RV Travel with Kids (Ways to Make it Enjoyable)

I believe that RV travel is the best way to make family memories.

For a planner like me, you can prepare ahead of time for what you will need. For the homebody, you have your home with you everywhere you go. For the cautious person, you can make adjustments to where you are going and what you are doing at the moment. If somewhere does not feel safe you can keep driving. If a storm comes through then you can travel in a different direction.

RV travel is flexible and easy to adjust. If something is not working out, you can fix it. You can change your plans to match your kids’ needs, your RV size, your budget, and your time.

Why does travel matter?

Traveling anywhere is a lot of work. Is it worth it?

What does travel teach us?

This will be helpful if you are wondering why travel matters: From a Cautious Homebody to an Adventurous RV Traveler
Pushing past my fear has given me so much freedom. I have learned so many things. My kids have experienced so much from RV travel. The lessons we have learned on the road have been valuable. (You can read more about that here: Personal Growth in Family Travel – Lesson Learned)
You can learn about how I discovered that being adventurous and in nature brings me back to myself: my radical transformation in London here.

So, you are ready to make amazing family memories… Now What?

Here are 8 ways to make RV Travel with kids easier and enjoyable:

Keep your basic rhythm/schedule from home.
- breakfast, activity, lunch time, nap time, activity, dinner, bedtime routine… etc.
- What rhythms and routines work at home for you and your kids?
- When are the anchors of your day? Keep those in place on your trip as much as possible.
- See this article for more on this: Rituals, Routines, and Rhythms – What’s the Difference?

Bring what you need to keep this basic routine in place.
- high chair, bath toys, special blanket, sound machine for bedtime…
- You know what those important routines are, bring the stuff.
- Including familiar items in your trip will bring a sense of security for your kids.
- Think about things that your little ones enjoy and bring what you can.

Plan your adventure activities for the time of day when your child is the most active.
- See the waterfall, visit with friends, or go on the boat ride when they are alert and ready to participate.
- Go on the hike with the kids when they are most awake and ready to do something.
- Include them in the adventure. Ask them questions, teach them how to read a map, or lead the group on the path.

Plan something enjoyable for yourself during afternoon naptime.
- A book to read, a craft project to work on, prepping dinner with some music, a podcast to listen to…
- This small piece of planning can add to your trip in a wonderful way instead of create resentment and frustration.
- In this way, adventure time and downtime can be great part of your trip.

Have the mindset that you will not be able to see it all.
- You will be limited in the activities you can do with small kids. But you will also be surprised at how much you can see and do with them.
- You can come back someday and do more. There is no rush to do it all this trip or even that day.
- The Scarcity Mentality is a trap. Don’t let yourself get stuck there.

Give each other a break. Trade off caring for the kids.
- Take walks alone or put on headphones and check out for a while.
- Plan alone time in advance so that each adult can have space and time to themselves before it gets to be overwhelming.
- Have unstructured time at the campsite to just relax.

Take candid photos throughout the day.
- This time is special. All of it. The child quietly eating oatmeal in a camping chair, the leaves with the sun shining through, and the beautiful hike.
- Be observant of what is happening around you. Small wild flowers, weird signs, and kids covered in dirt. Try to capture what you can without expectations of the perfect photo.
- See this for inspiration: a photography portfolio that my daughter Mary has created
- Make sure that you are in some photos too. You are on this trip too. Even if you do not look your best, get in the photo. You will be glad later that you are featured in the moments captured.

At bedtime, get some space from the kids and be together as a couple.
- Use your RV home as an opportunity to spend time together.
- Talk about goals and dreams, share silly stories, sit out at the campfire and look at the stars, drink mugs of hot chocolate, listen to a podcast together, and snuggle in bed.
- These are all things that we wish daily life had time for. Use your trip to make it happen.

I found these helpful and inspiring too:

What’s It Like TRAVELING WITH KIDS in an RV? : from Less Junk, More Journey. https://youtu.be/QW061x5rxt0

from KYD about scarcity mindset: You can not do everything but you can still have a great trip. https://www.keepyourdaydream.com/10daytrips/

What concerns do you have about traveling with your kids?

How can you bring some routines from home that will encourage your kids to feel comfortable?

What are some places you would love to travel to?

Where do you wish you could visit in the next 6 months?

Wherever you decide to go with your kids, I hope that you make beautiful memories!

Happy Camping! – April