How to prepare your kids before traveling

Getting your kids involved in the process, valuing their input and providing them some control will help them feel that they are part of the process rather than just travel accessories. Here are our tips to help you prepare your kids before traveling.

Make a kids travel plan

A kids travel plan is an itemized list outlining each step of an upcoming trip. The idea of travel can be overwhelming for kids. Breaking the trip up into sections, and outlining what will happen and in what order will help kids manage their expectations through each stage. Start with what happens before the trip (packing bags) what happens along the way (having a snack on-board the plane) and what happens when you finally arrive (riding in a taxi). Creating a set of expectations about what will happen can help kids get their heads around the process, especially if it’s their first flight. Structure the list in a way that is appropriate for your kids’ ages, but we recommend something like this:

Leaving the house
- first, we will wake up
- then we will have breakfast
- then we will call for a ride
- then we will load the bags into the car
- then we will drive to the airport
Arriving at the airport
- first, we will find our gate
- then, we will check our luggage
- then, we will go through security
- then, we will sit and have a snack

and so on.

> Download a pre-made travel plan <

Let kids select and pack their clothes

Set your kids up with their own carry-on cases (or if they’re too young for that, try their own personal items bag) and allow them to select some items they are excited about. Letting kids pick some of their clothes, and helping them pack items into their own case will make them feel as if they’re part of the process and allow them to feel included in the excitement. Engaging them in the process from the start is a great way to prepare your kids before traveling dates get close and things get hectic.

Have your kids create a to-do list

To reduce the reliance on screen-time, have your kids create a list of things they can do. Knowing in advance that they will not be watching episodes of their favourite show for the entire duration of the flight will help manage that expectation. Checking items off their to-do list helps with engaging them in each subsequent activity. Tip: once your kids have have spent an entire flight watching a screen, it’s very difficult to roll back. This is especially important if you plan on doing longer flights in the future and they have already associated flying with nothing but screen time.

Get your kids involved in planning

Spend some time before the trip talking about what will happen while you are away. Give kids some choices in which activities they will participate in. Even if they are only given the illusion of control, allowing them to select the order of things helps them feel that they have a stake in what is happening:

“Should we go play mini-golf or should we go build a sandcastle when we arrive?”

“Should we look for a snack or should we have a big meal when we arrive?”

Help kids roll with it

Sometimes, plans end up going pear-shaped. Help kids prepare for hiccups along the way by talking about being flexible. Explaining that unforeseen circumstances sometimes send things into a tailspin will help them to be ready to change plans when things are not going the way you had hoped. Include a ‘when things go crazy’ section in your kids travel plan to add in an extra level of ‘control’ even if things seem out of hand.

Looking for more ways to prepare your kids before traveling? Check out our article outlining How to Prepare your Kids for a Long Flight

How to prepare your kids before traveling