Family Vacation Packing Tips: 10 Tips for Packing with Young Kids

Family vacation packing tips and tricks are now and always will be a necessity for this traveling family. I love traveling, don’t get me wrong. Exploring new places, being forced to be in the moment: it’s all good for the soul and even better for the family. We seem to find each other and find ourselves when we get away, whether it’s a day or a week or a month.

But even with all this positivity, these hours and days of reflection and connection, there are two parts of traveling I despise. Utterly. Packing and unpacking. It’s like the travel equivalent to stubbing a pinky toe on the bed post while frantically sprinting to a crying (read whining) child in the middle of the night.

I am fortunate enough to be the sole packer of this travel tribe (insert eye roll), so I do feel like I’ve got it down to a science. Sort of (because these little creatures living in my home happen to keep growing and needing more of this and less of that each time I pack them…).

Even with the changing whims of my littles, I’ve got a few constant family vacation packing tips and tricks I keep up my sleeve to make my life a tad easier (and last time I packed–please allow me this moment to humble brag–it happened so quickly and so easily I was anxiously wringing my hands most of the trip because I was positive I left something important at home…spoiler alert–I didn’t). So, in no order, here are those things I remind myself of each time I get to packing.

Family Vacation Packing Tip 1: Less is More

Imagine this: the airport is crowded with people rushing from counter to counter. They’re stressed and focused only on getting themselves to their destinations. And they’re certainly not making sure they’re not cutting between family members or stepping in front of little people who are trying to keep up with their big people. So how do we try to accommodate this?

Let me preface this by saying we are not backpackers and we are certainly not minimalists. But, we do bring as little as possible, within reason. We are already holding hands, pushing strollers, and wearing infants. The last thing we need to do is wonder how we’re going to get five giant two-wheeled suitcases, packed to the brim with this, that, and a million toys from our car in the parking lot to the check in counter. And then from pick up at baggage claim to our destination (especially if this means using public transportation). So, we keep it as simple as possible. Not just in what we put in our bags, but in the bags we lug along too. It’s much easier to pull two medium sized pieces of luggage than it is to drag along eight smaller pieces.

When we’re in the throes of finishing up packing (I mean, when I’m in the throes, because really, I’m the family packer), it’s important not to have a last minute packing panic. There’s no grabbing that extra shirt or dress. There is no room for extra anything. It’s always a bit of an internal struggle, but I do all I can to avoid frantically searching for one more thing to toss into the bags. (One tip here is to make, and stick to, a list. But that also means writing a realistic list. No last minute add ons here either.)

Family Vacation Packing Tip 2: Choose for Versatility

Before we leave, we always check the weather. I mean, we do this with or without the kids, right? There’s no sense in bringing shorts when you’re only hitting the low 50s, clearly. So, pack according to what you need. Easier said than done though. Especially if you’re in the shoulder season or a climate that hits 80 in day and 40 at night. So what about then?

Well, in this case, we suggest light layers. Rather than bringing all the heavy down jackets and fleece pants, opt for a few, versatile options that can be combined on the cold nights or worn separately on a few of those slightly crisp nights. Stockings go a long way under a dress, but they can also be great under a pair of pants to keep warm while out at a Christmas Market. We love pants that can roll up and button into shorts, jackets that can turn into vests, shoes that look equally good with a dress and with pants. I think you get the picture.

This multiple use mentality even applies to jackets. There’s no reason to carry a number of jackets with you when you travel. For travel in colder weather, we prefer jackets that have a removable interior fleece. The outside, being waterproof, can be worn on those rainy, but not too cold, days. The fleece can be worn on those sunny, but not too warm, days. And the two can be combined when it’s just cold. And/Or snowy.

But my ultimate favorite versatile piece to pack? A good scarf (sometimes I even get a bit crazy and pack two). I use a scarf to keep me warm on the chillier days (I can go without a coat, but if my neck is exposed, it will seriously take me three weeks to recover from the chill). On those hot days when I’m exploring religious sites, I use it to cover my arms and shoulders. I’ve been known to use it as a cover up at the beach. It’s been a nursing cover for all my babies. And, once in a while, if they’re lucky, I may let my little ones use it as a blanket when the rocking of the train puts them to sleep. One item. Multiple uses. Pure packing bliss.

