Many families will be traveling with kids for spring break and that can mean hours and hours in a vehicle, or in a busy airport or cramped plane — all of which mean extra planning.
Millions of families will vacation between March 23 and April 10 during peak spring break season. For families with young children taking along games, toys and practical items can make the vacation easier.
Local Passport Family, an active blog from a traveling family of six, recommends taking a mini sound machine, a travel bed for infants, a luggage strap, buildings toys like Legos and other items.
The travel blog Around the World with Kids provides recommendations on sleep schedules, screen time and tips to transition kids back home once travel is over.
Here are some travel hacks for the spring break season in and out of Michigan:
Around the World with Kids, a blog by a traveling family of four, suggests methods to help young children stay cognitively engaged and maintain a healthy sleep schedule.
The 1-to-1 rule means balancing between an educational or parent-chosen activity with a fun, kid-chosen activity to keep everyone happy. It also suggests setting technology boundaries by setting phone-free time.
“We will often all put our cell phones in the center of the table face down, mealtime is for socializing. Phones are allowed for audio tours and taking photos when in a museum or site, but not for watching videos,” according to Around the World with Kids. “And when in a foreign country, I do not allow them to have data. It was too expensive and by doing this we would keep them off the phones.”
Maintaining a healthy sleep individualized to early risers or night owls, and accounting for naps will help children optimize their energy during travel.
To avoid the post-vacation blues or the stress of returning home, the blog Around the World with Kids suggests the following:
According to the Local Passport Family, here are some unique accessories to make traveling with children easier:
For a long road trip, entertaining can be difficult in a limited space. Here are some hacks, according to the blog With the Blinks (another seasoned traveling family):
The blog also suggests making “every hour surprise bags.” This requires you to fill a bag with a different activity or item customized to each kid — such as a new book, fidget toy, fun pen, movie or any random toy — and revealing one bag per hour to keep the trip exciting.
Active For Life, a nonprofit, national organization based in Canada, suggests taking lunch breaks at parks or green spaces if possible to let kids burn off energy and use the toilet. If you’re traveling in Michigan, the weather may be unfit for an outdoor lunch at spring break, but it could still be helpful for those traveling out-of-state to warmer areas.
Safe Ride 4 Kids, suggests switching things up and having one parent sit in back with children to help keep them occupied.
For plane travel, messy snacks are not a great idea. TSA guidelines (for instance, liquids over 3.4 ounces are not permitted) and potential allergens (such as peanuts) for your kids or other passengers can narrow food options.
Here are some food options for flying according to bbox.com, a company that sells bottles and food containers for kids:
Here’s an assortment of road trip snacks recommended by Yummy Toddler Food:
It’s a good idea to pre-pack a variety of snacks in lightweight containers to make travel easier by avoiding limited roadside or airport options.
All passengers are required to undergo screening. However, TSA has developed modified screening procedures for children who appear to be 12 years old and younger, TSA says.
Security screening may include:
Contact Sarah Moore @ smoore@lsj.com

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