The “terrible twos” can make traveling with a two-year-old a challenge. Full of energy, these toddlers are sometimes too young for activities which could entertain and distract slightly older kids. Luckily, we’ve collected plenty of tips and tricks to make traveling with your two-year-old easier and more fun. Try out some of these simple suggestions to improve your travel experience.

Snacks

Make sure to pack plenty of your two-year-old’s favorite snacks, and keep them coming! Fruit, crackers and juice are all easy to pack and don’t necessarily need to be served cold.

Toys Galore

Don’t forget to bring along your child’s favorite toys and books! Doing so will help them feel at home while on the road and will give you and your toddler the opportunity to spend some quiet, relaxed time together. Toys and books are also great for entertaining a fussy toddler. Amazon.com has a good selection of toys perfectly suited to your two-year-old.

Take Lots of Breaks

It’s important to take every opportunity to stretch and to eat. Your two-year-old won’t be able to sit still for long periods of time, so it’s best to take a break every two hours or so. Pull over to have lunch or a snack at a safe location where your toddler can run around and play a bit before you get back on the road.

Sanitizing Hand Wipes

Your two-year-old is likely to be a professional at making messes, so you won’t be able to buy enough of these! They’re great for cleaning up messes on and around your toddler as well as for sanitizing everything their little hands come into contact with.

Break up the Drive with a Fun Stop

In addition to taking lots of eating and stretching breaks, we also suggest that you schedule a fun destination, such as a zoo or aquarium visit, in the middle of your long drive. This idea comes from an article at AllExperts.com, which contains a number of other excellent ideas for traveling with your two-year-old.

Audio Books

Pop in a toddler-friendly audio book every so often to keep your two-year-old smiling. The Little Bear books and virtually any book by Jim Weiss are great selections to entertain you and your child. You can find these types of audio books at your local library, at a bookstore or online.

Invest in a Child-Carrying Backpack and Lightweight Stroller

Depending upon where you go, traveling with your two-year-old could involve some walking. It’s not always convenient to have a stroller, and carrying a two-year-old for more than 30 minutes at a time can be hard on the back. FamilyTravelGuides.com suggests a solution for this problem – a child-carrying backpack. Lightweight and easily packed, a backpack allows your toddler to see everything around her while not having to walk on her own tired legs. A very lightweight stroller is another good option, and one of these can easily be placed in airlines’ overhead compartments or stored as checked baggage.

We are researching for the best kids’ clubs and kids’ programs provided by family friendly hotels/resort on each Hawaii island. Camp Hyatt of Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort and Spa (formerly as Hyatt Regency Kauai) is one of the top picks for Kauai.

Grand Hyatt Kauai is in Poipu which is to the south of Kauai island. The hotel has beautiful grounds and was voted as “Best for Romantic” in 2006 by tripadvisor members. One of the highlight is the Anara Spa which Grand Hyatt Kauai has spent millions to expand and which will be completed sometime this year. Camp Hyatt Kauai operates from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. It provides various activities to kids from 3 1/2 to 12. Full day admission is $70 (with lunch), half day without lunch is $45 and with lunch is $55. Night camp is perfect for parents who want to some quality romantic getaway, $10 per child, per hour.

It is difficult to get program reviews since the participants are kids. Here are some reviews by parents I collected in my research:

“…We had two kids ages 4 and 7 with us. They went into Camp Hyatt for one day. The price was about 75.00 per child including lunch and there were about 8-10 kids in the camp with two to three helpers. They both said it was fun. They made crafts, painted t-shirts, watched a movie, ate a nice lunch, and swam in the pool….”

“…Camp Hyatt is very-well run (same director for 16 yrs) and our kids had a good time there doing Hawaiian themed crafts and playing games…. “

Besides the camp, it is the water-park (pools) that makes the Hyatt Kauai our top choice. There are salt water lagoons and freshwater river-like pools. The upper swimming pool is for adults and the lower pool is an “action pool” with a volleyball net, waterfalls, spas, and an area for children. The connector between two pools are the undoubted kids’ favorite -a 150-foot water-slide. Activities includes drifting gently on a floating chair, taking a two-person kayak or taking snorkeling and diving lessons from experienced instructors. Be sure to explore the pools and there are surprises on the islands. What’s more, a white sandy beach, Shipwreck Public Beach, is adjacent to the resort. Note: all the water activities is no lifeguard on duty, kids must be accompanied by an adult. The water-park is open from sunrise to 8pm.

Photo courtesy of Sumomo-Chan

What about babies and toddlers? The website says the resort provides babysitting services and I have emailed to request detailed information. Will update once I get the reply.

With the camp and the pools to kids, we picked Hyatt Kauai as one of the top choices for family vacations in Kauai.

Quick Facts:

• Rooms: 603
• Restaurants: 7
• Pools: 3
• Average prices: Spacious rooms (600 sq. ft.) are $430-$910. Suites (866-2,463 sq. ft.) are $1,540-$5,140. (an early departure fee might apply.)