Our trusty sun tent on vacation in Kauai at Ke'e Beach.

Just last week while exploring Kauai’s most kid-friendly beaches, my hubby and I had to marvel how well this pop-up sun tent has traveled and served our family (we’ve actually brought it to Thailand and Mexico, among other places)—and how we’d definitely recommend bringing one to any family visiting Kauai with young children.

Sure, expecting your toddler to spend his entire beach time playing in a UV-protective tent is unrealistic at best. But the 10 minutes he may play “sand hotel” in there are just the beginning.

On this last trip alone, our tent:

• Helped keep sand and sun off of snack bags, backpack and camera case as we snorkeled and frolicked in its front yard.
• Sheltered our entire family of 5 (cozy!) when the winds picked up and we shivered in our wet bathing suits.
• Gave a rain-proof place to stash our things (those snacks, camera) during occasional tropical cloudbursts during an otherwise glorious afternoon at Ke’e Beach.
• Served as a convenient changing cabana for even for my husband of 6 feet (no, not while standing).
• Gave shade to my over-sunned shoulders and back while my legs stuck out begging for more.

In the past, it’s also served as a shaded and private retreat for breastfeeding at the beach, and a kid or two has managed a nap in there, as well as said husband of 6 feet, with his legs stuck out begging for sun, naturally. Want a convenient place to change baby right on the beach—without getting the sun or sand in his eyes? It’s ideal.

Buying tips for your sun tent: There are a variety of pop-up sun tents available like this (click here to browse several pop up sun tents on the market), but ours has been just the right size to swivel-fold into a disc of only 1-2 inches thick to stick in the bottom of the suitcase without adding much weight. Your best bets will include a window or two for ventilation when desired and sand pockets to help keep it grounded in a gust—I don’t recommend relying on stakes in the sand and with small kids at play. Besides, they love helping to fill the sand pockets as you set up.

 Note: The sun umbrella shown above made a great covered porch for our tent up until the breeze picked up. After chasing it a few times and not finding a good way to anchor it in sand I gave up on it.

Find more tips for planning beach vacations with small children in Chapter 2 of  Travels with Baby, and find practical advice on having fun in (spite of) the sun with young children in Chapter 7.

Have you used a pop up sun tent on vacation? Think one might make the difference in your upcoming travels?

Previous post: Dressed cute for a cause in Kauai

Related: Great products and gear for travel

Safe journeys,

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Tangram tiles travel easily, require no batteries, and can be used to make flat images or stacked for a 3-D effect.

In case you haven’t heard the buzz, it’s “Screen-Free Week,” and I have to say that, while I’m not above using videos to help keep kids entertained during travel, so far we’ve managed to keep it to a minimum–and I like it that way. But guess what? This screen-free week we’re setting out on a 5+ hour flight!

No, I’m not taking a vow to do the entire flight screen-free. The one time I find screens most helpful is on airplanes, where it’s not so easy to keep little ones entertained looking out the window and even I shy away from bellowing out those “easy songs to sing” I recommend for road trips.

Truth is, going screen-free on airplanes these days is hardly an option. There’s often a screen implanted in front of every single passenger on the airplane, and you’ll likely be instructed to stare at it at least during the flight safety instruction. Fortunately, children’s programming is available on these flights, though not all of it is great.

Nevertheless, 5+ hours straight of TV is too much sitting still and staring for any child. So here are some of our screen-free favorites for passing time in the airport and on the airplane, which help young kids use their hands and imaginations in constructive and travel-friendly ways.

1. Tangrams. These usually wooden tiles are available in so many sizes, shapes, and colors, with sets suitable from children 3 years old and up. While there are many kits or box sets available in travel-friendly sizes (Melissa & Doug pattern blocks shown here), my kids have most enjoyed having a baggie full of the pieces and a booklet of animals to make. They follow the patterns as well as create their own imaginary scenes, sometimes laying the design flat (like this fox) and other times stacking them for a 3-D effect. Click here to see some of the tangram puzzle sets available.

2. Wikki Stix. If you haven’t yet added Wikki Stix (or similar product) to your travel toolbox, these can be a great activity with no mess or clean up required (just don’t let that cute Wikki Man melt into the dashboard of your rental car, ahem). They are bendable, reusable, and can be used to make simple flat designs, or rolled and wrapped to make 3-dimensional objects. Most sets include idea cards that show simple ways to make a design. This activity set is ideal for travel with a small board, set of wikki stix, and all pack into a travel pouch. Recommended for children 3 years and older. Click here to see more Wikki Stix sets.

