March13thMon Top 5 Tips for Traveling With Kids

Traveling with kids takes a certain amount of preparation. Here are 5 great travel tips to help make your family vacation a fun trip from start to finish.

Tip 1: Do your (travel) homework together.
One of the best parts about any trip is dreaming about what you’re going to do when you get there. When planning your trip to Jamaica, get the kids involved. Have them come up with ideas of things they would like to do and see. Also learn a bit about where they’re going. It’s also a great time for you to research children’s activities, child care options and need to know information.

Tip 2: Pack for the (individual) journey.
Have every kid help pack their carry-on for the plane. They get to choose a book and or an activity to take. Maybe it’s a pocket doll set or toy cars, or a colouring book. Make it special by having them select a sticker to park the trip to put on their bag or book. It’s also always a good idea to let them choose a couple of movies to download if using a tablet (a great travel tool especially if you get stuck in an airport by a delayed flight) to finish off the idea of them having a customized travel plan of their own. They’ll enjoy the travel part more and trust us, so will you!

Tip 3: Prep the (family) ‘Go Bag’.
With the cost of extra bags and the idea that your kids will be living in their swimsuits, many families opt for the “1 Giant Suitcase’ approach. Depending on potential flight delays, lost luggage or even a long day trip while on your actual vacation, it’s a good idea to have a smaller bag prepped with essentials for each family member with spare toothbrushes and toothpaste, underwear, sunscreen, some basic medicines and so on, so no matter what you’ve got the family covered to be as comfortable as possible.

Tip 4: Beat jet lag (ASAP).
If you’ve travelled to the Caribbean it’s pretty easy to want to spend all day in the sun. If you’ve changed time zones try and be awake in those hours. Resetting to local time as soon as possible with a healthy dose of sunlight is the easiest way to set body clocks and not lose time on your vacation due to jet lag. Children usually adjust more quickly than children so maybe pack some melatonin for yourself and make sure you get a good night’s rest. Melatonin also comes in gummies for kids.

Tip 5: Look for (Jamaican) experiences.
With children, it’s good to look for an enriching component to every trip. It’s easy to spend the whole day lazing on the beach while the kids build sandcastles and jump in the waves. However, travel is an incredible learning experience for children, and you, and doing a little exploring can make your family holiday in Jamaica much more memorable than days spent on white sand beaches staring at turquoise water. Although, we have to admit, that’s still a pretty nice way to spend a day.