by Jessica Pawl
When it comes to family travel, half the battle is the preparation required before you even leave your house. We’re rounding up our best packing tips and hacks here so that the task doesn’t feel so daunting.
But before I dive into all the nitty-gritty details on what to pack and how, let’s address one of the trickiest issues when it comes to traveling with all of our things – getting them from place to place. As in, the Airbnb to the airport, when there’s an eight-hour time gap between checkout and your flight departure!
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PRINT OUT THESE PACKING LISTS
Let’s start at the beginning – with the essential packing list. While I don’t rely on one for every trip, I almost always pull mine out of the drawer to ensure I haven’t overlooked any critical elements. I keep the below templates printed off, slipped in a plastic sleeve so I can use a dry-erase marker to check them off as I go, and stored beneath the kids sweatshirts. Easy peasy.
Use the below links to view, download and print your own copies. These handy safety nets can save you from that first sleepless night because you forgot to pack the sound machine (hellooo, personal experience!).
Download our BABY packing list
Download our TODDLER packing list
THE CLOTHES WE TRAVELED AROUND THE WORLD WITH
At the risk of sounding like a lunatic, I spent months strategizing about what exact articles of clothing were worth the limited suitcase space on our journey around the globe.
Long story short, I leaned heavily into:
- Bamboo Separates and Pajamas: Brands like Kyte, Bums & Roses and Little Sleepies made up the bulk of our kids clothing. Not only are they super stretchy, cozy and pack up small, they’re durable and wear well as under-layers in cold temps and breathable options in warmer weather.
- Neutral Tanks and Tees: Old Navy and Gap sell bundles of neutral staples like tank tops, short- and long-sleeve tee-shirts that are affordable and wash up well. Not only do these pair with anything, having a small stash on hand meant that if one was stained or torn along the way, we still had plenty of options to choose from.
- Athleisure for Littles: From my favorite quick-dry boys pants from Target are great, but anything that truly does dry quickly, offers reinforced knees and has a drawstring waist / cinched ankles is a win in my book.
PACKING DISTRACTIONS… THE TOYS
And just as critical are toys and activities that kids can comfortably do while seated for long stretches of time. We’ve tested dozens (hundreds? zillions?) and these are our favorite toys to pack for the ride. They include gel clings that are perfect on planes, magnetic building blocks that won’t topple too easily and a tape activity book that never disappoints. (Of course, we’re big on allowing as much tablet time as is necessary in a pinch, especially when we’ve got fellow passengers to strive to keep comfortable, too. Just make sure that you practice wearing headphones before you travel, if your kids aren’t accustomed to them yet.)
THE IMPORTANCE OF PACKING SNACKS
No matter your mode of transportation, a solid stash of snacks is essential. We like packaged foods that aren’t sticky or stinky, alongside standbys like apples (that won’t squish when they fall to the bottom of your carry on!). You can see a link to our favorite snack recommendations here—which also includes healthy powdered drink mixes for kids that seriously jazz up a standard water bottle.
WHICH SUITCASE WORKS BEST
Before our trip, we invested in Briggs and Riley’s Extra Large Trunk Spinner. It’s a big, ol’ bag, but best of all, it’s on four wheels and moves effortlessly. You can pack a tremendous amount in it, roll it with ease and it holds up beautifully given its hard shell. The brand offers a great warranty as well, if needed.
In terms of a winning carry-on, I haven’t found anything more helpful (or fun) than the Mia Mily carry-on suitcase, which turns into a rolling seat–with seatbelt–for small kids. (Goodbye, airport stroller!)
TIPS FOR FLIGHT CARRY-ONS
- Tuck some balloons into your carry-on. You never know when a flight delay may have you waiting at the gate longer than expected. Simply blowing up a balloon in an empty corner of the terminal and letting your little one toss and kick it around can truly save the day.
- For long flights, pack new or forgotten-about toys. For particularly long flights, I’ve even gone to the extent of wrapping them in tissue paper as an extra special surprise that can be unwrapped. It’s a little bit of unexpected delight that can quickly turn around a tense moment.
- Plan for discomfort during ascent and descent and have sippy cups, pouches, or suckers on hand to help alleviate ear pressure.
- With your diapers and wipes, pack a change of clothes for baby AND a fresh top for mom and dad. You never know when an unexpected diaper blowout or spit up will end up on both baby and you. I always slip these into a plastic ziplock bag so that if we have a dirty outfit, it can get zipped up inside and tucked into our bags easily for cleaning up later.
