From Tracey Frost Rensky, CEO, Citibabes     
1.  Airline children’s meals. Did you know that many airlines – including Qantas, United and South African Airways – offer special infant and children’s meals? Be sure to pre-order these yummy, child-friendly meals when you make your ticket reservations.

2.  Always bring something new that your child has not played with yet and surprise them with it for the long journey. They will be entertained for hours!

3.  Always, always pack extra clothes for the long flight. Bring things that you can layer, like leggings and cotton t-shirts and don’t forget to pack some extra items for yourself.

4.  But don’t pack too much, that will only add to the burden. Remember, take just the necessities. Often, I cut down my list 3 or 4 times before I actually pack.        

5.  Don’t underestimate the power of your child’s favorite book! This will come in handy when you’re trying to get your child to sleep in a strange place at a strange time.

6.  DVDs. If you do watch DVDs, make sure to buy a portable DVD player with the longest battery life possible. Get your children excited about your destination by learning a few words of the local lingo with language videos during a long flight, or by watching a movie like The Sound of Music or Mary Poppins.

7.  Travel activity kits! Citibabes’ prepackaged fun packs come with everything you need to keep children occupied for hours: a coloring book, activity pad, crayons, bubbles and a puzzle. 

 8.  Create a travel journal. Before we leave, I buy my children blank art journals and print out maps to paste onto the pages. During the trip, we collect mementos like receipts, ticket stubs and brochures, and our children take photos to glue into their journals. Not only do the pages allow for days of work and creativity (and some quiet time!), a travel journal makes a wonderful keepsake for both children and parents.

9.  Bring some simple open-ended materials for sculpting and play. My children love using aluminum foil for sculpting animals or creating mini works of art. Another favorite is pipe cleaners. Simple and easy to transport, these can also be used again and again to make anything from jewelry to little characters and wacky sculptures. They are also great arms and legs for your aluminum foil sculptures.

10.  But most of all have FUN! Travel is a great way to connect as a family, enrich your children’s lives, foster a lifelong love of travel and make memories that last a lifetime!   

Going to New York City soon? Contact me to give your kids a free day at Citibabes!