The Best Souvenirs for Kids

By my best estimates, my 18-year old has been to over 3000 different gift shops in his life. We've taken Trevor to all 50 states (several of them multiple times) and approximately 30 countries. In each, we visited multiple cities and countless attractions. There are souvenir shops in every airport and many hotels. There are stand-alone souvenir shops all over the place in cities with a lot of tourism. In the last decade, our family has averaged 35 museum visits a year; almost all have gift shops. I get that most people don't travel as often as we do, nor do they pack as many different activities into a single day. But consider this: there are 279 places to shop in Florida's Disney World. A multiple-day Disney trip can mean literally hundreds of opportunities for kids to ask for a souvenir. And the vast majority of Disney souvenirs are not cheap. If we had bought Trevor a $5 souvenir at every gift shop he's visited, we would have spent over $15,000. That is, obviously, insane. 

All this to say, between the family travel we've done and the many students I took on field trips over the years, I have a lot of experience with kids and souvenirs. Based on that, I think the best souvenirs for kids are:

• Unique to the area and not something you can get at home
• Small enough to pack in your existing luggage
• Sturdy enough to survive the journey home (especially if you're flying)
• Inexpensive 

T-shirts, flags, refrigerator magnets, and keychains are common choices that fit my criteria. But there are two options that deserve the title of Best Souvenirs for Kids.

Postcards

Postcards are a fantastic souvenir. They're cheap, sturdy, small, and widely available. There are almost always lots to choose from. Kids can keep them pristine, or jot heir favorite memories on the back. They can carry them home or buy a local stamp and mail them home. Kids can store their postcard collection in an album or shoebox, making it fun and easy to remember all the great places they've traveled.  

Coins

Coins are another fantastic souvenir for kids. If you're traveling internationally, have your child collect coins in the local currency. It's fun for kids to try to collect each value of coin, replacing the ones they have with shinier, prettier versions as they come across them. Coins are inexpensive, easy to transport, virtually unbreakable, and unique to the area. 

If you are traveling domestically, kids can collect pressed pennies. You can't beat the price for this souvenir: 51 cents. I recommend carrying shiny pennies and plenty of quarters; nearby shops will sometimes give you change for the machine, but not always. Pressed pennies come with the added fun of choosing the design, turning the handle, and watching as the penny is pressed and falls into the slot. Back home, kids can store their pennies in a cute piggy bank or in a special pressed penny album with the theme of their choice (affiliate link). 

-------

No matter what you purchase (or don't) when traveling, the very best souvenirs of all are the photos and the wonderful memories. Happy travels!

The Best (and Worst) Ways to Travel with Kids

New parents discover almost immediately that going somewhere with kids and going somewhere without kids are as different as night and day. Even ordinary errands become a production when there's a baby or toddler involved. Vacations, even more so. Choosing the best mode of transportation can have a huge effect on how much you and the other adult(s) enjoy the trip. 

While I've titled this post "The Best (and Worst) Ways to Travel with Kids," there is no one choice that is universally better or worse. Many factors contribute to making different modes of transportation more or less appealing for your specific situation. I'm drawing on a lifetime of traveling with kids, first as Miss Jones (taking students to destinations within California and across the country), then as Aunt Cindy (traveling with nephew Timothy and, eventually, niece Allison), and now as Mom. I've traveled with kids in cars, buses, planes, taxis, trains, ferries, ships, and trams. Below are my thoughts on the pros and cons of traveling by plane, car, ship, and train.

---------

Traveling by Plane

Pros to Plane Travel:

The obvious advantage to traveling by plane is that it is much faster than every other option. Trips that would take days or even weeks take hours instead. Planes can be very exciting and magical for young children. Families with young children get preferential boarding, which can be nice.

Cons to Plane Travel:

Pretty much everything about plane travel, besides the speed, is a giant pain in the neck with young kids. You have to limit the amount of things you bring, depending on the specific airline's policies. Security lines and waiting at the gate are hard for kids who are excited to get on a plane. Once they're on the plane, it is cramped, they can't move around, and your own trip becomes all about making sure the kids don't disturb everyone around them. Preferential boarding can mean spending an extra 30+ minutes in cramped seats. Installing a car seat on a plane is not easy; having a lap baby is not particularly comfortable nor safe. Changing a diaper on a plane is a nightmare; the only thing worse is dealing with a newly potty-trained preschooler on a plane. Oh, when a baby's ears hurt and he's too busy screaming to take a bottle to relieve the pressure - that's pretty terrible, too. 

The Good News:

In my experience, flying with toddlers and preschool-age children is the worst. Babies are relatively easy. Once kids hit school age, they are much better air travelers. Trevor and I have flown together without Steve a couple of times; by age 10, flying with Trevor was no more difficult than flying with an adult companion. Flying across the country with a plane full of 5th graders wasn't a problem either. Everything changes when they can entertain themselves and don't need an escort to the bathroom.

Traveling by Car

Pros to Car Travel:

The best thing about car travel is that you can go at your own pace. If your child needs frequent stops to run around, or use the bathroom, or you need to change a diaper, or whatever... it's not a problem. You can stop. You can set your own schedule and take whatever route you want. There are no limits on what you can bring with you, as long as it fits in your car. You don't have to worry about the kids disturbing others; they may drive YOU crazy, but at least you won't have strangers glaring at you if the kids aren't perfectly behaved. Car travel is usually cheaper than plane, train, or ship travel when you have 3+ passengers. 

