The Art of Taking Successful, Adventurous Day Trips with Kids
10 lessons we've learned to explore, connect, and make lasting memories as a family.
Traveling to new and favorite places has become one of our most cherished family memories since having children. The thrill of adventure, novelty of a different place, and ability to step outside our ordinary homeschool rhythms feeds our deep desire to explore.
But over the years, we’ve realized that some of our favorite memories as a family have been packed into just one single day. We’ve done countless weekend getaways and longer vacations, but there’s something so simple and memorable about a good day trip. Already in the first half of this year, we’ve taken seven of them, and each one has left us wanting more.
With four young kids and a homeschooling schedule to keep up with, long trips aren’t always the most simple, ideal option. But a day trip? It’s a whole different world of travel! There’s no suitcases to pack, no Airbnb to book, and no 10-hour car drive to recover from. We can explore a new place, spend the whole day there, and the best part of it is that we can sleep in our own bed at the end of the day.
For us, in this current season of life, day trips have become the sweet spot of travel.
In this post, I’ll share 10 lessons we’ve learned that help to make day trips with kids simple, adventurous, and something we’re eager to do again and again!
10 Simple Lessons to Making Day Trips Sustainable
Narrow your travel radius. Of course you have to keep in mind travel distance with a day trip, so we’ve found that anything within three hours of home can still feel like an adventure without wearing us out. Our kids do well in the car so my husband and I use the drive as a chance to talk, listen to something interesting, and reconnect as a couple before the day even starts. The drive is part of the fun for us, but if it’s not enjoyable for your family, limit your radius.
Aim for places that delight both adults and kids. We try not to choose places that are only designed for kids, like indoor play areas or amusement parks. Our favorite trips are to walkable cities or quaint towns that give us something beautiful to enjoy while keeping the kids excited with treats like ice cream, a fun park to run around in, or an unexpected playground.
Have a basic plan—but hold it loosely. We usually map out 2–3 things we want to do, with a general sense of when we want to head home. But we also leave room to linger in small shops, follow our kids if they’re into something interesting, or take a longer than expected time to explore a new area. A loose plan gives us direction without the pressure to stick to a set schedule.
Pack like a minimalist. Overpacking and toting around extra items can quickly add stress to a day trip, so we’ve learned to ask ourselves, “What is the fewest amount of items we need to make this day doable?” For a beach trip, it’s one bag of toys, a few towels, small umbrella, 2 chairs, and a big blanket—that’s all we need and can literally be packed in minutes. Packing minimally means less to prep, fewer items to carry, and a smoother time navigating our way through the day.
Prep everything you can the night before. Whatever we can prep the night before, we take advantage of to make the early morning a better start. We fill water bottles, pack lunches and snacks, lay out clothes, and gather the things each kid might want in the car. Having it all ready means we can leave first thing in the morning without feeling rushed or forgetting something important.
Have kids pack their own activity bags. Each of our children brings a small backpack with coloring sheets, books/audio books, or toys that will keep them entertained for hours in the car. We limit screen time while driving so having this arsenal full of activities cuts down on complaining and boredom.
Use a Bluetooth speaker to create your own travel soundtrack. Sometimes we listen to podcasts or music as a family and other times the kids are in the back with an audiobook or kids’ playlist while my husband and I chat in the front seat. Our vehicle doesn’t have all the bells and whistles like other newer models do, so bringing this small speaker along helps to keep their sound localized to the back so my husband and I can enjoy our conversation up front.
Use a visual timer for little ones. Visual timers have been a game changer in several of our rhythms of life, and they work wonders for long car drives as well. It shows our younger kids exactly how much time is left until a snack break, screen time, or the next stop. It helps with patience and reduces the number of times someone asks, “Are we there yet?”
Bring more snacks than you think you'll need! We’ve learned that there is no such thing as too many snacks on a day trip— when our kids bellies are full, they’re much more willing to walk longer distances or spend more time in an area. We pack a small cooler with lunch boxes and bring a mix of familiar and fun snacks (novelty goes a long way so mixing up our snacks is a big win!).
Leave while everyone is still happy. This final lesson seems harder to implement, especially when we’re all having a great time, but our rule of thumb is to head home while everyone is still having fun— and before anyone gets overtired or overstimulated. It helps the day to end on a high note, and keeps us wanting more.
Day Trips Are Worth the Effort
Over the years, our love of day trips have become something that bonds our family together. They’re spontaneous enough to feel like an adventure yet simple enough to be realistic. We realized that we don’t need a weeklong vacation to make memories, all it takes is one good day, a little bit of planning, and the flexibility to be open minded with the areas around you.
The best part is how sustainable it feels. We can go on a trip on Saturday and still be rested and ready for the week ahead. There’s no large loads of laundry to do afterwards, bags to unpack, or travel fatigue to recover from. It’s just the 6 of us, exploring a new or loved place, sipping in the world one day trip at a time.
If you’ve been craving a little adventure for your family but feel overwhelmed by the idea or cost of a big trip, try starting with just one day. Choose a spot an hour or two away (our favorites are cities, cute towns, museums, lakes, beaches, and state parks), pack a few sandwiches and a bag of snacks, and leave with an open mind. Some of our best memories started with low expectations, just a few bags, and a car full of kids who thrive on adventure.
As always, thanks for being here and following along with my journey! If you found this post helpful please let me know or share it with someone else who would enjoy it as well. If you have any additional day trip tips, I’d love to hear them!
P.S. Here’s a list of some of our favorite day trips within 3 hours of central PA…
New York City (seeing the sights at Christmas time, visiting Central Park, riding the Staten Island Ferry, the American Museum of Natural History)
Washington D.C. (we have lots of Smithsonian museums on our list that we enjoy, we love to take the metro into the city)
Philadelphia (the Franklin Institute, Reading Terminal Market, historic sites, Dillworth Park to play in the fountains)
Princeton, N.J. (a picturesque, quaint old college town with a few great parks for kids)
Annapolis, MD (a beautiful coastal town with charm, cute boutiques, and lots of ice cream and candy shops)
Gettysburg (a major historic site, very walkable, lots of great learning opportunities for kids, downtown is fun too)
New Jersey beaches (we’ve been to these beaches dozens of times for day trips!)
The Zoo (Washington D.C. Zoo, Lake Tobias, Central Park Zoo)
Knoebels (our favorite amusement park)
PA State Parks (we have several on our list that we like to do in the summer, we pack a picnic lunch or find a grill for a cookout and do some hiking, creek stomping, or swimming)
Longwood Gardens (a beautiful, 1,000+ acre garden near Philadelphia)
Saving to read - day trips with 4 kids is impressive!
Great advice!