This is a post from Nicole Crone of Children are a Blessing
I’m not sure about your family, but mine really loves to travel! As a homeschool mom, I’m always on the lookout for fun, yet educational excursions for my crew to embark on. When we only had a few children, vacationing wasn’t too much of a logistical nightmare. Now with six (soon to be seven) children, sometimes we do things a bit differently such as getting a camper van. If you’re considering going on extended road trips or cross-country journeys, an offroad caravan from Prime Campers can make these trips more enjoyable and convenient. Vacationing with a large family has a few additional challenges. I would love to share some tips that I have learned along the way with you!
What we do on the journey…
- Packing: If I can, I combine several children’s clothing into one suitcase. I usually pack the “baby” of the family’s clothes along with mine. If we are staying somewhere for a week or longer, I try my best to book a condo with a washer and dryer so we do not need to bring as many clothing items. Thankfully my husband is a master organizer when it comes to loading our van!
- Snacks: We bring juice boxes along the way, which work as a drink for snacks and meals alike. A frugal way to separate snacks is to say, purchase a big box of crackers and then divide it into Ziploc bags instead of purchasing smaller snack sizes. If you are like us however, an entire box of snacks can be devoured in one sitting, so there is really no need for bags.
- Meals and Rest Stops: We try our best to stop at meal times only. Everybody makes a trip to the restroom, whether they want to or not. (On a side note, we most definitely stop if someone really needs to go!) We usually eat at a fast food restaurant.
- Entertainment: The older children bring books, and I bring a goodie bag for each child with a few of their toys. I also normally bring along a new $1 coloring book and crayons for each child under 10. Sometimes I will download a new children’s CD especially for the trip and surprise the kids!
What we do when we arrive…
- A few of the older children are designated to help dad with the unloading, while myself and the younger children stay out of the way. Things go much more smoothly when we do this!
- Before we arrive I usually already have a plan of action in regards to sleeping arrangements. Once I know the room configuration, I give the kids a heads-up so there is no complaining or swapping once we arrive. Also, we always try our best to vacation during the off-season. As homeschoolers, we have this luxury. Off-season vacationing means lower rates and smaller crowds!
- We usually make a run to the nearest grocery store for food items. Most trips we only eat out 2-3 times during the week. Unless we are at Disney World with a free dining plan! We do always do our best to find a hotel near Disney so that we are able to fully enjoy the day, and waste a lot of time coming and going. Those that are nearby are also really nice as well.
What we do during the bulk of our vacation…
- We look online and try to find nearby state parks and other similar attractions to visit preferably ones with portable restrooms. These places usually contain interesting natural or historical landmarks, and they are free!
- We set a souvenir budget for each child and try to stick with it. I’ve been known to splurge a bit if the “souvenir” is educational however. If we are going to a high dollar location, like an amusement park, I usually try to pick up some special items beforehand. The Dollar Tree and Michaels has lots of fun Disney merchandise for around $1.00.
- We have children that range from teenagers to toddlers, and so their interests vary widely. We try our best to stick together as a family, and we do activities for different age ranges each day.
On our way home…
- We try to copy what we did on our journey to the best of our ability!
We try to stick to the plan, but if things don’t go according to schedule we try not to sweat it! Enjoy your babies, enjoy your husband, and have a memorable vacation!
Really like all this stuff! Especially about the souvenirs, with a lot of children that can be a real drain on the budget.
Thanks for the kind words Brienne!
Great advice Nicole! I will definitely be applying some of your tips for traveling with our five little ones. We will {hopefully} be traveling internationally soon {to visit the USA from Israel}. With layovers etc, it will be 30 hours of traveling!! Thank you for this informative post!
That will be quite the journey! Thanks for sharing and I hope that you have a wonderful trip. 🙂
My oldest daughter and her husband took their two little boys (then ages 1 and 3) to Israel last year! The trip was exhausting, but they had a wonderful time.
That is awesome!
Very good tips! I have 6 children and any outing needed pre planning.
Congrats on the little one on the way.
Blessings!
Thank you Carlysa, blessings to you too!
We have 10 kids and have taken a lot of long road trips since my family lives 900 miles away. Some of them are grown and gone now, and this summer, I am taking just the youngest four by myself for a family reunion and memorial service. I wrote this post a few years ago about tips for trips: http://comewearymoms.blogspot.com/2010/06/tips-for-your-trips-planning-vacation.html
Last year, I took several of them on a three week trip with a lot of educational stops, like Luray Caverns, Washington D.C., Savannah, a fort, mountain hiking, etc. You can read our series here: http://virginiaknowles.blogspot.com/search/label/Traveling%20North
Thank you so much for sharing Virginia. 🙂
I love your posts on vaca’s, mom’s story and gardening. All very useful and creative. THANKS for linking up at Wonderful Wed Blog Hop. Carrie, A Mother’s Shadow
Thanks Carrie!
What fabulous tips!
I don’t have a large family but a lot of these tips are very useful.
Thanks so much for sharing (and for linking up to the SHINE Blog Hop).
Wishing you a blessed day.
xoxo
Blessings to you too Jennifer!
This is timely for me, as I’m getting ready for a road trip with 8 of my kids. Thanks for the ideas.
You’re very welcome Shecki, I hope that you have a fabulous trip!
You are making some great memories with your family. I posted here on how we vacation frugally with our large family. http://www.karentrina.com/2013/08/how-to-frugally-vacation-with-large.html
Awesome Karen, thank you for sharing.
There are definitely some wonderful free attractions around wherever you look. Of course, it helps that one of my favourite things to do in a new place is to wander and look around – definitely free, definitely fascinating! Trying to get the kids on board with that one is a bit trickier 🙂 . Planning a route through open areas (parks/gardens/beaches) where the kids can explore a bit more freely tends to help.
It’s too easy to be swayed by the glossy (expensive) brochures, but I prefer it when we remember to relax and just soak up the atmosphere.
So thrilled to find your blog! I am an adoptive mom of 14 children. We are attempting our first ever vacation as a family and your experience is very helpful to me as you understand the dynamics of a family of this size!