The frost may still be on the car window in the morning where you live this time of year, but it’s not too early to be thinking of—and planning for—your summer travels.  You’ve probably picked a destination and maybe even booked your hotel, but a little extra preparation can make the difference between a good family vacation and a great one.  Here are a few smart things you can do to get your kids ready now.

1.  Brush up on swimming

Unless you live in Hawaii or Florida, it’s all too easy to let swimming lessons slide in the winter months—believe me, I’ve done it.  If pools, lakes, or oceans figure prominently in your summer plans, now is the time to brush up on buoyancy.  No child is ever completely water safe, but a few lessons in the spring can go a long way toward summer peace of mind.

2.  Introduce new foods

This is especially important if you’re going abroad.  Two summers ago, my husband and I took our very picky eaters to Spain.  Before we left, we took them out for tapas a couple of times.

As expected, our kids mostly survived on french fries and ice cream when we got to Spain.  On the one or two occasions those weren’t on the menu, the kids braved their way through Jamon Serrano and papas bravas with no lasting ill effects.

3.  Read all about it

Kids often have no concept of geography.  When we were in Denver last summer visiting friends, my 7-year-old son turned to me and said, “Wait, are we still in California?”

If you’re going somewhere cool, do your homework.  Visit your local library and check out as many picture books and guidebooks as you can find about your destination.  Online, Wikipedia is a good resource and travelforkids.com has some good information too.

4.  Talk about safety

If you’ll be going to or through beaches, airports, and theme parks, talk to your kids about what to do if they get lost.  We have our kids wear wristbands with our cell phone numbers.  We also coach them to find someone who looks like a mother if they are lost, and to ask if she can help them call their parents.

5.  Discuss expectations

If your family vacations are anything like ours, there’s way more sugar than usual and way less sleep.  It’s a volatile combination.  To stop behavior problems before they start, try telling your kids what you expect them to do on your trip.

For example, we expect our kids to be good in restaurants and quiet in hotels.  They mostly manage pretty well.  We also expect them not to pester us nonstop about souvenirs, but that’s been a slightly more elusive goal.  There’s always next summer, I guess.