Cons to Car Travel:

Car travel can be slow, particularly if you're making frequent stops to let a squirmy child burn off energy. The seats are still cramped and you can't move around while you're traveling. Kids get bored; babies want to be held. Breastfeeding is impossible. (Ask me about the 8-hour drive we took when Trevor was an infant and I had to manually pump in the car nearly constantly and feed him bottles. Better yet, don't. I'm suppressing that memory.) 

The Good News:

Just like with flying, car travel with kids gets much easier as they get older. By the time they're school age (and in some cases, sooner), kids can easily entertain themselves in the car. (If you don't want them using electronics and reading causes motion sickness, audiobooks are a lifesaver. Our family is all about audiobooks during car travel.) Better bladder control means they can use the bathroom during stops you'd be making anyway, versus the newly-potty-trained kid who needs to go randomly with 15 seconds of notice.

Traveling by Ship

Pros to Ship Travel:

Traveling by ship (and by that I mean a ferry, steamboat, cruise ship, etc.) can be a great option with kids. The biggest plus is that there is space to move around and no need to keep kids buckled into a confined space. Kids enjoy watching the water and exploring the nooks and crannies of a ship. The bigger the ship, the more there is to explore and do. On a cruise ship, there is almost always a kids' room with tons of toys and games and organized programming. Unlike on a plane or in a car, being on a large ship is like having a floating hotel that takes you from place to place while you do whatever you want.    

Cons to Ship Travel:

With young children, safety is a major concern with ship travel. Obviously, you need to watch them closely around railings, stairs, and all the places you normally would on land... with the added factor that the movement of a ship can cause even sure-footed kids to slip or fall. Newly walking toddlers may struggle keeping their balance on a ship. Trevor went on his first cruise just after his 1st birthday. We had a good time, but it was less than ideal. It was so frustrating to see all the cool amenities, activities, etc. that we couldn't take advantage of because we had to watch our toddler. We were welcome to use the kids' room, which was nice, but we had to stay with Trevor. Most lines don't let you drop off children until they are at least three. We had no idea Trevor was afraid of foghorns, but he screamed in terror every time one sounded, which was frequently as we sailed out of San Francisco. We had to majorly overpack diapers and other baby supplies, as we wouldn't be able to get those onboard if we ran out.

The Good News:

Once your child is three and can be checked in and out of the kids' room, traveling by cruise ship is awesome. And it only gets better as the kids get older. Parents can have a few hours to relax and kids can craft and play and run around with others their age. Typically, kids' rooms are open for 3 hours in the morning, 3 hours in the afternoon, and 3 hours in the evening and you're free to use any or all of that time. 

Traveling by Train

Pros to Train Travel:

Traveling by train combines one major benefit of airplanes (exciting for most young children) with the freedom to walk around as needed and not stay confined to a seat the whole time. Unlike air travel, there is virtually no security to deal with, and thus no long waits in long lines, and you're free to carry on liquids and that yogurt your child loves that planes won't allow. There is a lot to see from a train, and many children are lulled to sleep by the motion. Even when you are seated, most trains have much roomier seats than airplanes, and they often have tables for games, coloring, or other play.  

Cons to Train Travel:

Train travel tends to be quite expensive. Unlike with a car, you can't determine your own schedule or pull over when you want to stop. You still have to make sure the kids aren't disturbing other passengers. The bathrooms are not great for changing diapers or supervising potty-trained preschoolers.

The Good News:

As with everything, train travel is much easier as your kids get older.

---------

I'd love to hear your thoughts about transportation options when traveling with kids. What's your favorite (or least-favorite) and why?

How to Choose a Hotel

I spend a lot of time researching hotels for our travels. I want to make sure we are staying at a place that will allow us to have the best time possible, which means balancing price, location, and amenities. Different considerations go into choosing a hotel for our family vacations than when Steve and I travel to celebrate our anniversary, or when I attend a conference by myself. But regardless of the occasion, I use the same steps to find a hotel.

---------

1. Location, Location, Location

My first and most important consideration is location. I open Google Maps to the city we're visiting, then search for all the museums, monuments, etc. we'd like to visit. If we're staying in a city that is pedestrian-friendly or has great public transportation, I look for hotels that are near where we want to be. If our destinations are spread out and we'll be traveling to them by car anyway, I expand my hotel search accordingly.

For example, when we visited Omaha, I knew we would be visiting the Joslyn Art Museum, Bob the Bridge, Lewis & Clark Landing, and the Durham Museum, so I started my hotel search in the downtown area.

Once I narrow down the part of town where I think we want to stay, I use Street View on Google Maps to "walk" through the neighborhood surrounding our potential hotels. I'm looking for red flags: bars on windows, run-down properties, and businesses that don't fit my definition of family-friendly. I'm also looking for green flags: cool restaurants, wide sidewalks, interesting public art, and a family-friendly vibe. 

2. Price

I'm assuming that if you're reading this, price is a consideration for where you stay. (If not and you feel like sharing the wealth with your favorite blogger, please let me know. Unless I'm not your favorite blogger, because it would be mean to tell me that you'll be giving money to your favorite blogger, but that it's not me.) Anyway, price. 

After I've determined ideal and acceptable locations, I type "Hotel" into the search bar and adjust the dates for our travels. This gives me a sense of the ranges of prices for the city during my desired dates. As you can see, Omaha is quite affordable with hotels in the downtown area ranging from $67 to $143 per night.

By hovering over the prices, you can see the number of stars that hotel has, as well as one or two of its desirable amenities. That $143/night hotel is a 3-star hotel, Embassy Suites by Hilton. It offers free breakfast and guests rate it 4.2 out of 5. 

The Embassy Suites sounds good, but check this out. Hotel Deco offers free breakfast and has the same 4.2 rating, but it's a 4-star hotel with free wifi for only $107/night. 

