Packing For Travel With Your Kids
It's the time of year where families are traveling a lot! After over 10 years of packing my kids' suitcases I have found items and processes that help me be super efficient.
Thanksgiving is a week and a half away! Usually we travel as a family over the Thanksgiving break – it’s nice to take advantage of a full week off of school and go somewhere – but this Thanksgiving we are staying in Los Angeles. For the past 4 years this is the time that I would be organizing and packing the kids for a weeklong trip, and so because I’m not doing it, I’ve had time to reflect on my packing process.
I’ve been a mom for over 10 years, I have 3 kids, and we’ve traveled many times as a family so that means I have a lot of packing experience! My packing process is pretty much on autopilot (pun not intended!) at this point, and when I look at what I do to pack I realize that I have set up systems and have certain items that make packing for kids super efficient. My goal is to pack in a way that doesn’t take too long to do, where we’ll be prepared for everything, and that makes it easy for me to access everything once we’re on the trip.
Here are the key items I use, and how I use them, when packing my kids for a weeklong (or longer) trip:
PACKING ITEMS
Color-Coded Suitcase
Each kid has their own medium sized roller suitcase in a specific color. This has proven helpful for many reasons:
I know exactly whose bag is whose when packing and when setting it up at our destination.
The kids know which bag is theirs. When you’re traveling things can feel discombobulating for them, so seeing their bag brings them comfort that their stuff is going to be with them.
The rolling wheels makes it easy for the kids to help pull their bag once they turn 5 or so.
Each kid knows which bag is theirs - N(10) is red, C(8) is pink, and A(5) is bright blue - and once old enough they can help pull their bag as needed
If you get a suitcase with a “bucket” as one side and the other side is just a thin top (as opposed to a suitcase that opens like a book with equal sides to pack), then you can set it up in their room as a makeshift drawer/closet without taking up too much room. You can set the bucket part down on the suitcase stand (or the floor) and have the lid be at a 90 degree angle or closed so it only takes up the size of the suitcase as opposed to double the size with two huge compartments that need to be open to access clothes.
Packing Cubes
Packing cubes help me stay organized in a few ways:
I can put a lot of items into each one – they compress clothing.
I can use one cube to pack for an entire day and label them with the day of the trip. For example, a beach vacation day packing cube could contain breakfast clothes, beach day clothes and swimsuit, after beach relaxing clothes, dinner clothes, pajamas, and whatever underwear/socks are needed. The idea is that you just need that one cube to get you through the entire day and evening of that trip.
Alternatively, I can use packing cubes to pack for each type of clothing item. For example, one bag is underwear/socks/pajamas, one bag is pants, one bag is shirts, one bag is sweaters, etc.
Once at our destination, I love that I can take each packing cube out of the suitcase and leave it intact inside the drawer of where we are staying - that keeps the clothing organized inside the drawer.
Also, if I need to share a suitcase between kids (or with me or my husband), then I can have packing cubes for each person in the family (you can get different colors of cubes for each person) inside one suitcase (I use this way of packing for shorter trips and thought it worth mentioning as an option).
Kid Backpacks
Each kid has their own backpack filled with what they can’t live without!
Their favorite stuffy, blanket, book, and whatever else they need for comfort and that can’t be replaced if they were to get lost in checked luggage…
Have them pack their backpack themselves so even if you carry it for them, they will see the bag and know that their favorite items are inside.
I always pack a Ziploc bag at the bottom of this filled with a full change of clothes for them in case of travel sickness, or in case of an airline luggage delay – this way they’ll have something to wear the next day if they don’t yet have their suitcase.
Travel Toiletry Items
Each kid has their own toiletry kit with their travel items already packed that I keep under the sink in their bathroom. You can also use a Ziploc bag and just write each kid’s name on the bag so you know whose is whose. This bag has items like toothbrush, toothpaste with cover, floss, and is already packed from the previous trips so it’s easy to grab (double check it of course).
I have a larger toiletry bag always packed that has all 3 kids’ soap/shampoo/conditioner (especially important in younger years when you need sensitive soap for their skin and if it gets in their eyes), hairbrush, lotion, cream, sunscreen, kid nail cutter, etc. After each trip I make sure there is still enough of each item for the next trip so I’m always ready.
Medicine
Some of the places you travel may not have easy access to a drug store, or it may be closed when you need medicine. Pack the items that will be most useful for your family – Tylenol, Motrin, Benadryl, Band-Aids, etc. And of course bring any prescriptions they need.
Bags for Dirty/Wet Clothes
Large Ziploc bags or “wet bags” are so helpful for the return trip home. You can pack dirty laundry, wet swimsuits, clothes with stains, etc. in them and not get everything else in your suitcase ruined.
PACKING STEPS
Clothing Prep
About 3 weeks ahead of leaving for the trip I look in the kids’ closets to see if we have what we need for the trip’s activities and climate. This is so I have time to purchase items that we are missing and we will need during our trip. Often we are traveling somewhere that is either much colder or much warmer than where we live. That means the kids have probably grown out of their clothes that fit the climate we’re going to… so, even if they have the correct clothes for the trip, I check to see if it all still fits – especially their shoes!
I also check accessories/gear like sunglasses, hats, mittens, tennis racquets, etc.
Once we know what clothing fits and is appropriate for the trip, I then order/buy what we are missing and will need on the trip.
How to Organize Your Suitcase
This is how I organize items inside the suitcase:
The top mesh area that’s the back of the lid of the suitcase is where I place toiletry items (inside their toiletry bag) for easy access, and any hair accessories like headbands. I also put socks/underwear (if not already in a packing cube) in that top area since it’s easy to access and kids always need to wear those.
Inside the large “bucket” part of the bag I place shoes in the bottom.
Then, the order I put the packing cubes in depends on our arrival time and how I packed the cubes. If I packed the cubes into type of clothing (i.e. all pajamas together, all shirts together, all shorts together, etc.) and we arrive at night, then I will put the day clothes cubes on the bottom and make sure the top layer is pajamas so we can get pajamas easily when we get to our destination. If I packed the cubes where each cube is a different day, I will pack the cubes in order of the days with the last day of the trip on the bottom and go up from there to the cube for the first day on the top so it’s the first thing we access.
Keep a List of Priority Travel Items on your Phone
This is a list of travel items you know you must always bring for your family. It is not created for just this one trip – this list is always on your phone and you update it as kids’ needs change.
This is the list of things like noise machine, special alarm clocks, charging stations, special medications, etc.
Order Groceries
This is a tip for both arrival at your destination and arrival back at your home!
Order and ship groceries ahead of time so you don’t have to scramble during that busy arrival time – you’ll have snacks you know your kids like ready for you, and groceries to make breakfast the next day, so you won’t have any hangry kids (or parents).
Same thing goes for your arrival back home – avoid travel “hangryness” by having groceries ordered and waiting at your door when you arrive back home!
Those above items and methods have helped me pack efficiently so that kids are well prepared for any trip, and so that I can stay organized while on that trip. Packing and planning in this way ultimately allows me to more fully engage and enjoy the family trip.
I hope these ideas help you too❤️
Xo,
Amanda, your Type A Mom friend
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Click here: TEACHER GIFT LIST