As a travel sports parent, you already know how much your young athlete loves their sport, or else you probably wouldn’t spend the crazy amount of time and money it requires. Chances are that you love the sport, as well, or at least the bonds you have made with other travel families.
There is one group of people that may or may not be as thrilled about the whole travel sports thing - the siblings. Brothers and sisters are usually just along for the ride. Often, they make friends with the other siblings and keep each other occupied during long travel weekends and practices. But, what do you do when there are no other kids their age or when the whole group of siblings is bored?
Don’t panic! Just plan! You know it’s going to happen, so just be ready. Here are some ideas to keep your travel sports siblings happy.
How to Keep Travel Sports Siblings Entertained
Travel Sports Sibling Activities
Bag of tricks
- Keep a bag with age-appropriate activities that you can reach into whenever you need it. Give the child one activity at a time to keep it fresh and new. You can pack books, action figures, matchbox cars, coloring books, small art or craft projects, and puzzle books. A stop at the Dollar Store from time to time will help you replenish your bag of tricks.
Find out what toys and games not to buy at the Dollar Store
Group play supplies
- Bringing supplies for a group play activity is great for making new friends and for when the group gets bored. These are great when you have an outdoor area or are in the hotel between games. Think art sets, Nerf guns, tea sets, action figure sets, and board games.
Travel games
- Travel sports often mean long car rides and time in small spaces like cars and hotel rooms. Pack travel-size games that kids can play alone or with friends. Consider solitaire, Go Fish, travel bingo, Yahtzee, or other travel-sized versions of their favorite games.
Special blanket or chair
- If you play baseball or another outside sport, pack the siblings a special blanket or chair {this blanket or this chair is pretty great!} that is just for them. Giving them their own special space can give them a little ownership of the situation and clear boundaries to keep some of their toys and games within.
Sports equipment
- Act like you aren’t already packing enough sports equipment to open your own store and pack some extras for the siblings. It’s common to find siblings playing a pick-up game with each other while the travel games are going on.
Snacks
- Well fed kids are happy kids. Sometimes sibling meltdowns are sometimes a direct result of just being hungry. Instead of shipping them off to the concession stand for fake cheese sauce on stale tortilla chips again, pack some healthier snacks {and some not so healthy ones} that the kids will look forward to eating. Consider a subscription to NatureBox for some new ideas the whole family will love.
Shop snacks on sale at NatureBox!
Devices, chargers, headphones
- When all else fails, there are always their electronic devices. Phones and tablets can be great for car rides and downtime. Just remember to pack chargers and headphones!
How about you? Do you have any secrets to keeping travel sports siblings entertained that you would like to share?
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