All posts in Travel games

The Three D’s of Successful Road Trips with Children

by alicemarks on March 6, 2012 in Adventures with children, Day trips with children, Experiences, Family Time, Travel games, Travel tips, Travel with babies, Traveling with Children with No comments

Road tripping with kids is like a chocolate covered pretzel.  Access to unlimited toys, a comfortable and familiar environment and no other (non-family) passengers to annoy all make for one sweet ride.

However, on the saltier (and more abrasive) side, road trips are usually longer than air travel, which translates to more stress on your vacation zen as you attempt to maintain order/thwart anarchy from the front seat.

But not to worry!  A fun and adventurous road trip can be yours if you just follow these three simple Rules of the Road Trip:

Due Diligence

Research your trip before you go, looking for all the fun/interesting/obnoxiously touristy/places along the way.  Encourage your kids to love the journey just as much as the destination!  A great resource for planning your route and all the attractions it may hold can be found at Road Trip America.com

Distractions

A well-stocked toy chest, complete with each child’s own hand-picked snacks, games, books (and DVD’s if you want), will do wonders during those times when the road is long and manners/patience/goodwill towards humankind are short supply.

Determination

Fun is all about attitude.  If you are determined to have fun, then you will have fun. Period.  Arm yourself with family games and music CD’s that the whole family will like.

The American Road Trip is a rite of passage.  Treat it with the respect it deserves, and it will reward you with laughs, bonding, and a backseat full of great memories.

How to Fly with a Toddler and Live to Tell the Story

by alicemarks on October 4, 2011 in Adventures with children, QuickSmart, Travel games, Travel tips, Travel with babies, Traveling with Children with No comments

Flying with a toddler. It’s definitely not unicorns and rainbows.  But with a few preparations it can be done, and it can be done well.  And yes, with everyone’s mental health still fully intact.

1. First and foremost, buy your child his own seat.  I know money is tight. I know you think that having your child on your lap is a no-brainer way to save a few bucks.  But I am telling you right now, the happy glow from the money you saved will be snuffed out and stomped upon by the stress and discouragement you will experience after a few hours of holding a wriggly, fussy, vocal toddler who most definitely does NOT want to be on your lap.

A child in his own seat will also fall asleep more easily and stay asleep longer – just think about how easily kids fall asleep in the car versus if they were sitting on your lap at Aunt Linda’s house.

Kids will sleep easier in their own seats

Kids will sleep easier in their own seats

2. Restraint is also a must.  Whether you bring your own car seat or use this phenomenal device by CARES (which keeps your child far enough back in their seat to thwart their attempts to kick the unsuspecting traveler in front of them), a restraint system, much like swaddling for an infant, helps your child feel secure.  Secure children are calmer children.

Restrain your child on airplane travel

A restrained child (in a CARES harness) is a happy child!

A restrained child in his own seat with his own tray/play surface is better able to focus on entertaining himself instead of expecting you to relieve all his boredom woes.  He can also move freely (read: squirm) without bothering you or fellow passengers.

3. Bring snacks that everyone can live with. If you load your kids up on sugar in the first 30 minutes of the flight, neither you nor your fellow passengers will be happy.  Bring snacks with protein (which digest more slowly) and dole out SMALL treats (I am a huge M&M’s fan) as needed.

Bring Healthy Treats for Toddlers on Planes

A great in-flight snack for toddlers

4. Distractions are a mom’s best friend.  Bring a few tried-and-true toys (Colorforms,  sticker books, Magnadoodle, etc), and then pick up a few new toys that can be presented along the way.  Wrapping the new toys in fun paper prolongs the excitement and distraction factor.  Portable DVD players are pretty inexpensive and are a must have in your distraction arsenal.  iPads have many fun apps that can also up the entertainment factor.

Finally, stay relaxed.  Your toddler will pick up on your cues and behave accordingly.  Bring your child’s favorite toy or blankie (I highly recommend purchasing doubles for backup), and take a deep breath.  You are ready.

Stacking the Deck: Put Your Fellow Travelers at Ease Before You Even Board the Plane

by alicemarks on September 19, 2011 in Adventures with children, QuickSmart, Travel games, Travel tips, Travel with babies, Traveling with Children with No comments

Sometimes one of the biggest concerns about flying with young kids is the reaction you anticipate from your fellow travelers when they realize they will be sharing your flight.