 

Family Vacation Packing Tip 3: Choose Your Luggage Wisely

I am not ashamed to admit I have a love of bags. All bags–I don’t discriminate. If you’re a bag, I love you; it’s as simple as that. I’ve been known to admire handbags, diaper bags, back packs, messenger bags, camera bags, luggage, and every other form of bag that has ever passed within 100 feet of my periphery. Each bag has me imagining myself out there in the world with it, always living my best life.

Needless to say, I’ve had some time and opportunity to really think through what bags makes traveling with kids less daunting. Our first rule? Four wheels. If we need to bring more than a carry on with us, then four wheels is necessary. Frankly, they’re just easier to pull or push or whatever you need to do to move them from point A to point B. And since we’re guaranteed we will also be carrying a tired child or a tired child’s bag or a tired child and his/her bag (there may be some weeping involved too but I won’t say from whom), ease of movement is of utmost importance.

When we’ve got a flight, in the interest of keeping our hands free (remember sluggish little ones) we take our carry on items in backpacks. A good backpack is one that has multiple pockets that are easy to access so that in the middle of the flight there’s no need to open an entire back in a frantic search for diapers, snacks, or crayons. (Our favorite is the Nomatic–it’s big enough to hold all the things we need and big enough to hold all the things the little ones need at the same time.)

As the little people have grown, our considerations have had to change a bit too. They each like to have their own bags to bring on the plane, so when we pick them out, we take into consideration how easy they would be for us to carry as well.

First, we choose rollers over backpacks so the little ones can fit their own snacks, extra clothes, tech, entertainment, and every other item in their own bags (they’re still too little for very big back packs). A little autonomy goes a long way in preventing meltdowns and assuming responsibility for getting their own stuff from place to place.

But, assuming at some point exhaustion may set in during a layover or long-haul flight, we’ve found the perfect kid’s roller will have a handle that extends high enough for it to be easy for grown ups to pull (as there is certainly that chance, isn’t there). Bags that easily attach to our own bags or to each other’s are also key to selecting the perfect bag. Think a kid’s roller with a slip on the back that can go over the handle of another roller.

Family Vacation Packing Tip 4: Use a Capsule Wardrobe Mindset

What is a capsule wardrobe you might be asking? Well, essentially, it’s having a few great pieces of clothing that you can mix and match with each other and a few seasonal pieces to add that will make a full wardrobe. So, in the world of packing for kids, that means focusing on a few colors. Tops should match with more than one pair of pants, shorts, or skirts. Sweaters should match with more than one outfit. This way, if one top gets a bit dirty, then another top can be substituted rather than an entire outfit.

The key to making a capsule wardrobe really work, though, is accessories, and this goes for any age or gender. A change in jewelry, a change in sweater, or a change of shoes can create a different look. No need to bring all the bling. (But be cautious of bringing too many shoes. I usually opt for a casual pair and a nicer pair that match everything because…well…capsule wardrobe so everything matches everything.)

Family Vacation Packing Tip 5: Consider Colors

Kids are dirty. They just are. (At least I always assumed it wasn’t just mine…) When we pack, that means we have to think of the fact that their clothes will, inevitably, end up with a bit of grime, some cheese perhaps. Maybe even some pond muck. So, we pack accordingly.

What this means is, we pick clothes that can easily hide a stain or two. You won’t often find white in our travel wardrobes. That goes for both the little ones making the messes and the grown ups who are often on the receiving end of a hunk of melted chocolate or a muddy foot.

Heathered fabrics are great for hiding stains. And if we don’t get to wash the stain out quickly, then they’re great for hiding stains that are just deep set and not really coming out. Another thing we look for is prints that may hide a blob of ice cream or a drizzle of ketchup. Patterns help conceal those pesky little accidental additions. Even when we travel, we still like to look put together and hiding our stains helps us hide a little bit of our inherent chaos.

Family Vacation Packing Tip 6: Assess Location

Where exactly are you going? Is it the literal middle of nowhere where food and diapers do not exist? Or is it possible that if you happened to run out of kid shampoo, for example, you’d be able to find another? Or at least something that will sustain you for the remainder of your travels?

Check out what’s happening in the world around where you’re staying. Or, along your road trip, consider whether there is a solid midpoint to stop and pick up a few essential items that you didn’t really want to pack a million of but will inevitably need a million of. (Tip: Never underestimate what you can find in an airport. If you’re going straight carry on, check out your destination airport. You may be able to just pick up some contact solution or sunscreen there rather than lugging it with you and dealing with security.)

