We are a military family with four children, ages 12, 11, 4 and 5 months, and travel a lot. What I have found when picking your hotel or camper park, pick one with a playground and/or a pool. This will help the little ones wind down after sitting in a car seat for a few hours. We also invested in several kids’ tapes — stories as well as songs — and this keeps them entertained better than you think. It also helps the smaller ones with word pronunciation.
We also keep in the van, at all times, a blow-up potty, which you can get from most baby catalogs. This, and a supply of plastic bags from the supermarket (don’t forget the toilet paper), will save you a lot of worry. We all know how bad public restrooms can be, and trying to get a small child to use the woods while camping can be impossible.
Snacks are a must — and don’t forget the wet wipes. If you can fit a small cooler with some bottled water in the car, do it! It’s a lot better than wondering if the local water is okay to drink.
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