And, while the neuroses of strangers should be the least of your worries (see how to deal with flat-out rudeness here), there are a few easy ways in which you can cleverly draw your fellow passengers into your corner pre-flight by demonstrating that you are doing everything in your power to ensure that the trip is a smooth one for everybody.

  1. Make sure your kids are well fed, preferable with a protein rich meal.  Sated kids are calmer kids.  Keep your bribe-worthy treats securely hidden until well after take off.
  2. Dress your kids for success.  Have your kids pick out a special outfit the night before.  The care put into selecting an outfit will show them that this is not a play-date, but an event where they are expected to be on their best behavior.
  3. Have your child organize their in-flight backpack while they are waiting.  This demonstrates to their fellow passengers that they are gearing up to keep busy.

While easing the concerns of your fellow passengers is obviously not your first priority, a little preparation and mindfulness can go a long way towards greasing the wheels of tolerance and understanding with your fellow travelers.

Revive the Novelty of Local Excursions

by alicemarks on August 11, 2011 in Adventures with children, children and nature, Day trips with children, Experiences, Local Fun, QuickSmart, Travel games, Traveling with Children with No comments

Has the interest in your tried-and-true day trips worn thin and the mere mention of another trip to the park/museum/arboretum catapults your kids into choruses of “that’s so boring!”?

Fear not, intrepid day-trippers; The Color Game is here to breathe life back into your tired and potentially meltdown-inducing neighborhood adventures.

The Color Game can give overused haunts a new perspective.  I like color themes because they are not gender specific and are easy to improvise. Here’s how it works:

Give your kids a color (or let them choose) and then tell them they have to find 5-20 things in that color (depending on their ages) at your destination.  Let them use your cell phone or bring a digital camera to snap photos of their finds; if the items are removable (a leaf on the ground, a colorful rock) give them a bag and have them start a collection.  You can even bring paper and crayons in your color and let you little artists sketch what they see.

For the smoothest experience remember to:

  • Keep your expectations in check and don’t try to force the excursion to last longer than your child’s patience.
  • Stay enthusiastic (eventually your kids will pick up on your attitude) and leave before any grumbling begins – even if you’ve only been there for 15 minutes.
  • Encourage their creativity; that rock may not look orange to you but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t feel orange to them.  Ask them why they have chosen it.

When you get home, print the pictures and start your color album.  For instance, under the color yellow you may have pages for “Yellow at the Park”, “Yellow at the Zoo”, etc.  Tape plastic baggies to the pages to hold their found treasures.  On a rainy day, head to the scrapbook store and let your children pick out stickers in matching color themes to decorate the pages.  Have them create an colorful cover for each color group.

In no time you’ll have a rainbow library to document those short sanity-saving excursions that you used to dread even mentioning!

Advanced planning needed:

  • Know how to print photos from your phone or camera
  • Make sure your printer has ink and paper
  • Bring baggies, crayons and paper

See you at the park (yes, the same one we’ve been to 20 times already!)

It’s a Great Day

by alicemarks on July 31, 2011 in Adventures with children, Day trips with children, Experiences, Local Fun, QuickSmart, Travel games, Travel tips, Travel with babies, Traveling with Children with No comments

 

It’s a great day for an adventure – big or small.

It’s a great day to be spontaneous.

It’s a great day to get outside.

It’s a great day to show your kids the world.

 

Welcome to QuickSmart.

 

The QuickSmart blog is about being as light and mobile and agile as you can be with kids in tow.  It’s about treating your kids to new experiences outside the home. It’s about  managing your busy on-the-go lifestyle with ease and grace.

 

Traveling with children, whether locally or globally, can be intimidating.  But, with the right mindset, support and preparation, travel can be the foundation on which your children build a lifetime love of adventure.

 

Plus, new experiences help children develop a strong sense of self and a willingness to take risks and step outside their comfort zones that will last well into their adult years.  What more could we want for them?

 

At QuickSmart we know that life with kids can go from 0 to 60 in a matter of seconds.

 

We want to make sure that you never miss a moment of it.