I am a mom of three: Simba (6), Nala (4) and CC (1) (these are nicknames to protect their privacy). Last year at “mommy camp” (no summer camp, just me) we had many city adventures, some with dad and some just us. I am here to tell you it is possible. Here is my Guide to City Travels with Kids based on our own travels.
The More the Merrier. If you are planning on city adventures and can include dad, grandma, friend, cousin: do it! More adults are always better than fewer.
Transportation Choices. Decide if you want to drive or take the train, these are very different experiences. (I will do a deep dive into this in the future).
The Schedule. Consider your children’s meal time and build the trip around that. A noon mealtime might mean: arrive into the city for lunch then have your adventure. This is generally my preference. Or leave after breakfast and arrive in the city by snack time. Have a short adventure before lunch. You catch my drift.
Serious Snacking. I find all my kids get hungrier with all the walking. To avoid reaching the "hangry" point, during our city trips, I am way more mindful of not forgetting to take a break and take the time to eat. The pause invites them to eat better than if I offered them snacks while walking or rushing.
We pack lite! The older kids carry their own book bags with refillable water bottles and snacks. Sometimes Nala gives me her water to carry. Simba is used to carrying more because she’s in elementary school. Sometimes, I omit tons of snacks because I know we will go to a cafe to get a snack. This makes my bag lighter. If I know we are going to a museum where there will be water fountains, I do not fill their bottles all the way.
Dress kids in lite layers when possible. Better to be warm than cold and if they are warm, best to put these layers in their own bag or tie around waist.
Packing for the Baby. Baby CC will carry his own little bag (toddler sized, comes with optional leash, if you're into that, we lost ours) with some of his snacks now that he is two. But for the most part, packing for him entailed/s filling the diaper bag with essentials only. Gone are all the extra items I usually carry. Essentials are: only enough diapers I need, half of a full pack of wipes (usually in a zip lock), 1-2 lite toy cars or figures, a handful of crayons and a small drawing pad.
We talk about it a lot! The day before we review what we are doing the following day. I include the parts where we are walking, taking a break, eating, etc. I am excited about it! We review it again in the morning and on the ride/drive/train there. This helps everyone's expectations.
The Just In Case Plan. In the morning we review the day again in a morning meeting. We also review the rules of the day and the emergency plan. Yours may differ from mine, but generally speaking mine include staying where I can see you, you listen when I ask you to hold my hand or hold on to me, we all carry our own bags. The Just In Case Plan reviews what they should do in the event they get lost.
Walking in the city: Suburban kids are used to clear and wide streets and sidewalks. The narrow city sidewalks with people walking in both directions or around you can be tricky and stressful if you are not prepared for it, as a kid or as an adult trying not to lose your kids. I taught my kids to walk in two formations for this reason. 1. “Across” holding hands either with each other or holding both of mine if I have both my hands free directly across from each other; handy when we cross the street. 2. “Ducks in a row” means we are all in a straight line; handy when we are walking through narrow sidewalks with people coming in the other direction.