So why is Hotel Deco cheaper than Embassy Suites? Google Maps answered that for me too. The Embassy Suites is located right by the headquarters of Conagra, plus it's really close to Omaha's trendy Old Market district. Hotel Deco is 7 blocks away. 

Of course, make sure you're comparing apples to apples. Embassy Suites has a bedroom separate from the living room and sofa bed, which is really nice for families. We don't need that if it's just Steve and me. It's also important to consider amenities when comparing prices. How much does wifi cost at Embassy Suites? What's the cost to park at each of the hotels? Think about what other amenities or policies are important to you so you can compare true costs. A free shuttle is great when we're traveling without a car, but useless if we have our own car. 

Also, know your deal-breakers. Our family will not stay in a hotel that allows smoking, even if it means paying twice as much somewhere else. 

3. Reviews

I never, ever book a hotel without reading reviews, usually on Trip Advisor. I take all reviews with a grain of salt; most people don't leave a review unless their experience was outstanding or horrific. But there's a lot to be learned from reading reviews. One terrible review may mean nothing, but if 90% of the reviews mention dirty rooms, I'm not going to book at that hotel. Conversely, if there are a bunch of complaints about the hotel's bar closing really early, I wouldn't hesitate to book because I don't care about hotel bars. 

4. Loyalty Programs

If, after going through the three steps above, I am still debating between hotels, I let their loyalty programs decide. Most hotels fall into one of five groups: Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott, IHG, and Wyndham. When all other factors are equal, we choose a Hilton property because of the loyalty perks. Our second choice is Marriott or IHG. 

---------

So where did we end up staying during our Omaha trip? We picked Hotel Deco and it was AWESOME. You can read all about it here. 

Best FREE Family-Friendly Factory Tours

When I was a kid, I was obsessed with the Hershey’s chocolate factory in Oakdale, CA. We passed by it when we drove to our cabin, and my parents were happy to stop and take the tour any time it was open. That was the problem. Tours were only during business hours on weekdays and never on holidays. When did we go to our cabin? When school was out... weekends and holidays. We toured successfully about 8 times over the years before Hershey left Oakdale. Each time was incredible. I loved smelling the chocolate scent that permeated everything, watching the machines make row after row of perfectly aligned Kisses, seeing the rolls of foil transform into wrappers, and eating the samples. I thought it was magical getting to watch how something I loved was made.

I still love factory tours as much as I did when I was a kid. Steve and Trevor love them too. Visiting them is a priority for us when we travel. The only thing better than an awesome factory tour? A FREE awesome factory tour. Below are seven of our favorites.

---------

Jelly Belly Candy Company (Fairfield, California)

There is so much to love about the Jelly Belly factory tour! The smell alone is reason to go. We live less than five miles away, so I can't even begin to count the number of times we've been there. Twenty? Probably more. They have special events at all of the holidays. When Trevor was younger, we always went to their annual Munchkin Masquerade, which is tons of fun.

No matter when you go, the tour is great. It's self-paced, with hands-on activities and challenges along the way. You get to watch all the stages of production. There are generous samples at the end of the tour, as well as at the Sample Bar in the retail shop. Don’t skip the cafe! Their jelly-belly shaped pizza and burgers are delicious, as is everything else on the menu. The retail shop has lots of great stuff for sale, but my favorite are the Belly Flops. These discount Jelly Bellies are a bit misshapen, but just as delicious as the others.

---------

Bob's Red Mill (Milwaukie, Oregon)

The tour at Bob's Red Mill was a highlight for me during our visit to Portland. The free guided tour was educational, interesting, and surprisingly hands-on. We loved working together as a group to identify beans (no bean experts among us, apparently!) and touching all of the exotic grains. Trevor got to grind wheat, which was really cool. We followed up our tour with lunch at their amazing restaurant at Bob's Red Mill Store- I'd eat there all the time if I were local.

---------

Snyder's of Hanover (Hanover, Pennsylvania)

We really enjoyed the tour at Snyder's of Hanover. The guided walking tour takes you to see the raw materials warehouse, the warehouse for finished product, the packing room, and the oven room, where the scent of baking pretzels is incredible. I was surprised to learn how many different products are under the Snyder's umbrella; they make a lot more than pretzels! We tried to stump our guide with all sorts of questions, but she was a walking encyclopedia who knew pretty much everything about Snyder's and their products.

---------

Utz Potato Chips (Hanover, Pennsylvania)

While you are in Hanover, don't miss the Potato Chip Trip at Utz. This self-guided tour lets you walk along an observation gallery and see the entire chip-making process from beginning to end. It was so cool seeing potatoes go in one end and packaged chips come out the other. We'd never tried Utz products before; after getting free samples, we're hooked!

---------

Celestial Seasonings (Boulder, Colorado)

I don't like regular tea, but I am a big fan of certain herbal teas by Celestial Seasonings. My favorite is Cinnamon Apple Spice - yum! The tour at Celestial Seasonings starts with serve-yourself samples of dozens of different teas. This is a great way to try new flavors without committing to buying a whole box. We each discovered some flavors we liked that we might not ordinarily have even tried.

After a video, then the tour goes right into the manufacturing facility. It is so interesting seeing all the raw ingredients and how they are transformed into products that are ready to ship. My favorite part of the tour is the Mint Room. Because mint is so strong, they have to keep it segregated in its own locked room so that it doesn't impart flavors into other types of tea. Entering the Mint Room is indescribable. Mint explodes at your senses in the very best of ways. It's like aromatherapy times a thousand. 