3. Travel Doodle Pro (Tag Along). If you missed my ode to the travel-size Doodle Pro earlier this year, you can click here to read in detail (and rhyme) how it’s helped our family, saved my sanity, and yes, inspired poetry.  Just imagine what it might do for your family! As you can see, it’s handy for even the youngest scribblers and is always ready for more. Click here to see the line-up of travel-size Doodle Pro drawing boards.

4. Log cabin art with coffee stir sticks.

This one is free, reusable, compostable, and so much fun that you’ll have a hard time not building one on your own tray table. Don’t forget to swipe a handful of complimentary wooden stir sticks from the airport cafe before your flight (with plenty of extras for yourself). See more in your copy of Take-Along Travels with Baby or in this post.

5. Crayola No-Mess Watercolors. I first recommended these in this post, where you can read more about these brilliant paints. For best results, don’t let your child use them at home or until well into your flight, when the freedom to paint feels most unexpected–and appreciated! Pack along a spiral drawing pad or just use airline-issue napkins. Click here to see more Crayola No-Mess products you may like for travel.

Want more screen-free alternatives to help keep your kids busy during travel? There are dozens of tips, ideas, and inspiration in Take-Along Travels with Baby.

Wish us good luck on our next flight, and here’s wishing you the best on yours!

Previous Post: Photo Fave: Tree of Life at Arenal Lodge, Costa Rica

Safe journeys,

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Not your Nana's nursery rhymes.

When I recently discovered the Poetry Speaks to Children book with CD, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the CD and listen to the likes of Langston Hughes, Gwendolyn Brooks, and Billy Collins reading their own poetry. Then came the moment, when just a few tracks in, my kids tilted their heads and stared at me as they heard an old man’s voice saying aloud the words I’ve whispered in their little ears since they were infants. I said, “That’s Robert Frost telling it—the man who wrote the poem.”

This entertaining collection includes 50 poems from 34 poets on the CD alone, and the printed book that accompanies it includes several more with illustrations. In contrast to the usual “children’s verse” suspects of centuries-old, mind-numbing (sometimes head-scratching) nursery rhymes, these fresh tracks range from Roald Dahl’s amusing “The Dentist and the Crocodile” that reads like a rhyming story to the rhythmical “Rabbit” by Mary Ann Hoberman, where you can play along as you listen counting how many “bits” are in the poem (good luck!).

While the collection was created with elementary school-aged children in mind, and some of it may be a little over the head of your toddler, it makes for fun listening overall for everyone in the car. Better still, this is a wonderful collection I know my family will enjoy for years to come—and I won’t be surprised if yours does to. Click here to browse the book or buy your own book with CD. (Please note: While Amazon’s product page says it’s temporarily out of stock, it is in fact still available new from other featured sellers – just click the “New from” link or click here.)

And before I go… happy  National Poetry Month!

>>> Now you can quickly browse all the Pack This! recommendations at Amazon – click here. For the best in travel gear for babies and toddlers, head to Great Products & Gear. <<<

Safe journeys,

"Greening up" your family road trip may be easier than you think.

Okay,  5 people packed in a minivan setting out for hundreds if not thousands of miles of adventure may not be the first image that comes to mind when you hear the words “green travel.” Yet this year, families across the continent will set out to do just that in the name of meaningful, family vacations. With just a few minor adjustments, you might be surprised how even the Great American Road Trip can be done a little greener than you’d think.

Here are five easy steps you might take to “green” your own family road trip this year.

Use this BPA-free water tank with tap to refill your reusable water bottles and sippy cups.

1. Use a refillable 3-gallon water dispenser as you travel instead of buying bottles of water. One identical to this BPA-free model has accompanied us on countless road trips, and we don’t plan to leave home without it this year! On shorter trips, I love having our same delicious water from home with us as we travel, and on longer trips, it’s always easy to refill with more water and ice at hotels along the way. During drives in the car, we keep it in a shady nook and sometimes set a pillow on top to insulate. In the campground? Perfect. And in case of a roadside emergency, you’ve got plenty of extra water for the family – or the car.

