How to Plan a Stress-Free Summer Vacation with Kids

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Scholastic. The opinions and text are all mine.

Are you ready for school to let out for summer?

I thought summer vacation was exciting as a kid. As a mom, I’m SO ready to let go of being responsible for making sure the school work gets done by the time the end of the school year gets here.

I’m ready for pajama days too!

Summer break coming also means it’s time to plan that summer vacation. Any mom will tell you that a vacation with kids is not a relaxing experience. It’s definitely fun creating those memories but it requires a lot of prep work to make it a good experience for everyone.

With 6 kids, I have plenty of experience planning for family vacations. We have to get a bit creative to make everything work.

First, let’s talk for a minute about WHY we take vacations even though they require so much prep work:

• We only get 18 summer vacations before our kids are off on their own. I want to make those count.
• We need to fill our kids up with good memories so they will have those to fall back on when they face harder things in life.
• Siblings need the chance to bond and summer vacations are a great chance to do that.
• Kids love to explore. What better way than getting out there and exploring the beautiful places there are to see in this world?

Are you convinced? Okay, now take a deep breath, and let’s plan that vacation. 

I was thrilled when Scholastic asked me to write this post because their  Can’t Wait for School Break collection has some great travel-related content to help you as you begin planning your trip. I found some great tips that I’ll be using myself with our summer vacation plans.

Don’t complicate things for yourself. Narrow down your planning to 4 questions:

How are you traveling?

Any parent will tell you that traveling with kids can get interesting. If you have younger kids, traveling by car with lots of stops along the way may be the way to go. Older kids may have an easier time traveling by plane. You could even take a cruise. Check out these great suggestions for family-friendly cruises that offer learning activities for kids.

No matter how you are traveling, make it easy on yourself and plan for some entertainment along the way. Scholastic has some great audio book recommendations for kids. We love listening to books while we travel. It does a great job of helping the time to pass faster and we get some great reading time in too!

What will you bring?

Packing is a massive job when you have kids. I start packing at least a week ahead of time so I make sure I remember everything we need. Set aside clothes first then add in those must-have items as you remember them. By the time your trip rolls around you will be ready for anything.

I put my older kids to work packing their own bags. Just a heads-up: if you are going to do this, be sure and check their bags before you go. We once made it to our destination before realizing one of my sons didn’t bring any pants other than the pair he was wearing.

Where will you stay?

Is your hotel kid-friendly? Call ahead of time and find out what activities they have available for kids. If you have younger kids, find out if you need to bring a portable crib or if they have them available.

My family really likes to camp because we don’t have to worry about finding a hotel big enough to fit all of us and my kids love to be outside any chance we get.

What will you do when you get there?

Have a rough plan for your trip but don’t over-schedule yourself. Leave plenty of time to explore and do things as the mood strikes.

I usually go with a list of activities we want to do on our trip. Schedule the ones that require more advanced planning and leave the rest up to whenever you get around to them. Check into fun local classes you can do together as a family (check out this list of free classes you can do on your next trip).

Disney Parks are a family favorite. That’s one case where the more planning you can do the better. if you haven’t been before, be sure and make a list of your must-do items. There’s so much to do that it’s easy to get sidetracked and miss out on something you really wanted to do. If you want to turn your Disney vacation into an educational experience, check out this list of educational attractions at Disney parks around the world.

What tricks do you have for planning a stress-free vacation with kids?

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Disney. The opinions and text are all mine.