Teddy Bear Travel

It seems like every young child has one toy, pillow or blanket they can’t let go of — even for five minutes, let alone for the duration of a family vacation.

When teddy bears, stuffed rabbits, dinosaurs or other plush creatures are following you everywhere, it might be a fun idea to use these beloved items to help build lasting trip memories for your children.

The basic premise is pretty simple. Everywhere your family goes, the stuffed toys are already going, so why not use them to your benefit? Take advantage of their presence on any and every trip by taking photos of the toy in different poses with different landmarks.

On a cruise in 2015, we took a stuffed rabbit and took photos of it in various places on the ship to appease a younger cousin. By the time the trip finished, we had photos of the rabbit all over the ship to show my younger cousin — half the fun really is returning home with your kids and new photos.

Taking photos of the toy with the kids can be fun excuse to get out of the hotel room one last time before departing for home. My family members took pictures of the rabbit around the resort and surrounding area of the city before heading home.

After the vacation is over, go through the photos with the kids and pick the best ones. Get these printed at a store that allows digital uploads and pick ups, like Walgreens. These photos are usually ready on the same day and cost less than 10 cents per photo. While shopping, grab some arts and crafts supplies like a scrapbook, markers, construction paper and scissors to create something fun with the kids.

Use the printed photos and art supplies to start a scrapbook of travels with the stuffed animal. This might start as a silly activity, but grow into a beloved family tradition before the kids get too old. If they grow to love it, they may even continue the tradition.

The tradition of printing and scrapbooking trips might not last forever, but at the very least, having a book to trot out at family gatherings or when future significant others come to visit can be a fun activity in itself for parents.