---------

Buffalo Trace Distillery (Frankfort, Kentucky)

It may surprise you that I'm including a distillery in an article about family-friendly tours, but Buffalo Trace offers an interesting and educational tour that is appropriate for all ages. I'm not a bourbon fan (and obviously, neither was 12-year old Trevor), but we enjoyed the tour just as much as Steve, who is a bourbon fan. You don't have to use the finished product to learn about how it's made and its role in the history of the area. Bourbon is an important industry in Kentucky and Buffalo Trace runs a top-notch tour. The tour ends with bourbon tasting and bourbon-filled chocolates; anyone who didn't want bourbon, for whatever reason, sampled root beer and plain chocolate.

---------

Tillamook Cheese Factory (Tillamook, Oregon)

Cheese is one of my very favorite foods and Tillamook makes some of the best. The farm exhibit is informative and interesting, but the best was seeing each step of the cheesemaking process on their tour. I particularly watching the huge blocks being cut into consumer-sized portions. And tasting all the samples. That part was awesome.

---------

We're always on the lookout for family-friendly factory tours when we travel. If you've been to one that's great, please let me know in the comments. Bonus points if the tour is free!

What I Learned from Traveling to Europe for the First Time

Our family just returned from an amazing trip to Europe, beginning in Rome and ending in London. We were gone for 17 days and visited 7 new-to-us countries. And one new-to-us continent, as this was the first time any of us had been to Europe.

If you've been reading my blog for any length of time, you know that the deRosiers travel fairly often. A lot of our travel has been within the United States (read about the progress we've made to take Trevor to all fifty states before he's 18), but we've ventured beyond our country's borders as well. Since Trevor was born in 2006, we've been to five Canadian provinces, five Mexican states, a handful of Caribbean islands, parts of Central America, and Colombia. And now, 7 European countries.

Here's what our Visited Countries Map looks like as of today, 4/26/19.

Make your own map here.

So while we did have experience with international travel (going through customs, using foreign currency, dealing with language issues, etc.) prior to our Europe trip, we weren't fully prepared for what to expect. Part of this is because I didn't do the planning. My parents treated our family and my sister's family to this trip in honor of my nephew Timothy's high school graduation. He picked the destination and my sister made the majority of the reservations for the nine of us. Kari did a great job, but without having done my usual extreme level of research, there were plenty of surprises in store for the deRosiers. But let me start from the very beginning (a very good place to start.)

Steve, Trevor, and I started out on Wednesday, April 3 with a flight from San Francisco to Frankfurt, Germany, where we would then catch a flight to Rome. Due to the magic of time zones, we left San Francisco at 3:00 pm, flew for 11 hours, and landed in Germany at 11:00 am on Thursday. Huge thumbs-up for Lufthansa, as they did an amazing job helping us adjust to the time change. They served us a delicious hot meal about an hour into the flight, then came around with free alcohol (!) which was quite a surprise. We didn't have any. We got a snack about an hour after that, then they turned off all the lights, covered the windows, and basically told us to close our eyes and go to sleep. They didn't interrupt us at all for about 7 hours, then abruptly turned on the lights, opened the windows, and fed us a hot breakfast. Even though my watch said it was the middle of the night and I didn't do much but doze off and on, it actually felt like morning when we landed! I totally didn't expect that.

When we booked our flights (one of the things Steve and I did plan ourselves), we thought that 1 hour and 20 minutes would be a perfectly fine layover time in Frankfurt. Our two flights were both with the same airline, so presumably the gates would be really close together. In our minds, we'd get off the plane, stretch, use the bathroom, walk to the new gate, and board the second plane. This is NOT what happened.

Some of you are already laughing about how stupid it was to plan such a tight layover. But for those who are as clueless, repeat after me: "I will NEVER allow fewer than 3 hours for an international layover in an airport I'm visiting for the first time."

So here's what actually happened: We got off the plane, luggage in tow because we'd opted to pack light and not check baggage. We tried to get on a shuttle that would take us to our departure gate (there was a gate/terminal change because of course there was). But the shuttle was crammed so full that not only could we not get on, but the shuttle couldn't move because the doors wouldn't close. Eventually some people got off, the doors closed, and the shuttle left without us. The next shuttle came a few minutes later. No problem - still plenty of time. We got off the shuttle and saw something horrifying: a huge, monstrous, snaking security line.

Never in a million years did I expect that we'd have to go through security to go from one gate to another within the airport flying the same airline, but we did. With our luggage, which I would have checked through had I known. We had about 35 minutes left when we finished with security... and then we discovered that we had to clear customs. ACK! We waited about 15 minutes, then finally got to the front of the line where the agent chatted with us in the distinctive way that airport security does to make sure we're who we say we are, entering the country for benign reasons. But that's the weird part! We WEREN'T entering Germany! We were trying to get on a plane to Rome. Why did we need to clear customs?!

With just over 10 minutes until our flight was scheduled to take off, we were sure the plane would leave without us. The customs agent told us we *might* make it if we ran as fast as we could. Of course, our gate was the farthest possible one away... and we were schlepping all our luggage. We ran until we couldn't run any more, at which point Steve and I took Trevor's luggage from him and told him to run as fast as he could to the gate and tell them we were coming. It worked; when Steve and I arrived at the gate, panting and sweaty and as disheveled as could be, the agents let us through.

We went down the gangway... but it did not lead into a plane. It led into a bus, which took off as soon as we entered and drove us to the gate next to our original gate! With mouths agape and sweat streaming down our backs, we got off the bus and onto our plane for the 2 hour flight to Rome. For the first time ever, I was one of those weird people who get on a plane and immediately use the airplane bathroom. I've always wondered why people wouldn't have gone in the much more convenient terminal restrooms. Now I know!

