I try not to be the parent who hands my kid a tablet the second we turn the car ignition on or buckle our airplane seatbelts. Even in a small seat there are more ways to entertain yourself than with videos and computer games. But the older tween traveler gets …

Costa Rica is a popular destination for families because it’s budget-friendly, relatively safe, not a long flight and has lots of light and moderate adventure opportunities to suit kids of every age. For this Costa Rica packing list I’m drawing on my experience traveling to Costa Rica with *Costa Rica …

We’ve taken some pretty long road trips as family travelers. Six hours to Montreal, seven to Pittsburgh and more than nine to the Outer Banks, just to name a few. We are those crazy parents who try to avoid handing our child an electronic screen the second the key is …

Once we’ve settled into our back-to-school routine our family loves fall daytrips and weekend getaways. The crisp, cool air that finally rolls in is perfect for hiking, bike riding, touring a city or even taking a walk on the beach. Sturdier shoes and cool boots are Autumn essentials for moms. …

Men are hard to shop for. If you ask them what they want they often can’t tell you, And they have knack for going shopping for themselves right before Father’s Day or Christmas or their birthday to buy that exact thing you were planning to get (or had already bought). …

I always enjoy going to baby shows and seeing all the new gear for parents, especially the items that supports parents who want to get out, travel and be active with their little ones. Here are some of the best new products to help you with eating, sleeping, diaper-changing and …

Staying organized and packing efficiently is one of the biggest challenges to traveling with kids. A good bag—durable, well designed and washable—helps tremendously. No one needs all the suitcases, carry-ons and daypacks we list below, but one of them might be just the thing you need. We chose them because …

I have my list of absolute travel essentials (sun screen, passport, etc.). And then I have my list of things I can live without but are awfully handy to have along. These are the things that justify their room in my suitcase or tote bag by making travel a little …

Summer shoes: My daughter puts her favorite pair on in early May and when I pry them off her feet in late September they’re almost falling to pieces. Summer footwear has to play a lot of roles. Kids need their shoes to be cool and comfortable. Schools and camps want …

Icelanders like to say there’s no such thing as cold weather; it’s just a matter of dressing properly. Winter family travel opens up all kinds of possibility from visiting popular cities in the quiet off-season to getting outdoors together at snowy resorts or spending a pre-Christmas weekend in your favorite …

Taking photos is a big part of being a mom or dad, especially during family vacations. It’s pretty common to upgrade to a better camera when you become a parent so you can capture all those amazing family memories of summer beach getaways, winter skiing, city weekends and more. Whether …

Christmas shopping is now in full swing. And while you might have the kids covered, it’s your husband or wife you’re probably still worrying about. No fear! Here are 18 great gift ideas for the men and women in your life who travel for fun or work (or both!) Twelve …

All year long I keep my eye out for great travel electronics, toys, crafts and games for toddlers, preschoolers, kids, tweens and teens for our annual gift guide. These 19 items are ideal presents for the coming holiday season. Engaging kids while you’re traveling from one place to another is …

No matter how much we go away with our kids and what our destination might be, Moms are never completely on vacation. We still spend a lot of time taking care of everyone else and scrambling to take care of ourselves. So smart shortcuts matter. Anything that let’s us carry …

I have discovered that sandals can be a mom’s best when she heads out on a family summer vacation. The right sandals are cute and comfortable. They go with jeans, shorts and sundresses, keep your feet happy when you’re sightseeing all day and look stylish enough for that cute café or …

A beach-house vacation is perennially one of the most popular types of vacations for families. It’s easy to see why: The beach provides free entertainment for the kids. A kitchen gives families the flexibility to cook as much as they want to. If you get a rainy day every has …

One of the first things I did when we started traveling as a family was to buy a very large suitcase. For many of our trips, it’s easier to manage one big suitcase than keep track of several smaller ones, especially in those early days when you have an active …

Need more packing list? Look at out our basic packing lists and cruise packing list. Download this printable summer essentials packing list Moms pack for the kids, for the plane or car, and ready the house. Somewhere amid all that, they hope to have time to throw a few things into the …

When you start traveling with a child or two or three your budget expands pretty quickly. Additional airplane tickets, larger hotel rooms and bigger restaurants tabs add up. If you don’t plan your budget well and stick to it, you could wind up spending more than you’d planned too — …

Handheld video games. For some parents they are genius inventions that make long trips with kids possible. For others, they are a dreaded last resort. Still, when you’re traveling there are always long flights and stretches of driving. There are unforeseen delays and cancelations and traffic jams. And in those …

Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hannukah or something else entirely, December is gift-giving season, especially where kids are concerned. In our house we think about where we’ll be going and how we’ll be traveling in the next year before we shop for gifts. A laptop travel desk, M Sasek’s clever This Is …

You might also want to use our beach packing list I love the beach. I grew up being carted to one of Long Island’s many long stretches of beach once a week. And try to head there with my own child almost as often. Beach getaways haven’t changed much since …

I always travel with ziplock plastic bags (often Ziploc but other brands, too). Some leave the house filled with things, but I usually toss 3 or 4 empty ones in my suitcase and carry-on or backpack, too. They’re handy for organizing, separating dirty and wet things from clean and dry …

We recently went out scoping travel products for new moms, and found a half dozen strollers we wish were available in our days of traveling with a very little one.  Our general rule for airport/train/subway strollers is that you should to be able to close them with one hand and a …

Every trip I’ve ever taken has begun with a decision about what I will carry. Will I take a big old suitcase or carry-on? Do I want a stylish purse or a functional shoulder tote. Do I have something that’s both? Will I need an evening bag? Of course my …

My ideal travel craft materials are versatile, easy to pack and inexpensive. I spend a lot of time actively seeking out good ideas for art projects and products we can take on the road (our Take section is proof of that). But sometimes I just stumble across a great art supplies …

Whether it’s summer vacation or the holiday season on the horizon, it’s certain that far-away relatives will start clamoring for you to hop on a plane and fly home for a visit with your little one—again. They seem oblivious to the headaches of holiday travel or can’t believe you would really …

What are your favorite kids’ apps? Share your suggestions below! When we travel, handing the tablet or iPhone over to Tiny Traveler is a last resort. But on long drives or flights, we eventually run out of other things to do. But there are thousands of apps for kids. Some …

I love books. So do my husband and my daughter. We use fiction and non-fiction books to learn about places we visit.  And we rely on stories to learn about places we have not yet gotten to.  A good book can give kids a sense of place and expose them …

My mission as a traveling mom is to pack as little as I can get away with (which sometimes isn’t little at all). But I will always make room in my suitcase or my car for clever gadgets and devices that really do make getting there and getting around easier. …