My own kiddos love playing while we travel. If we’re in an airport, chances are we’re playing I Spy or even Hide and Seek, if the terminal isn’t too full. But when I break out the physical games and printables, that’s when Max and Edie get truly excited.

I have a feeling your kids might be the same. So simply download and print out these Holiday Travel Bingo games before your next trip. If you’re sitting, you can use anything to mark the squares—coins work well. Or if you’re en route, kids can X the squares off with a crayon or pencil. Either way, this free holiday Bingo game will help pass the time for the whole family!

I’m crossing my fingers for you and smooth travels, zero delays and friendly seat mates. But don’t leave your kids’ travel entertainment to chance. Use these Holiday Travel Bingo games to keep your whole family feeling merry and bright this holiday season.

It’s not just you—holiday travel IS busy

On average, travel is about a quarter busier than average around Christmas. And last year, an estimated third of Americans traveled during the holidays. That’s 112.5 million people on the roads, rails, runways—maybe even sleigh trails—according to AAA.

I’m not sharing those stats to scare you into staying home! I’m just validating your sneaking suspicion that holiday travel really is busier than normal.

The potential of winter weather delays also makes holiday travel feel busier than normal. (After all, when people aren’t moving when expected, that means roads and airports are more congested.)

One study researched a year’s worth of data on weather delays and found these to be the most delayed airports in the US:

Worst U.S. Airports for Weather Delays

1. San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
2. Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)
3. Chicago O’Hare international Airport (ORD)

Now you can’t always choose which airport to fly out of, and you can’t miraculously change the weather in your region. But if you are flying out of one of these hubs, keep in mind winter weather delays are more likely than not. Then make sure you’re prepared—including having things on hand to keep kids entertained, like this Holiday Travel Bingo game!

Holiday Travel Bingo game to keep kids entertained

So much of parenthood is recognizing the difference between what you can control and what you can’t, then moving on from there.

Family travel is the same. You can’t control snow and ice, nor can you control how many other people hit the road when you do. But you can control what you plan to keep your kids entertained during holiday travel.

So why wouldn’t you want these free Holiday Travel Bingo cards? They’re easily portable, so you can bring them along wherever you go. They have a good mix of festive and regular travel squares. They’re usable for air travel as well as road trips. (If you’re driving, make sure to be on the lookout during rest stops and potty breaks!)

How to use this holiday Bingo printable

Travel can be complicated. You have to book your trip, get to the airport on time or pack up the minivan for a road trip, deal with traffic and other delays, and keep track of everything from boarding passes to your actual children.

Luckily, using my holiday Bingo printable is easy peasy lemon squeezy (or “easy peasy yemon deezy,” as Maxine says, with her adorable pronunciation).

Here’s how to make the most of this free travel Bingo printable:

1. Sign up to get the free holiday Bingo printable delivered to your email inbox—right away!
2. Print the holiday Bingo cards. I think color is more fun and festive, but black and white is fine, too. Print the right number of cards for the people in your family. The PDF you’ll get includes 4 different cards!
3. [optional step] Laminate the Bingo cards. This is a great option if your trip is long, or if you want to play holiday travel Bingo on the way to and from your destination. Bonus tip: If you laminate, bring along dry erase markers, which you can erase from laminated pages and then reuse!
4. Hand out the holiday Bingo cards to everyone in your family who wants to play. They can mark off squares with crayons or use coins or pompoms as markers.
5. Decide if there will be a prize. You might want to stash some Hershey’s Kisses for winners, or dole out little toys. Or you can just play for funsies!

Make holiday travel easier with fun and games

No matter if you’re visiting loved ones this holiday or going on a getaway that doesn’t involve family and friends, I know you’ll agree you could use all the help you can get making holiday travel a tad bit easier.

I’ve definitely been there, after all. I know firsthand that smoother winter travel makes for a better family trip overall. So I am sure you’ll have as much fun playing this free holiday Bingo game as I did creating it!

Let me know when you use it and tag me on Instagram. I can’t wait to hear all about your holiday travels!

In the meantime, tell me: Are you heading out of town this holiday or staying put at home??

The post Holiday Travel Bingo: Free printables for family travel this holiday appeared first on To & Fro Fam.

The beach is inherently fun, and we visit the Oregon Coast as often as we possibly can. The last time we went, I was inspired by our trip to Seattle’s Burke Museum of Natural History, and I introduced the girls to a new sandy activity: digging for dinosaurs at the beach!

As you can tell, it was a huge hit. Next time, I’m bringing even more plastic dinosaurs to discover.

Dig for dinosaurs at the beach

Moms who prepare to the nines to get the family to the beach, I feel you. You download family beach trip packing lists. You pack extra changes of clothes, baby wipes, backup shovels. You bring snacks. (Oh, the snacks.)

But if you bring just a few plastic dinosaurs, I can practically guarantee you’ll be the coolest mom at the beach.

Simply dig a little pit, stick in the dinos, cover them up—and let your kids at ‘em! They’ll love unburying the dinosaurs and feeling like real-live paleontologists.

My girls got so into digging for dinosaurs at the beach that they roamed around, picking up rocks and driftwood that they called fossils.

“What’s this one, Mom?” they’d ask me. “Dinosaur knee bone. Dinosaur skull. Dinosaur toe bone.” Then they’d bury them, dig them up and start all over again!

Our new favorite beach activity

My kids love building sand castles, chasing seagulls and ignoring my repeated requests to not run into the ocean fully clothed. But we’ve definitely found a new favorite beach activity.

For your next family beach trip, then, join my little family of wannabe paleontologists. You may even inspire a new passion for dinos!

What about you—do you have a favorite family beach activity?

The post Dig for dinosaurs—and become the coolest mom at the beach! appeared first on To & Fro Fam.