Turn Your Toddlers into Travelers

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How to turn your toddlers into travelers?  Here is how I did it.

A few years back, in June of 2002, to be exact, friends and family thought I was crazy when I decided I was going to fly to Europe with our 3 children (aged 2, 4, and 6 years) by myself. My plan was to meet up with my husband, who at the time was working in Germany, and spend two weeks driving Germany and Austria. Friends were truly amazed that I would even think to bring toddlers on a plane, let alone on the flight to Europe.

For me, it was natural. Travel is one of the most important things you can give your children. I never really entertained the idea that taking our kids on a long trip would be a major issue and began to make plans. We had already made several long drive trips from the time they were infants and planes from the East Coast to the Midwest. I planned to make this trip special and do a few things that I felt would make our children the best travelers!

How did I make our toddlers the best travelers ever? Here are some of the things I incorporated into our two-week European adventure.

Make them a part of the planning process. Even at 2 years of age, your toddler should be allowed to express opinions of things they may want to see and do. Going to the library to pick up books about the area is a great help. Look through books, create an image of the trip. For example, we knew we would see castles in Germany, so we read stories such as Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty.

Introduce them to the language. I always think it is a courtesy to learn some of the words and phrases of the country you visit.  It doesn’t matter the age. We started learning German at home before our trip. I found a great children’s learning system, Muzzy. It is a cartoon story that engages the children and is all in the country’s language. We actually have it in German, Spanish, and French.

Include activities that make everyone happy. When planning our trip to Germany and Austria, we did a mix of things we as adults wanted to see and added fun things for the children. Some of the things we included for the children were LEGOLAND, amusement parks, and even a zoo.

Treat them like “big” people. Each of our children was given their own little backpack. They had their own camera, their own notebook, crayons, pens, pencils, cards, and small activity books in the pack. The cameras were one of the best things, as each child was allowed to snap pictures of whatever they liked. Our two-year-old was such a trooper. She hardly ever used her umbrella stroller.

Plan your time appropriately. Does your child still take a nap? Think about that when planning your outings. Think about the pace of each day and how much time you will be on the road or doing a particular activity. Remember to keep an eating schedule. When we planned this road trip, we never drove more than 4-5 hours in one day, and we never stayed less than two nights at any city stop.

Remain calm and positive. Kids will feed off the energy you give off. Even the best-laid plans can end in a toddler meltdown. Take a deep breath. This, too, shall pass. Remember, after all, it’s an adventure. Stuff happens, and it is that stuff that makes your trip memorable.

Are you ready to turn your toddler into a traveler?

 

 

Originally published November 2014; updated May 2021


Lisa Rossmeissl is the owner of Boomerang Escapes, a home-based agency located in Old Bridge, New Jersey with agents in TN, MS, and WI. 

She has been a professional travel consultant since 2008 and specializes in Australia and the South Pacific. Australia, New Zealand, Tahiti, Fiji, and Cook Islands are among the specialist certificates she holds.  Her agency’s focus is on creating custom itineraries with their client’s wants, desires, and budgets in mind.  She and her planners believe in getting to know the traveler to ensure they have a vacation to remember.  With each planner specializing in a different market area, Boomerang Escapes can offer a wide variety of leisure vacation planning.

Lisa RossmeisslTurn Your Toddlers into Travelers
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How Many Summers Do You Have Left?

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No summers left for me. My kids have left the nest. The years went by so much faster than I ever imagined they would.  Yet I remember all the special summers and things we did. Things seemed slower then. I particularly remember what was probably our largest summer trip. I spent a year planning it.  The kids were only toddlers, the three of them aged 2, 4, and 6 years.   I had planned a two-week driving trip in Germany and Austria for our little brood. It was the summer of 2002.  I can still see the shock on Cullen’s face when a goat decided to charge at him at the fence, the wide-open mouth of my youngest as she came down the rodelbahn with her dad and the look of astonishment on my oldest daughter when we slept in a castle just like the princesses in her fairy tales.  It was an incredible experience in so many ways.  We continued to have summer trips, some small, some large, some abroad, and some in our own backyard throughout the years. Truly moments I will forever cherish.

So how many summers do you have left?  How many summers have you taken that vacation?  There are many reasons why you should not skip it.  It doesn’t have to be far away or grand either to receive the gifts you get when you take time to vacation with your children before they are on their own.  Here is a list of my top reasons to take that summer vacation with your kids before their 18 summers are gone.

Discover Something New- You don’t have to go far to try new things or even learn new things.  I remember one summer with the kids where we actually were home, and I took boxes from the move and turned them into a make-believe airplane and suitcases. With help from books from the library, we traveled the world that summer in our very own backyard.

Appreciate The Ordinary- Something as simple as lying on your back looking up at the stars can so easily be achieved with a quick weekend camping trip.  I remember several of ours that took us to Arkansas and to Kentucky areas not far out of Memphis, where we were living at the time.  Nothing truly beats sitting by a fire with a marshmallow on the end of a stick.

Get Fully Submerged-When your adventure takes you away, get involved with the culture of the area. Join in a ritual or a dance. Learn some of the languages. Eat the foods they eat. Mingle with the locals. You and your children will be richer for it.

Be Silly-We are so serious when we are in our day-to-day. Work, school, and life’s mishaps. Vacations are the perfect time to let the laughs happen.  And even better, catch it on film and in pictures.   I can’t tell you how many photos we’ve gone back over to laugh at a moment in time.

Time is ticking. Summer is coming. Where will your vacations take you before your 18 are gone?


Lisa Rossmeissl is the owner of Boomerang Escapes, a home-based agency located in Old Bridge, New Jersey with agents in TN, MS, and WI. 

She has been a professional travel consultant since 2008 and specializes in Australia and the South Pacific. Australia, New Zealand, Tahiti, Fiji, and Cook Islands are among the specialist certificates she holds.  Her agency’s focus is on creating custom itineraries with their client’s wants, desires, and budgets in mind.  She and her planners believe in getting to know the traveler to ensure they have a vacation to remember.  With each planner specializing in a different market area, Boomerang Escapes can offer a wide variety of leisure vacation planning.

Lisa RossmeisslHow Many Summers Do You Have Left?
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