When we landed in Rome, we expected to have to clear customs. But no. We were so perplexed! We went through German customs to not stay in Germany, but didn't have to go through Italian customs to enter Italy? And then it hit us. We didn't go through German customs; we went through EU customs, which meant the flight from Germany to Italy was essentially a domestic flight, not an international one.

After 13 hours of flight time and the most stressful and calorie-burning layover ever, we were more than ready to leave the airport and start seeing Rome. I'll tell you all about our adventures in the Eternal City on Monday.

Using Leftover Diamond Dotz: Luggage Tag with Monogram

New luggage means a new luggage tag. It took less than 10 minutes to pull together cardstock scraps and extra Diamond Dotz to make a tag that perfectly matches my awesome new, inexplicably-inexpensive, purple suitcase. Make your own luggage tag! Affiliate links below.

---------

Luggage Tag with Diamond Dotz Monogram

Materials:

• clear plastic tag holder
• cardstock (purple and white)
• texture plate
• scalloped circle punch
• circle punch
• leftover Diamond Dotz and stylus from a kit
• craft glue

Steps:

Cut a rectangle of purple cardstock the same size as your tag holder. Cut a piece of white cardstock so that it is slightly smaller and run it through an embossing machine to add texture. Punch a scalloped circle from purple and a regular circle from white. Glue all the layers together.

Use the craft glue to write the letter of your monogram. Add Diamond Dotz along the glue line to make the letter. Then dot glue along each of the scallops and add Dotz. 

Write your contact info on the back (or attach a business card), then slide it into the tag holder. You're ready to travel!

Family-Friendly Road Trip Games

Growing up, my family took a lot of road trips. At least once a year, we headed north to the Seattle area where my grandparents lived. It took about 14 hours with an overnight stop somewhere in Oregon. We spent many weekends in Tuolumne County, about 2.5 hours from home, where my dad built a cabin. We took trips to San Diego, to Disneyland, to San Simeon, and to Tahoe. There were long rides to the various camps I attended over the years, as well as the countless 4-H activities across the state. Once I was in college, road trips with friends became a regular thing. During those long drives, we entertained ourselves with car games.

I'm actually headed out on a road trip today! My friend Jennifer is traveling to Pinners Conference with me and will be assisting during my presentation tomorrow. Our drive is about 450 miles and involves LA traffic, so there will be plenty of time to try all of these favorites from my childhood and beyond. 

ABC Game

The goal of the ABC Game is to find the letters from A to Z in order, using signs on buildings, street signs, billboards, etc. When you find a letter, you call it out (“A, Arby’s!”) and no one else can use Arby’s for their letter A. Move on to the next letter immediately. (“B, boulevard! C, California! D, donut!”) Usually, the letters J, Q, X, and Z are catch-up points, so keep your eyes peeled for a Jiffy-Stop, Quality Inn, railroad Xing, and a pizza parlor.

License Plate Game

The goal of the License Plate Game is to find the most license plates from other states (or provinces- we saw a lot of British Columbia plates during our drives toward Seattle). When you see a license plate that is not from the state you are in, be the first to call it out, then record it on a piece of paper. No one else can use that license plate for their list, but if there’s another car from that same state, that’s fair game for your opponents to use. If you call out a state incorrectly (by jumping the gun and guessing what state is actually is instead of waiting until you can read it), everyone else gets to put it on their lists. After the drive is over, the person with the highest number of different plates wins. Or, play cooperatively and work together to try to find all 50 states.

20 Questions

The goal of 20 questions is to correctly guess what item your partner is thinking of by asking up to 20 yes or no questions. I play that any time you get a “yes” answer, you get to make a guess, which does not count as a question. There is no penalty for guessing; if you’re wrong, you ask your next question. If you guess the mystery item correctly, record the number of questions you asked and change roles. The winner is the person who guesses the item using the fewest number of questions. If neither person guesses each other’s item before 20 questions, play another round in which the item you’re trying to guess must fit an agreed-upon category, like animals, foods, countries, etc.

Categories

Choose a category that is broad, like hobbies. The first person says something that fits the category and starts with an A. ("Astronomy!") The next person says a hobby that starts with B. ("Birdwatching!") Continue taking turns until someone can’t think of something. You may end up looping the alphabet. When someone is stumped, the opponent has the chance to steal. If the opponent can name something that fits that letter, he wins a point and you start with a new category. If he cannot, you skip that letter and the person whose turn it was moves on to the next letter. There are no challenges. If someone thinks xeroxing is a hobby, so be it. (Just be sure to offer xeroxing as suggestion of something fun to do any time he asks, for the rest of his life.)

I Spy

Choose an object that you can see, such as a bus. (Avoid choosing something that will be gone or you'll have passed by the time your opponents guess.) Announce, “I spy something that starts with B.” The other players take turns asking yes or no questions. They can use their question to guess what the object is.

Song Challenge

Choose a common word, such as star. The first person has to sing a line from a song that includes that word (“Twinkle, twinkle little star”) and then the next person has to sing a lyric from a different song (“When you wish upon a star..”) Continue until neither person can think of another song, then the person whose turn it was picks a new word.

I'm Going on a Picnic

The first player thinks of a food that starts with A, then announces, "I'm going on a picnic and bringing an apple." The next player repeats the sentence, then adds a food that starts with B. ("I'm going on a picnic and bringing an apple and broccoli.”) The next player says, “I’m going on a picnic and bringing an apple and broccoli and caramel. Continue through the alphabet or until someone messes up. 

Alliterative Names

Work cooperatively to name as many celebrities as you can who have alliterative names (Charlie Chaplin, Ronald Reagan, Tim Tebow). There are a lot!

