If there’s one thing I’ve learned about traveling with young kids under 5 years old is to slow it down. They don’t care about the museums. They didn’t care that we were at the Vatican City. They were excited to see a small patch of grass out front to run and play tag in!

I asked my sister Zoe what she remembers most about our trip to Malta when she was 5- She can’t remember any of the buildings or churches we saw, she only remembers this little water fountain she played in, with her 1 year old brother, while we were scouring the map for a place to eat. That was her favorite memory! Running and playing and getting soaked in this huge, historic courtyard. I think we ended up going to eat and coming back for about 3 hours while they played. They had so much fun and our whole family decided that was one of our favorite days in Malta.

Young kids will be happier and enjoy travelling SO much more if you go at their pace! Now I’m not saying the kids should run the trip. But from my experience you can enjoy the trip a lot more when the young ones are enjoying themselves. Here’s My Top 3 tips for traveling with youngsters

#1-Go Slow. Plan only 1 (maybe 2) things to do/see per day. Face it: You wouldn’t take them on a shopping marathon back home so don’t go crazy sightseeing with them while in a new country or place. It’s all so new to them. Take it slow until you can see they can handle more. One of the benefits of traveling with young children, is that it forces you to slow down to their pace. This allows you to more deeply absorb your surroundings and experience more of the local culture.

#2- Stop for some Cheerios. If they want to stop to touch the water, sit on the bench, chase the pigeons or take a snack break. Stop. Break. Don’t schedule yourself with deadlines you have to meet. You’re traveling and on vacation. Learn to enjoy the trip and don’t forget to stop and smell the roses. We paused a lot for snack times. It made the hours of wandering around a city a little more entertaining for them when they were holding a granola bar or had a small bag of Cheerios.

#3- Sightsee in the morning. We found we could see the most sights (with the least amount “meltdowns”) when they were freshest. This way we could come home (Hotel or wherever) around lunch time, or shortly after, and they could still get their nap. Naps are important. Sometimes we would then go out for dinner or to a playground after dinner, if they’d woke up in a normal and happy mood.

Hopefully, you’ll see something here that you can put to use on the next trip you take. Just remember, from my experience you can enjoy the trip a lot more when the young ones are enjoying themselves.

St. George’s Square, Valetta, Malta