of a break. We just traveled differently. I decided to make travel journals for the kids. Starting from when they were born until today. Each one has their own composition notebook. As you can see, Gavin, at not quite 4, has experienced 12 states (we drove through a few more, but I am not counting them).
From here on out, I found this printable from we3travel and will be using it in each of the places for Gavin to dictate to me about his experiences, draw a picture and glue in stubs. I also plan to go back and print a picture from each trip and insert it onto the page for the kids.
I am super excited to see where this goes and how their year turns out. I believe our littles are adapting quite nicely to the nomadic life.
Big travels are on their way, stay tuned for some fun experiences and blogging!
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Plan for roughly half the driving you think you can do. Kids need movement breaks every 1.5 to 2 hours. The best stops are not the ones on the itinerary but the ones you find by pulling over. Pack snacks that avoid crumbs. And accept that the trip will go differently than planned and that is usually better.
Audiobooks and podcasts for kids work better than screens for longer stretches. Window games. Music everyone can agree on. Letting older kids navigate. And giving them meaningful jobs rather than just asking them to sit quietly for hours.
A car trash bag. A cooler for drinks and snacks. A first aid kit. One bag per person that lives accessible in the car. Entertainment that works without wifi. A physical map as backup. And less than you think you need of everything else.
Four to five hours of actual driving is comfortable for most families with young children. More than that and the last hour tends to make everyone miserable. Factor in stops and add at least 50 percent to driving times.
The national parks are extraordinary and widely underused by families. Zoos in major cities. Interactive children’s museums. Sea World, Legoland, and similar theme parks for dedicated days. And the unexpected stops that were not planned that end up being everyone’s favorite memory.
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I love what you are doing and how you are doing it.
Thanks Sue!! We are so excited. I can’t wait until the kids really get into it as well.