Honestly though, we tend to pack just enough based on the thought that we will have access to more of whatever it is, if we end up needing it. Maybe we’ll take an extra two diapers. But we’re not packing an entire extra box. Snacks? We know that our little ones, no matter where they are, will enjoy a trip to a grocery store or bodega to find something new to try. So, I’m not about to slog an entire bag filled with food through a pulsing airport.

On the other hand, medicine is a tricky, tricky thing. When it comes to my little people’s medicines, I don’t play around. I pack two full bottles of everything: one bottle goes in my carry on and one bottle goes in my checked luggage. I usually bring two types of medicines for fever/pain. I don’t generally distrust doctors or pharmacists from other countries when they have to treat my children, but I prefer to stick with what I know in terms of medicines.

We also consider laundry. As a family of five, any trip usually involves a combination of hotels and airbnbs as we make our way through a country. One of the key sellers of an airbnb is whether or not it has laundry. And yes, we pack with the intention of doing laundry. Maybe not all of our laundry. But a load or two. Those long pants that we thought we’d only need a pair or two of. That bathing suit we thought we’d only get to use once, but we’re really hoping to use twice. Whatever it is that we think we need more of to get us through. That’s what gets laundered.

They key is, we travel with the knowledge that we can find what we need, or something closer (maybe even better) than what we need as we travel. Our travels aren’t taking us to alien worlds. They may take us to different cultures with different sets of standards, rules, expectations, but nothing that can’t be navigated with patience. Just that knowledge offers a peace of mind that prevents that anxiety that can creep in and ask, “What did you forget?” Because nobody has time for that voice when you’re taking a family trip.

Family Vacation Packing Tip 7: Packing Cubes

A good set of packing cubes can change your life. Well, at least they did mine. And pretty much all the other creatures I travel with, young and old. Organization, ownership, and all the added space are the reasons that we rely, heavily, on them.

Clearly packing cubes help make luggage more organized. Each bag perfectly packed with the just right amount of clothes and pjs. And when things get packed tightly into those little golden cubes, so many pockets of space open up to slide shoes or toothpaste into. And it’s always nice to know exactly where to find whatever it is you need rather than shuffle through a bag stuffed with stuff in a desperate attempt to quickly grab a something or other.

We generally pack with cubes one of two ways: if we’re on a multiple stop trip, we pack by each destination. If we’re staying in one primary location, we pack by person.

The pack-by-stay technique is great for road trips. Here we need to do nothing more than just open the suitcase in the car and grab out a single cube for the night. There’s no taking in and out of our bag upon bag upon bag. We have one “everynight” bag/cube with our toiletries and pjs and then a cube with clothes for the few days we’ll be at our current destination. At the end of the stay, the dirty clothes get shoved back in the same cube and we’re off to the next stop.

On the single stay vacation, we tend to pack by person. Not only is it mentally easy to gather each item up this way, it also makes finding things quite simple. This provides us with ease of unpacking when we finally get to our destination. Each little person is responsible for choosing a drawer and unpacking their own cubes. It’s one less thing for a momma to do and that makes for a happy momma.

And because Murphy’s Law is…well…Murphy’s Law, we also create one cube with one outfit for each kid and one cube with one outfit for each adult. Packing a cube per person means that if that luggage with all the little ones’ cubes happens to disappear, we will be without clothes for them. So, we put together a cube with one outfit each and set of pjs each and put it in the grown ups’ luggage. We figure this will buy us enough time to either get our delayed luggage or to buy some snazzy new outfits. The same goes for the grown up clothes. Because my sensibilities don’t agree with wearing the same clothes for days and days and days and days.

Family Vacation Packing Tip 8: Roll in Outfits

One little packing cube really isn’t much space for a trip’s worth of clothes. But it can be. We save space, and sanity, by creating outfits for the trip (though, as mentioned, we have no issues breaking those outfits apart if necessary). Actually putting full outfits together and placing them together prevents us from grabbing a few extra shorts here or some extra tank tops there. We have enough. Period.

After we create the full outfits, we roll them and then rubber band each of them together. Then we have a final roll that contains anything extra we pack. For example, if we’re going somewhere warm, we don’t include pants in each outfit, but we’ll grab two pair just in case of a cold night and put them, a sweater, and a few extra underwear into a final roll together.

