In a previous blog I wrote about preparing a grab and go bag, a bag you would use in case of an emergency where you would have to evacuate your home. Today I want to talk about a different grab and go bag. This bag is for traveling. The idea came from my own, duh moment yesterday.
Over the next few months I will be making frequent trips to New Orleans as I prepare to return home. On Sunday I met with the contractor to pick out colors for the wall, tile, carpet, kitchen cabinets and to take care of a few more odds and ends. Saturday night I packed Tyler’s travel bag and thought I had everything he would need for the drive there and back, plus to entertain himself while we were at the house.
When we were about half way there he yells from the back seat, “Mama where’s my coloring books? I see you packed crayon but where are the coloring books?” Well obviously in my haste I had not packed the coloring books. So as I continued to drive I realized I would need to make a travel bag for him when I returned home. Sort of like I did when he was a baby. I had so many diaper bags I was able to have one packed with all his essential supplies in case I needed to run somewhere right quick.
If you travel frequently with your kids (even if it’s just within the city) you might want to prepare a grab and go bag. Here’s what I am putting in Tyler’s bag :
(1) A few coloring books and a box of crayon.
(2) A drawing/doodle pad, pen and pencils- both regular and colored.
(3) A few small toys. He likes cars and little action figures and fortunately he has a ton of them so I can pack a few of them and he’ll still have some to play with each day.
(4) Word find puzzles. He loves this activity. I either create them myself or find ones on the Internet. I also have some in some of the workbooks I bought from the teacher supply store. I should have enough on hand to last at least 5 trips.
(5) Books and magazines. I have a ton of old Highlights for Children that I bought from the thrift shop. They are great because not only do they have stories but games and puzzles also. And we have enough on hand where I can put some in his bag and have some in the house for everyday use. Same for books. I buy a lot of books from the thrift shop and the library sale for pennies so we have more than enough for his grab and go bag and for use at home.
This should be enough to keep him busy. He also has a CD player and a Vtech computer that we take along. All I need to do is toss a few snacks in a bag, fill the cooler with drinks and we’ll be ready to roll.
For more tips on traveling with kids see also:
Traveling With Children- Learn From My Mistakes
Car Travel Tips for Kids