Trifter

     As school comes to an end for the summer, usually this is a good time for families to take vacations. So if your traveling this summer with kids, here are a few helpful tips to make traveling a little smoother. Hope this helps!

1. Plan out rest room and food breaks. Now of course this only applies to you if your driving. If you and your family are taking a road trip, make sure to look up where you will be stopping for meals and rest room breaks.
2. Snacks. This one is beyond obvious. Kids love to snack. So make sure that you bring plenty of snacks for them on the trip. Not only will this keep them occupied, but it will save you money! You won’t have to worry about stopping for every meal or buying snacks at a gas station cause you will have your own. Try bringing things like fresh fruit and veggies as a healthy addition.
3. Comfort items. This is aimed more towards younger children. When they are away from home, you really want to bring a few things that comfort them and remind them of home. This could be anything from a blanket, stuffed animal or favorite movie. This way they are more relaxed.
4. Entertainment. Depending on the age of your children, you will want to make sure to have the appropriate types of entertainment for them. When they are older of course they are able to bring things they want to do, but for the younger ones you will want to make sure to help them out a bit. Bring a portable dvd player, books, music players or toys. You don’t want to bring things that are big and bulky, but things that are travel friendly. My son really enjoys his dvd player and the movies are really easy to pack.
5. Identification. Depending on where your going, make sure that you have the right identification. Traveling with children can be tricky sometimes if you are going to another country. You will want to check the policies of the country that you are going to. For example, when traveling from the United States to Canada you will need a passport for anyone over the age of 16. If your child is under 16 you need to have their original birth certificate or a passport alternative. On top of that, you need to have written permission from your child’s mother or father, if both of the parents will not be on the trip.