And the ultimate bonus here? When we get to wherever we’re going, it’s easy peasy for the little ones (or the dad) to just grab a kid roll in the morning and throw the outfit on the kid it belongs to. There’s no “What should I wear?” or “I forgot to get my socks.” So even though it’s one of our family vacation packing tips, it’s also sort of a saving mom’s sanity tip too.

Family Vacation Packing Tip 9: Give Yourself PJ Options

I’ll admit that at home I’m one of those “You wore those pjs one night so throw them in the dirty clothes” kind of people. But when we travel? Oh no. Those pjs can be worn multiple nights. I figure, the little ones are clean enough, so yeah, the pjs are clean enough then. I mean, it’s not like they’re puddle stomping or pasta eating in them.

But, I’m still pretty certain that I pack at least two sets of pjs. This probably stems from traveling when my little ones were too young to use blankets. Some hotel rooms would be sweltering. Some as cold as the polar vortex. Still others would be thick with heat, but the only place the crib would fit would be directly under the super-powered air conditioner. As a result, I’ve learned that it’s pretty important to have pjs to fit every possible odd inability-to-control-the-temperature hotel room. This family vacation packing tip is basically that no matter what kind of destination you’re heading to, pack the warmest of pjs and the coolest of pjs. Then mix and match them if you need.

Family Vacation Packing Tip 10: Space-Saving Items to Include

Have I mentioned that we prefer to pack light? Well, let me sort of add parameters to that statement. We like to pack light, but by no means are we roughing it. We often choose to lighten our load by including a few key items. It sounds kind of contradictory, but in the scheme of things, it’s really not.

The first little item we include is the Scrubba. This tiny guy is perfect for cleaning an item or two quickly and easily. With him, we prevent stains from setting in and we prevent the stress of making sure we have packed enough. Because you know what? If we have to wash a pair of stinky pjs, we can. Easily. And then move on.

Another laundry-item that is a convenience to include (don’t sweat it if you don’t have the space or just forget) is a small rope to use as a clothes line. We find this to be especially important when traveling in Europe where often our airbnbs will have washing machines but not dryers. Rather than slinging the wet clothes around the apartment where they sort of half dry, we can throw them over the rope and voila, no more wet seams.

An additional space saver is for those little ones who still use little kid shampoo; you know, the gentle on eyes and little bodies type. We always travel with a shampoo/body wash combo. That way we’ve got one bottle to bring with us instead of two. (An added bonus? The shampoo/body wash combo we use is one we’ve only ever used when we travel and we’ve been using since the big one was first born. Now, whenever we need a little “We’re not traveling” pick me up, we can just open the bottle and breathe in the smell and suddenly we’re on every trip we’ve ever taken with the littles.)

Finally, I am one of those hopeful parents. I try to be realistic, but let’s be honest, to be hopeful isn’t always to be realistic. This means I bring books along so I can read in my downtime. I know, I know. I’m a mom to three pretty young trouble makers, so who am I kidding? But I still like the comfort of having something to do, if on the off chance, I find some time. In these instances, I bring a single, usually slim, book. And then my ever hopeful mind downloads a few new books onto a device (I prefer the Kindle Paperwhite) and let myself believe I will have time to read them all. (I download a few for the biggest too since she’s now a reader.) This saves me a little luggage space and a little luggage weight, both of which are precious.

A Few Extra Tips

As always, consider what you can ditch along the way, especially if you’re going to be picking up some souvenirs. We happen to still be print readers (at least The Three Kids Dad does), which means that we’re bringing along plenty of magazines. But the good thing about that is we can recycle them along the way, so our load gets lighter and lighter.

Another tip to keep in mind is to consider using stroller bags or car seat bags when flying with either. Not only does this protect your belongings, it also provides a last minute space to throw in your jackets or umbrellas, rain boots or (empty) water bottles. Just don’t let any airline employees see you doing it, as you’re not supposed to be using it as luggage (since checking these items is free).

No one needs that “What did I forget” voice nagging the folds of their brain. And, there’s few things worse than feeling exhausted and defeated by luggage, especially before the trip has even started. Just a little planning and plotting can quiet that voice make dealing with luggage as easy as a walk in the park. And it doesn’t have to mean sacrificing comfort or style.

What packing tips do you use? Drop us a comment below and Pin this post for the future!