2. Bring your own travel mug and USE IT (again and again and again). Many a time, my hubby and I have stopped in our tracks in line for a free hotel breakfast or in a motel lobby with free coffee to go back and grab our travel mugs to fill them instead of the paper or Styrofoam cups provided by the hotel. Not only is this better for the environmental big picture, but my travel mug holds way more coffee and keeps it hot longer to boot! (For the same reason, I love using it to keep my cold water cold on the road.)

3. Bring a bag for recyclables. Garbage cans may be many along your route, but recycling receptacles? Not so many. Your road-trip recyclables stashed in a separate bag can be properly filed when the opportunity arises, or put in your own bin at home on your return from a weekend away.

4. Consider renting a hybrid – If you’ll be renting a car for your family road trip, or one to drive around the island, consider renting a hybrid car. Depending on the driving you’ll do, the savings in fuel costs alone may prove well worth it. For a limited time, you can also save 5% off all hybrid vehicles at Fox Rent a Car locations across the U.S., though the hybrids here and at other locations go quickly, so book yours early to avoid disappointment.

5. Bring an ice chest loaded with easy travel foods, even if you won’t be camping, and replenish as you travel. Having simple sandwich fixings, string cheese, baby carrots and the like on hand may not only save you money and calories over frequent fast food and drive-thru stops on your journey, but you won’t have nearly as much packaging to dispose of along the way. Not to mention, you’ll be picnic-ready for any scenic stop along your path.

GET MORE! For more road trip tips  for travel with young children, see the Car Seat and Road Trip Tips Page, and don’t miss the planning help in Travels with Baby and tips to use during your road trip in Take-Along Travels with Baby.

Related posts and pages:

•  Pack This! Reusable rinse-and-roll Bibbity Bib for travel
• Visit a National Park FREE this year (14 days left…)
• Pack This! Reusable Fresh N Freeze (not just for) baby food storage containers
• Pack This! Recycled plastic stacking cups – Made in the USA

Safe journeys,

The first time I took TWO kids to Yosemite National Park. Don't miss my tips for visiting Yosemite with babies, toddlers and young kids.

When my mother bravely loaded our Chevy hatchback with the faulty second gear to drive us down America’s scenic highways and on through several of its National Parks, our unforgettable journey not only taught us the value of bonding through family travel (and adventure!) but showed us firsthand what natural wonders had been set aside for us by our country and should never be taken for granted.

This month, from April 21 through April 29, you’ll have the opportunity to visit ANY of America’s 397 National Parks for FREE. Many of the parks will also be offering special Earth Day activities and events while you are there. Some you might want to check out if you’ll be in California include:

Yosemite National Park will have a guided bike tour of the valley for $5 each, including bike rental (or FREE if you bring your own bike – our favorite way to see Yosemite!), face painting and crafts for kids, and a family night that includes a sing-along and dramatic staging of Dr. Suess’s The Lorax in the Yosemite Lodge amphitheater. More special events, activities and offers are mentioned here.

Grand Sequoia National Park will have family-friendly events including an Earth Day Fair with numerous giveaways, guided forest tour, and evening meteor shower viewing at Wuksachi Lodge.  More info about these and other special events here.   

If you can’t take advantage of National Parks Week this month, these FREE entrance dates are also scheduled for later this year:

MORE FREE NATIONAL PARK DAYS IN 2012:

• June 9: Get Outdoors Day
• September 29: National Public Lands Day
• November 10 – 12: Veteran’s Day Weekend

Some of our National Parks, it should be noted, are always free. And of course, if it’s easier to see a National Park this year on your own time and your own dime, it can still be well worth every penny of the entrance fee.

For ideas and inspiration in planning your trip to a National Park this year:

• You can check out Ken Burns: The National Parks - America’s Best Idea: or follow this link to dowload the individual park episode you want.
• Explore these 35 National Park Adventures for Kids in this online brochure from the National Parks Foundation.
• If Yosemite National Park is on your list, be sure to see my tips for visiting Yosemite with young kids, biking, managing your car seat in bear country and more!

As we sang so often on our trip several years ago, “This land is your land; this land is my land.” I hope you’ll get a chance to get out there and share some of it with your own family this year.

Safe journeys,