Justin and I love to travel. We’ve been to about half of the National Parks together. It’s part of who we are and what we do. When we had kids, we knew that they would be our little adventure buddies and couldn’t wait to start showing them the world. So that’s what we are doing.
Traveling with little kids isn’t always pretty. It’s messy, unpredictable, and almost always slower than you planned. Snacks spill, naps get skipped, and there’s at least one moment on every trip where I think I lose a tiny bit of whatever sanity I have left. Like the time a guy was running to catch a flight through the Charlotte airport when my toddler decided to chase him down the people mover….all while my husband was in the bathroom and I was also carrying an infant with our carry on luggage nearby.
But here’s the truth: traveling with kids is one of our favorite parts of parenting.
The hard moments are never the whole story. Most of the time, they’re not even 1% of the story. For every meltdown, there’s a moment of wonder—the first time they see a waterfall up close, the way their eyes light up watching bears walk by (from a distance of course), or the questions they ask while staring at a mountain bigger than anything they’ve ever imagined.
These trips are about so much more than just checking places off a list. They’re about teaching our kids (and reminding ourselves) what really matters:
- That the world is so much bigger and more beautiful than our daily routines. God is an artist and the world is his masterpiece.
- That the best memories happen when we are out doing life together.
- And that stepping outside our comfort zone—whether it’s a trail or just the long car ride there—is worth it every single time.
What we’ve learned about traveling with little ones
We started traveling with young children in the middle of COVID, when our firstborn was only 6 months old. Since then, we’ve taken dozens of road trips and family adventures—learning a lot along the way (mostly by doing it imperfectly).
If you’re planning a trip with babies, toddlers, or young kids, here are the top family travel tips we’ve learned from experience:
1. Expect Everything to Take Longer—and That’s Okay
From breastfeeding breaks to toddlers who can’t match your hiking pace, traveling with kids naturally slows you down. But that’s not a bad thing—it helps you notice more, connect more, and live in the moment.
2. Kids Feed Off Your Energy
One of the biggest travel lessons we’ve learned? If you’re relaxed, they’re more likely to be. Children are intuitive. If you approach travel with a calm, flexible mindset, they’ll adapt much more easily. If you’re getting frustrated about being stuck in traffic or a flight being delayed, they’ll notice. But if you embrace it as part of the journey, they will, too. Last year, we got stuck on the tarmac so long that we ended up missing our connection and getting “stuck” in Phoenix for about 20 hours. We rented a car, drove to Saguaro National Park and had a blast. It was definitely not part of the plan, but we made the most of it and everyone had so much fun.
3. Kids Learn Fast
Our kids quickly learned that long car rides are just part of the adventure. Now when we tell them we’re heading out on a 10-hour drive, they know what to expect—and they roll with it better than most adults. They’ll ask us how many hours left and even if we tell them 5 or 6, they’ll respond with a “that’s not bad” and go back to whatever they were doing.
4. The Best Travel Plans Are the Flexible Ones
Sometimes you arrive and the place isn’t what you hoped—maybe it’s too crowded, too buggy, starts raining, or just not the right vibe. Being willing to pivot is one of the most important family travel strategies. It started pouring on us at White Sands National Park earlier this year, but they still go out and rode sleds down the sand dunes for a little while. Not as long as planned, but we saw, we conquered, and shifted gears to something a little more dry.
5. Snacks Fix (Almost) Everything
From flight delays to missed exits, snacks are your best friend. We keep easy, mess-free snacks on hand at all times. They’ve saved us in everything from airport delays to roadside tantrums. We always pack a ton of snacks if we are driving from home or immediately hit up a Costco, Target, or Walmart when we land. This saves us time and money.
6. Watching Them Discover the World Is Worth Every Challenge
This is the why. Seeing your kids explore new places—their wonder at giant trees, desert sand, a moose crossing the road, a waterfall up close—makes every hard moment worth it. They feel the breeze of a new climate, taste a new food, touch unfamiliar plants, and live the lessons we could never fully explain in a book. This, to me, is one of the best feelings in the world.
7. It’s Not About Perfection—It’s About the Memories
Family travel isn’t always smooth. But the goal isn’t perfection—it’s shared experiences, problem-solving together, and building memories your kids will carry forever.
For the mama reading this and wondering, “Should we go?”
Yes. Go.
Know that just like any day with littles there may be meltdowns, but that’s just part of the experience. Like the old saying goes, “The days are long, but the years are short.” You only get so many years with them being little – don’t wait to start the adventure.
Your Turn
Tell me: where’s the first—or next—place you’d love to take your little ones? Drop it in the comments below!
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