Bingo

Before you travel, make 5x5 Bingo cards. Fill the spaces with things you might see on a road trip, like a police car, a windmill, a train, or a hotel. As you travel, mark off what you see using post-it notes. The person who gets five in a row first wins. Remove the post-it notes and play again.

Mad Libs

Before you travel, write a story about the things you’ll be doing on your vacation. Remove several words per sentence, replacing them with a blank spot. Under each blank, indicate what part of speech you removed (adjective, verb, noun, etc). When you’re on the road, have people suggest words for each blank, then read the new version of the vacation with the silly words they’ve chosen.

Add-a-Word Stories

Tell a story cooperatively - one word at a time! The first person says a single word, then the next person adds a single word that could follow logically. Keep taking turns, trying to add words quickly so that the story sounds smooth.

Song Memorization Challenge

Sing along with a lyric-heavy song. If someone messes up, start over! My personal favorite for this game is The Gambler, though We Didn't Start the Fire is a great if you're up for a challenge, as is American Pie. Good times.

Dots

I can’t play Dots in the car because I get carsick, but it’s a favorite of mine on trains or waiting at restaurants. Draw a grid of dots as big as you want, but preferably at least 8 x 8. One at a time, draw a single horizontal or vertical line between two adjacent dots. Take turns drawing lines until someone draws the fourth line that completes a box. When that happens, that person puts their initial in the box and takes an extra turn. That extra turn may allow them to complete another box, and then another. Be careful not to draw the third line on a box so that your opponent can’t complete a box! Keep going until all the boxes are filled in, then count up how many each person has to find out the winner.

Name that Tune

Put your playlist on shuffle. See who can be the first to identify each song as it comes on. Listen to the whole song, or skip ahead to the next one as soon as someone names it correctly.

Movie Synonyms

Think of the name of a famous movie, then change the important words to synonyms. (“Gone with the Wind” could become “Absent with the Breeze.”) Take turns thinking up a movie and trying to guess.

7 Important Tips for Traveling Successfully with Toddlers

First, let me state the obvious: I don't have a toddler. But I used to have one. Before he turned three, Trevor had visited two foreign countries (Canada and Mexico), three states (Alaska, Hawaii and Washington), and numerous places within his home state of California. As I've been preparing for my presentation about educational family travel at Pinners Conference, I've gone through my packing lists, journals, and scrapbooks and have been reminiscing with Steve about our baby/toddler travel experiences. I thought I'd share with you some of the things that worked for our family to make travel with our toddler as pleasant as possible.

I took this photo of Trevor in 2008 when he was two. I remember thinking what a great traveler he was already, confidently navigating the hotel hallways while pulling his own suitcase. That brings me to Tip #1.

#1 Give Your Toddler a Suitcase

Yes, it's one more thing for the adults to carry when the toddler randomly decides he is done pulling his own suitcase. Fortunately, that almost never happened with Trevor. He loved his suitcase. Having his own suitcase (a hand-me-down from his beloved Big Cousin, Timothy) let him have some say in what toys to bring, gave him something to do while I was unpacking at a hotel, and made him feel important and included. I had him watch me pack his essentials into his suitcase at home, then showed him how much space was left for books, stuffed animals, and other small toys. When we'd get to our destination, I'd give him a drawer or other location so that he could keep busy unpacking (and thus stay out of my way while I unpacked everything else).

#2 Overpack Diapers

Perhaps you heard about the passengers stuck on a train in Oregon for 37 hours and their efforts to cobble together homemade diapers after parents on board ran out? It goes without saying that you do not want this situation. We had our own diaper nightmare during a family reunion in San Diego. Trevor was on antibiotics for the first time and they affected his tummy (to put it delicately). He blew through our full supply of diapers for a 5-day trip (based on a worst-case scenario plus 10%) within 2 days. Steve went out at 4:00 am to try to find a place to buy diapers and discovered our rental car had a flat tire. Fun times. It may be annoying to bring home extra diapers you'd packed, but not nearly as annoying as having no diapers and no way to get diapers. 

#3 Pack the Thermometer and Infant/Child Medications

Even if you're sure you won't need them because your kid is never sick, please do yourself a favor and pack both the thermometer and medications. The advice nurse is going to want to know your toddler's temperature when you call in the middle of the night (ask me how I know). You may think you can buy medicine if necessary, but that is not always the case. When Trevor had a major allergic reaction while camping, there was no nearby Walmart to get children's Benadryl. And when your child's face is inexplicably swelling, you'll wish you had the antihistamines on hand. Or the meds to bring down their fever. Or whatever else randomly happens while traveling. It's definitely better to be safe than sorry.

#4 Embrace Your Toddler's Schedule

When traveling, it is not convenient to stop everything in the middle of the day for naptime. Know what else isn't convenient? Temper tantrums. Know that your toddler is going to need sleep when you want to be out exploring, or a meal at a time that makes no sense to you, or a diaper change as soon as you board public transportation. (Don't even get me started on the horrors of traveling with a very recently potty-trained toddler who gives you 15 seconds of warning before it's too late). Do what you can to plan your activities to be flexible and accommodating, and definitely plan for naps, quiet time, downtime, and routines.

