Over the years we have done a lot of traveling with our girls. Before our youngest was born we traveled so much that our older three had visited 22 different states in just a few short years!
Prior to our most recent trip, one of our favorite states to visit was hands down Wisconsin! I know, it sounds crazy to be completely in awe of Wisconsin…but it’s absolutely GORGEOUS! Since our last trip I have to say Florida is in the running for the fave state {outside of Missouri of course ;)!}
We recently took a trip, a 22 hour road trip {that’s a whole other post lol} to Florida. We loaded up our four girls plus our niece and hit the road for a little vacay…ok a long vacay, we took two whole weeks off! And boy did we LOVE every second of it! We didn’t do the whole Disney thing, instead we explored everything else Mid-Florida had to offer. We got to see and swim in some AMAZING beaches {if you’re ever in Florida you HAVE to stop by Flagler Beach! You won’t be disappointed!!}, explored the wildlife conservation areas, roamed with the dinosaurs {ok, not really but we did stop by a really cool dinosaur exhibit that the girls loved}, had a blast at SeaWorld Aquatic, and visited some pretty fun museums.
Here are some tips and tricks to keeping your sanity in the hotel with the little ones…
SNACKS
Fed kids are happy kids. I know, it kinda goes against parent rules to let your kiddos snack often but when on vacation, those rules don’t apply. Have fun, let loose, and let them eat the snacks:)! Trust me, you will thank yourself for this one.
FORTS
Fort building is a MUST when you’re in a hotel. Typically we bring our own blankets and pillows when staying in a hotel so there is an abundance of fort making things around the hotel room. Most hotels have little side tables, a chair or two, a night stand, and of course a bed. If you have kiddos you probably have two beds and the space between is a PERFECT space for fort building. Just lay a long blanket or sheet from one bed extending to the next and viola you have built the perfect cave for your kiddos to enjoy! Bring along flashlights and you will be mom of the year in their eyes. This is my absolute most favorite fun activity our girls do to keep themselves busy in a hotel…actually pretty much anywhere! They are fort building machines!
GAMES
Our girls love playing cards. Their favorites are rummy, solitaire, go fish, and trashcan. All can be played with a single regular deck of cards {you can pick up a two pack at the dollar store for a buck!}. If your kiddos aren’t into cards or aren’t old enough for cards there are lots of quieter board games out there. I suggest bringing games that have very little pieces. Here’s a list of board games with few to little pieces.
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Guess Who
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Sorry
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Yahtzee
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Checkers
A list of non-board games you can play
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Pictionary {we use small dry erase board for this}
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charades
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wall puppets with flashlights
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hide and seek in the dark {this is one of our kiddos favorite games}
SWIMMING
Most hotels have swimming pools these day. While we were in Florida our girls practically lived in their swimsuits the whole two weeks! If we weren’t at the beach or exploring the town we were in the pool. We bought some inexpensive pool noodles and floaties for the girls and it made swimming even better! Although wearing a swimsuit, and I’ll be honest summer in general, isn’t really my favorite thing, we had a lot of fun hanging out in the pool. Our oldest daughter mastered her swimming skills and the younger three got even more comfortable with water. By the end of our vacation they were little tadpoles!
OUTSIDE PLAY
If you are lucky enough to strike this hotel GOLD take advantage of it! Our hotel in Florida had an AMAZING grassy oasis that was perfect for the girls to run around and be kids. On nights we’d get back to the room too early for bed my husband and I would sit on the patio enjoying an adult beverage while the girls played and chased tiny lizards {surprisingly they caught several of those quick little guys}.
I will say this is very rare. Out of all the hotels we’ve stayed in this was one of the few that has had this outdoor area.
ELECTRONICS
I know you are saying to yourself ‘I don’t want my kiddos mindlessly in front of the electronics’ but like with everything, things are good in moderation. If it’s been a crazy day and you really need some quiet time turn on the tv and let the kids enjoy a movie while you catch your breath. You’ll be glad you did.
