Remember it's the little things for little ones

Traveling with little ones can seem like an intimidating task.  You want them to enjoy themselves and you want to get the most out of your trip.  When planning a visit to a family attraction with young children, it's important to remember that it's the little things that the littles like.  Think Christmas as a good parallel: big fancy new toy, and what do they play with all day?  The box.  Big attractions, like Disney World, are the same way.  Just take this picture for example:

I adore this picture of my son on the carousel with his Papaw.  His unbridled joy and enthusiasm make me smile every time I see it.  He rode that carousel four times.  He just couldn't get enough of it.  Little ones like repetition.  At your average mall or park carousel, you might expect to pay a few bucks to ride on the colorfully decorated steeds, but we rode this particular carousel at the Magic Kingdom in Disney World.  And at the end of an action packed, fun filled day when we asked, "What was your favorite?  The jungle boat ride?  Buzz Lightyear?  Peter Pan?", it ended up being the carousel that made his eyes sparkle and his face light up.  

As you plan your travel with little ones, don't forget to budget in some time to slow down and hit the simple stuff.  Between museum visits, city tours, and flashy amusement parks, schedule a stop to run in a grassy park or a splash in the fountain.  You'll see your littles come alive as they relax, release some energy, and relish in the simplicity of their world.

Here's one more, just for giggles.  Head thrown back, couldn't be happier.  We all need to bring that childlike joy to our attitudes when we travel (or when we're just at home too, right?).

Happy roving,

Kyleen