#5 Car > Train > Plane

I am not a fan of car trips. I don't like spending time getting to where we're going; I just want to be there already. I abhor sitting in the back seat to entertain a bored and squirmy toddler who wants out of his carseat and doesn't understand why he's stuck in the car. Therefore, you'd think that I'd advocate plane travel with toddlers. And I do... if you're crossing oceans or headed somewhere for such a short time that it would be impossible to drive there and back. But if given the choice of a 1-hour flight compared to a 6-hour drive, I'm going with the drive if there's a toddler involved. Driving allows you to overpack (like diapers - see Tip #2) and bring along all sorts of other things that you'd leave home if you were flying. Driving allows you to stop and change a diaper whenever you want. (Ever changed a diaper in an airplane bathroom? *shudder*) Driving allows you to stop at parks and rest stops and get out and run safely and without bothering anyone. Driving means not having to deal with setting up your carseat on the airplane, or checking the stroller, or convincing security that they need to let you carry milk on the plane, or begging your recently potty-trained child to just go potty now before we get on the plane because the captain isn't going to let us out of our seats to go until the plane is at cruising altitude and even then there might be a line.

In my opinion, trains are the middle ground between cars and planes when it comes to toddler travel. There's usually room to move around and no need to stay buckled up every second. There's plenty to watch and places to explore. Diaper changes are still a problem, but so much better than planes. But, you can't stop when you want to and you can't seriously overpack. Trade-offs.

#6 Bring New Toys and Tiny Snacks

I would have lost my mind on some of our early trips if not for two things: new toys and tiny snacks. First, new toys. Before traveling, I would wrap up unfamiliar toys (a combination of new items, toys borrowed from friends, and old things Trevor hadn't seen in a long time). Every 30 minutes or so, he'd get to unwrap something.

I'm a big fan of tiny snacks (Cheerios, raisins, Puffs, etc) for toddlers because picking things up one by one takes a lot of time. Tiny snacks can double as an activity when you're stuck in a car or a plane, as well as once you've reached your destination and have to keep your toddler entertained during waits.

#7 Reserve the Crib Ahead of Time

Hotels and cruise ships have cribs for you to use. However, they do not have enough for more than a handful of families to be using them at the same time. You don't want to find out once you arrive that someone else is using the crib you'd counted on. Call ahead and reserve a crib if your toddler needs one.

---------

I am so glad that we traveled while Trevor was young, because I think it's helped develop him into the great traveler that he is now. Steve and I have so many good memories of those early trips as a family of three (and we're doing our best to block out the bad memories - like that San Diego trip!) Traveling with a toddler is not for the faint of heart, but nothing about life with a toddler is for the faint of heart, right? Any tips to add? I'd love to hear what has worked for your family.

Capitol Bingo

Our family is on a quest to visit each of the 50 states before Trevor is 18. Whenever possible, we include a visit to the state's capital city and the Capitol building in that city. When I posted 13 Helpful Tips for Visiting a State Capitol with Kids, our family had been to 20 of the 50 Capitol buildings. If all went as planned, we visited our 21st earlier this week!

Some of the Capitols have word searches, crossword puzzles, and other kid-friendly activities for families to print and bring with them when they visit the Capitol, but many do not. I challenged myself to create a printable that would work regardless of which state capital you visit. It was tough, but I came up with this bingo card. Of course, it could be done competitively, but I envision using it cooperatively as a family, with a prize (something small from the gift shop?) for the kids getting either bingo or blackout. 

Next week I'll be sharing all about our recent travels to the capital of the Lone Star State, including how we did completing this bingo card in Austin!

8 of the Best *FREE* Museums for Families

“You get what you pay for.” Sometimes it is true, but not always. In our travels, we’ve discovered that the price of admission to a museum or other attraction does not always correlate with its value. We’ve visited expensive places that were short on content, poorly maintained, or otherwise disappointing. But more often, we’ve visited inexpensive or free attractions that were beautiful, interesting, educational, and very entertaining.

The 19 museums of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC are famously free to visit and you're probably already aware of them, so I haven't included them on the list. Instead, this list of 8 of our family’s favorite FREE museums includes lesser-known treasures that I think you'll love.

Joslyn Art Museum: Omaha, Nebraska

Picture a huge building made of pink marble with Art Deco details with a magnificent staircase leading to the entrance, an inviting wading pool out front, and sculpture gardens throughout the grounds. That’s the Joslyn Art Museum... and that’s just the outside! Inside you'll find gallery after gallery of works by some of the world’s most famous artists. Add in an amazing hands-on children’s creative space and you have a museum that will have you asking, “How is this free?!” again and again.

American Printing House for the Blind: Louisville, Kentucky

This museum is amazing. It is full of hands-on interactive exhibits that showcase the innovations and inventions that have aided the blind. We loved writing and typing our names in braille, navigating with canes, and solving puzzles only by touch. On certain days of the week, you can also tour the factory where braille books are created. We were there on a Saturday and the factory was closed, but the museum kept us entertained for hours. 

Arizona Capitol Museum: Phoenix, Arizona

The Arizona Capitol Museum is a two-fer: you can tour the Capitol and visit the museum housed in the Capitol and never pay a penny. Both are full of interesting artwork, artifacts, and more from Arizona history. Step outside and stroll through the Wesley Bolin Plaza and Park to see memorials honoring prominent figures and events from Arizona history.

Air Mobility Command Museum: Dover, Delaware

In 2017, we paid $30 for our family of three to visit the outstanding Strategic Air Command and Aerospace Museum in Ashland, Nebraska. A few months later, we visited the Air Mobility Command Museum in Dover, Delaware and paid nothing. The two museums were similar in content and we thoroughly enjoyed them both. We’d definitely recommend paying to visit the SAC Aerospace Museum, which makes it all the more impressive that the Air Mobility Command Museum is free.

