The SpecialMoms Parenting Magazine Issue 5 | Page 32

6 Ways To Keep
Children Entertained
When Traveling
By Marla Murasko

T

he holiday travel is over and for some of you; it might have been a
stressful time especially if you were traveling with little ones. However, if your family is seasoned travelers like mine is, you know how
important it is to keep your children as entertained as possible, so
you can keep your sanity
Traveling with young children can be a challenge, especially on long trips in
a car, airplane, or train – it’s really hard for them to sit in one confined position for a long period of time. The trick to
making traveling fun and exciting for children is to keep them entertained and their tummies full.
With boredom, comes restlessness, and with hunger comes crankiness. A combination of this can mean an unpleasant trip, not only for the children, but for everyone traveling together. If you take some time to prepare before
embarking upon a long traveling venture, you might have a much happier experience.

Here is a quick list of “must haves”:
1. Pack Travel Bags
Pack a travel bag specific to each of your children and
their needs. What do I mean by “needs”, if your child has
special needs like (autism or Down syndrome) you will want
to pack a variety of their favorite books, toys, games, sensory items (i.e., chewy tubes, weighted blankets, etc.), headphones (if your child needs
them for noise reduction or even just for the iPad), IPad/LeapFrog or some sort of
tablet and some other important items to remind your child of home like your child’s favorite stuffed animal, blanket,
and toys. Nothing comforts a child more than his or her favorite blanket and stuffed animal. Just these items alone can
make a big difference when traveling.

2. Bring Along Activity Books
Purchase some portable trays, so each child has his or her own personal activity center. Children can use these trays as tables when traveling.
Bring along new coloring books and other fun writing activity books that your child can
draw, write, and color in. Remember to also bring the colors, pens, and pencils along. The importance here is that these activity books are new. The reason for this is that your child will be
more excited and entertained with something new, than drawing books that have already been
marked up.

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