Alone at Last

"I’m an avid surfer, but my young son is afraid of even the lightest chops. To keep everyone happy a t the beach, I buy a plastic tarp; excavate a broad, shallow hole in the sand; line the hole with the tarp; and fill the liner with ocean water to create an instant wading pool. The water is so shallow that it heats up quickly in the sun and can be easily tossed in the event of an 'accident.'" —Mike McCormack, New York, N.Y. Get more family-friendly travel tips right on your mobile phone! Scan our QR code, here, and then check back each month as we add more tips.

"Your kids are less likely to whine for the overpriced snacks and candy in the minibar if you bring along a few of their favorite treats and slip them in among the off off-limits goodies. (justJust make sure the unit does not have a sensor.) For years our kids, now grown, marveled at how the places we stayed always seemed to know exactly what they liked!" —Deborah Cloud, Fairfax, Va. Get more family-friendly travel tips right on your mobile phone! Scan our QR code, here, and then check back each month as we add more tips.

"Finding the bathroom in the middle of the night in a strange hotel room or cruise-ship cabin can be a challenge. Leaving the bathroom light on seems wasteful and makes the room too bright for sleeping. We used to travel with a night-light but couldn’t always find a convenient place to plug it in. We’ve recently discovered a better solution: plastic light sticks. They come in several glow-in-the-dark colors and are activated by bending the tube into a circle and connecting the ends. Each evening, we hook one of the loops over the bathroom-door handle, where it provides a gentle glow through the night." —Carol Attar, Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich. Get more family-friendly travel tips right on your mobile phone! Scan our QR code, here, and then check back each month as we add more tips.

"Slip a scrunchie or ponytail holder through the handles of your family’s suitcase and pull one end through the other. The resulting loop is handy for holding an extra sweater or a teddy bear (just to make sure it’s secure!) as you and your family make your way around the airport." —Leonore Bourgeault, Belmar, N.J. Get more family-friendly travel tips right on your mobile phone! Scan our QR code, here, and then check back each month as we add more tips.