US Mint: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Everyone likes money, right? Watching money being made and learning about its history is so interesting... and it doesn't cost any money to do so! Our family loved touring the mint in Philadelphia, but the one in Denver, Colorado is excellent as well. (P.S. Independence National Park, that includes Independence Hall and the Liberty Center and a dozen other buildings, is free to visit as well, but it doesn't fit my criteria of lesser-known museums. The Mint barely does. Definitely visit both.)

Toledo Museum of Art: Toledo, Ohio

The main portion of the Toledo Museum of art is awesome and well worth a visit on its own, but it's the glass that puts the museum on my Top 8 list. The collection of glass objects (housed in glass exhibit halls) is one of the most comprehensive in the world. It's beautiful, historically important, and  absolutely fascinating. 

Washed Ashore: Bandon, Oregon

This museum is small but awesome. From their website: "Washed Ashore builds and exhibits aesthetically powerful art to educate a global audience about plastic pollution in oceans and waterways and spark positive changes in consumer habits." The artwork is absolutely amazing. Artwork is displayed indoors and out, with plenty of activities indoors as well. Go to Washed Ashore. 

West Virginia State Museum: Charleston, West Virginia

The West Virginia State Museum is one of the best museums I’ve ever visited and the fact that it is free is remarkable. It is fully immersive; you actually feel like you are walking through history as you move from room to room. There are 26 different discovery rooms, each with lots to do, see, and experience. Allow plenty of time at the West Virginia State Museum!

What do you think? Any free museums you've visited that should be added to my list?

13 Helpful Tips for Visiting a State Capitol with Kids

Since 2014, our family has visited 20 of the 50 State Capitol buildings. I've learned a lot during those visits and have 13 tips to make your family's Capitol visits as fun, educational, and hassle-free as possible.

Sacramento, California

There are many excellent reasons to visit Capitol buildings when you travel. First, and perhaps most obvious, visiting a Capitol is very educational. Even if you don't take a tour, simply entering the building and poking around a bit reveals so much about the history, economics, resources, and values of that state.

Des Moines, Iowa

But whenever possible, take a tour. Many Capitols offer guided tours and they are always free. I've often called ahead, but none have required reservations for a small family group like ours. Most tours are geared toward kids 4th grade and up. If your kids are 10+, definitely take guided tours whenever they're offered. They often take you into parts of the building that are off-limits without a guide. 

Lincoln, Nebraska

When a guided tour isn't available, ask at the information booth about a self-guided tour. Most states will provide you with a guidebook that tells you everything you'd hear if you were on a guided tour. 

Boise, Idaho

Check the website ahead of time to see if there are special activities for children. We've found scavenger hunts, trivia questions, I-Spy challenges, crossword puzzles, word searches, state symbols coloring pages, and all sorts of other printable materials for kids of all ages. Sometimes there's a small prize for completing them.

Salt Lake City, Utah

Start and end your visit in the Welcome Center, if there is one. This is where you'll find hands-on activities that make the Capitol come alive for kids. By visiting first, they can preview some of what they're going to learn on the tour. Afterward, they'll appreciate the games, models, and toys more after seeing the information firsthand. 

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

When you visit, be sure to tour the grounds as well! Some Capitols have beautiful gardens, interesting statues, inspiring monuments, and other surprises. You'll likely find squirrels, birds, or other local wildlife, too. (We've seen bunnies more than once!)

Charleston, West Virginia

Be prepared when you visit a Capitol. Security varies widely from state to state; you can walk right in to some, others have metal detectors, and some have security that is similar to what you'd experience at the airport. Carry photo ID - passports are best. Leave pocketknives and similar items in your hotel room or in the car. 

Columbus, Ohio

Talk with your kids about the architecture of the Capitol when you visit. Some resemble the US Capitol, with house chambers on either side of a central rotunda with a dome. Others look completely different. See if you can figure out what or who influenced the design. 

Santa Fe, New Mexico

Hunt for art throughout the Capitol. You'll find it all over the place, and not just in frames hanging on walls. Check the carpets, door knobs, stair rails, and other fixtures. Look at the ceilings and check the elevators. You might be surprised with what you find. 

Carson City, Nevada

Don't skip the gift shop! It's a great place to find inexpensive souvenirs from the city you're visiting, like a state flag (typically about $3), a pencil, a postcard, or locally made candies or other edible items. 

Phoenix, Arizona

If you want your visit to be 100% free, skip the gift shop and stop by the information desk to get a souvenir stamp from your visit. Each state has one. You don't need to buy the book in order to get the stamp (although we love ours). 

Annapolis, Maryland

Virtually all Capitol buildings are open to the public during normal business hours. Many are open for limited hours on the weekends as well. Check the website ahead of time to determine when a particular Capitol is open. (Typing "visit ____ Capitol building" will usually bring you to the relevant page.)

Denver, Colorado

Expect construction, be flexible, and allow plenty of time. About a third of the Capitol buildings we've visited were under construction at the time. It makes sense, as many of the buildings are well over 100 years old and under constant use. Allow plenty of time to find your way to the entrance, as it might not be where you think it is due to construction!

Indianapolis, Indiana

Figure out your parking ahead of time. Many Capitol buildings are in the heart of a major city, which means parking can be limited. Some have underground parking, others have designated lots for visitors, and some have ample street parking nearby. I almost always call or email to ask where to park. Knowing ahead of time has saved us money, reduced stress, and eliminated bickering about where to park. Better yet, consider public transportation. Capitol buildings are a major destination no matter what city they are in; you can usually find a bus, tram, light rail, etc. that will take you there. 

Dover, Delaware

Our family has had so much fun visiting the Capitols. We've enjoyed each and every one we've toured. Ideally, we'll make it to the remaining 30 someday. I hope I've inspired you to plan a Capitol visit for your own family!