Toddler-Friendly Activities To Do On A Family Vacation

If you are going on a family vacation with small children, then you are likely looking for some toddler-friendly activities to do.

Those that follow me on Instagram would know that we recently got back from a mini family vacation in the Houston area.

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We are no strangers to family vacations since we try to take 1 to 2 of them a year.

I have written a couple of travel posts below that you can check out for tips on traveling with smaller children.

• Read More: Travel Tips For Flying With A Baby And Toddler
• Read More: Travel Tips For A Road Trip With A Baby And Toddler

But obviously, when it comes to a family vacation, you want to do things that the whole family can do.

Including the little people that you have with you.

For those that are new here, we have a 2-year-old and a 4-year-old so we have small children.

When we decide to take a family vacation, we try to be mindful of that when picking a place.

The last thing we want to do is go somewhere that isn’t kid friendly because that is the whole point of taking a family vacation.

Once we have arrived at our location, then we start to figure out things that we can do with our girls.

After taking several family vacations with small children now, we have figured out some activities that young children will love and will make for a great family vacation.

Here I will be sharing some toddler-friendly activities that you can do on a family vacation.

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Are Family Vacations Worth It With Smaller Children?

Before I dive into some kid-friendly activities to do with smaller children on family vacations, let’s talk about this.

Are family vacations worth it with smaller children?

I think my answer is pretty obvious since I already do it and that is absolutely.

However, I know that some people inwardly groan at the idea of going on a vacation with smaller children.

It is usually because of the amount of work that goes into packing, traveling, and then caring for your children while there.

Not to mention, trying to figure out things to do with them that they will actually enjoy while there.

Younger children are still very much dependent on their parents so even though you may be on vacation, you are still clocking in as mom and dad.

This is exactly why family vacations with toddlers and smaller children aren’t appealing to some parents.

But even with all of this, I still think it’s worth it.

As a young kid, I was very thankful that my parents took the time to plan family vacations that included us.

I may not remember every vacation as a smaller child, but through the pictures that my parents took, you see pure joy radiating from my small frame.

And I find myself wanting to recreate that joy in my kiddos now.

As the writers from Lonely Planet say, “These are the years you won’t get back.”

They will only be this little once and with each passing year, they will grow older and it will get easier as they become more independent.

But instead of waiting for that time to come, we are choosing to enjoy this time now.

So for those parents on the fence about whether to take a family vacation with smaller children, I say go for it.

The more you do it, the better and easier it gets.

Now that I may have swayed you towards taking a family vacation with your smaller children, let’s get into some toddler-friendly activities that you can do while there.

Toddler-Friendly Activities To Do On A Family Vacation

Visit A Well-Known Park In The Area

The first of the toddler-friendly activities to do on a family vacation is to visit a well-known park in the area.

You cannot go wrong with taking your little one to a park.

Plus the majority of parks are free for the whole family to visit.

State and national parks are usually a go-to when looking for a park.

But googling a kid-friendly park near you is also an option.

Go To A Beach

While on the topic of the outdoors, another great activity to do with smaller children is taking them to the beach.

Once again, this is also a free activity that is great for all families.

Young kids will enjoy playing in the sand, building sandcastles, and dipping their toes in the water.

If you are near a beach, I would pick a day when the weather is nice and hang out on the beach.

Take Them To A Local Zoo

Most young kids love animals so taking them to a zoo will definitely be something that they enjoy.

Wherever we visit, we usually stop by the zoo.

The girls love naming the different animals they see as well as mimicking the different animal noises.

Much like the park, you cannot go wrong with taking your kiddos to the zoo.

Visit A Local Farm

Another animal activity that kids will also enjoy is visiting a local farm.

As opposed to the zoo, where you are looking at animals from afar, you are more likely to get up close and personal with them at the farm.

Many local farms also have areas where you can pet and feed the animals.

Depending on the place and if they have horses or ponies, they may even let you ride them.

Other activities that you can do at a local farm are picking fruit, harvesting crops, gathering eggs from chickens, and even making your own food with the food that you harvested.

Your kiddo will be fascinated with all of the things that happen on a farm which is why it is a great activity to do with them.

Take Them To The Local Aquarium

Switching over to marine animals, a visit to the aquarium is sure to be something that small children will also enjoy.

This is also something that we tend to do on a family vacation.

Many kids love to watch different fish and marine life swim and move throughout the water.

Some aquariums even have areas where you can touch marine life such as stingrays, turtles, and even starfish.

Not to mention this is a good indoor activity in case the weather is not in your favor.

Visit A Children’s/Science Museum

Something I highly recommended doing on a family vacation with smaller children is visiting either a children’s or science museum.

If there is a children’s museum, then I differently recommend going there.

But some places don’t have one so a science museum will also work.

These types of museums are very interactive and entertaining for small children with plenty of activities that your child can engage in.

You can easily spend half a day at these kinds of museums.

Go To An Amusement Park

An activity that many people may think smaller children can’t do is go to an amusement park.

Well, I’m here to tell you that they absolutely can.

Toddlers can have fun at amusement parks.

• Read More: Fun Places To Take A Toddler

Obviously, they can’t ride the bigger rides and roller coasters because they are too small.

But most amusement parks have a section where smaller children can ride by themselves or with an adult.

Which is where we mostly hang out.

My 4-year-old is getting to a height where she can ride the kid’s ride by herself.

But my 2-year-old still needs an adult with her so I will ride with her.

If you have kiddos that like to ride fair rides, then finding an amusement is a good place would be a good bet for your family.

Go To A Waterpark

And the last of the toddler-friendly activities that you can do on a family vacation is going to a waterpark.

Much like an amusement park, there is usually an area dedicated to smaller children.

This area will have swallow water that young children can stand up in and lots of splash zones.

I actually prefer taking smaller children to waterparks for this reason.

A lot of pools are too deep for smaller children which makes me nervous as a parent,

Neither of my girls can swim so the idea of them in a pool doesn’t sit right with me.

But when we are at a waterpark in a kids’ area, I’m a lot more at ease and they can truly enjoy themselves in a safe and fun environment.

Your Turn

Well, those are some toddler-friendly activities that you can do on a family vacation. I want to hear from you all now. What are some activities that you like doing with smaller children on family vacations? I would love to hear from you all in the comments and while you are still here, check out my previous post below.

• Read More: What I Got My 2-Year-Old Daughter For Her Birthday

Love,

Just Jass