15 Game Changers & Essentials To Traveling With Kids

Before children, my husband and I always said we’d keep traveling once we started a family. But after one family trip gone bust, you swear to never do it again. Sound familiar? It’s so much work that you question whether packing up the kids for that destination wedding, family reunion, or Spring Break is worth it.

But what do you do when you love to travel? Or move abroad and suddenly travel becomes an expected way of expat life? After 9 years of routine travel as a family of four within the USA and a year and a half of living abroad, packing and traveling with kids is what we do…whenever we can.

Whether it’s your first time or your 100th, here are 15 game changers and essentials to simplify, start and keep traveling with kids.

Game Changers

1 – The UPPAbaby Skateboard

Technically it’s called the Vista PiggyBack Ride-Along Board, but it’s way cooler for your toddler if you call it a skateboard. Honestly, this device is worth the expense of the system itself. So worth it in fact that my husband and I swore by it and refused to stop using it until my youngest unsafely outgrew it. And what’s even more amazing about this device is that it keeps its value…you can easily sell the PiggyBack once you’re done with the stroller phase for at least 50% of what you paid for it…possibly more…I can’t remember now how much we sold ours for but everyone wanted it within hours of posting online. But, that’s not the point.

The point is this stroller was super easy to travel with across the country and back, multiple times. The kids loved riding in it and on it. It always turned heads in airports but more importantly, made the airport journey FAR easier. If you don’t have one…or about to have another child, this is the best stroller and ride-along for traveling with kids. The BEST.

2 – Let The Kids Pack

Yes, let them pack! This is a game changer. Write out a list of things the kids will need for their trip and let them pack. I started doing this with my kids when my youngest turned 5 (she’s 6 now) and I had no idea how eager both children were to pack their own things.

Sure, you have to go through it all and make sure they didn’t pack every stuffed animal they own or 20 pairs of the same thing. But getting them involved creates responsibility, gets them excited and honestly gives you one less thing to do.

I personally find packing for my kids more daunting than packing for myself! Now that they take the initiative to pack on their own, it takes a lot less time and is the easiest part of getting ready.

If you give your child the freedom to show you what they want to bring on the trip, it gives an indication to you on what will make them happy and feel secure while traveling. One less thing for you to do, happy kids…it’s a win-win!

Entertainment

3 – Provide An Electrical Device

Bring not just an electrical device, but their own electrical device. Don’t make your own time miserable because you’ve given everything you planned for yourself to your kids. As moms, that’s what we do. We pack our own things and then our things quickly turn into their things.

Bring headphones for everyone, a splitter to share a device and enough pre-loaded content to satisfy the interests of the entire family.

Letting your kids use an electrical device might sound horrific to some parents, but here’s the deal. If there is ever a time to offer a child an electrical device, a long flight is the time. I’m not suggesting to stay glued to bright light for 24 hours (like flying to Australia from North America or Europe). However, allowing a child to watch a movie, play some games or even read is a great way to pass some time and distract.

Before the child knows it, they could be landing. Fastest flight ever. Easiest flight for you.

Just monitor the time on the device as it pertains to the time of day of the travel. If they are watching the device in the evening but expected to fall asleep, don’t plan on the child falling asleep quickly. The stimulation will delay sleep, and worse can cause a headache. Monitor the time, mix things up with other distractions or things to do.

4 – A Lovey, A Blanket…All The Things

Sure, more things mean more to carry but if it’s the difference between having a happy child or a miserable one, bring the extra goods. Let your child know that they have to carry their own things. Teach them to be responsible for carrying their own things at an early stage. That will help cut down on weight and possible losses along the way. The teddy bear left under the hotel bed, a blanket on a train…you get the picture.

And if your child gets sick or really needs to fall asleep during the travel, the blanket or lovey that helps with that is totally worth it. And an eye mask, too, to nudge them along!

A couple of great travel items for girls include the American Girl travel seat that attaches to a suitcase and a baby carrier. Suddenly responsibility becomes a whole lot more fun, and less likely to leave it behind.

5 – Crossword Puzzle

Kids love puzzles! Though the actual jigsaw kinds are fairly risky to travel with, the crossword ones are genius. They are compact and a great way to occupy competitive kids when they can’t move for long periods of time.

6 – Card Games

Bring Skipbo, Dobble and even Match Attax cards. Any sort of card game for the kids to play is time spent not thinking about the travel itself. Play with them and it’s even better.

Cards don’t take up a lot of room and a perfect source of entertainment for a car journey, flight, and even the destination itself when you’re back in the hotel room.

Essential Supplies

7 – Bring An Empty Water Bottle For Each Child

As soon as you get through the security check, fill up an empty water bottle at a water station on the other side. This way the kids can stay hydrated during the entire flight which is so important for long flights, or any flight really.

By bringing your own water bottle, you save time and money on overpriced beverages and minimize headaches or “dying of thirst” complaints on the plane when water isn’t served for ages or at all.

If you have a child who gets migraines, as we do, hydration is a key to a sick-free traveled kid.

8 – Ziploc/Zipper Bags

If you have a child that suffers from motion sickness then you likely know what the bags are for. I never considered Ziploc (aka storage bags with zippers in England) bags as motion sickness bags. My sister-in-law taught me that trick after years of international travel with kids. Genius tip!

Worry a lot less about the mess with a bag that can be easily sealed once the deed is done. It contains the smell (as best as that sort of smell can be) and easier to manage and throw away since it’s sealed shut.

And because they are zipper bags, if you get through travel without sick kids, you’re guaranteed to have an alternative use for them during your stay.

9 – Snack Bag With Gum

Snacks and gum packed in a Ziploc bag, of course! Pack chewing gum for obvious ear pressure related cries and snacks for littles that need to eat often. These are essentials to traveling with kids.

Add special snacks so the kids know that they will be rewarded for being so good, and for getting through super long travel when there are few or no full meal breaks along the way.

A few snacks that always work for our family: crackers/pretzels, granola bars, grapes, apples, cheese sticks (eat first), Rice Krispie squares and a few other treats that the kids pick out in advance of the trip. Letting them pick out something helps build their own enthusiasm for travel. Typical treats that can be enjoyed longer include Jolly Ranchers, lollipops and chewing gum.

10 – Benadryl, the Super Drug

Never leave home without prescription medications, Neosporin, band-aids/plasters, and any medicine that your child is used to taking when they are sick.

As previously mentioned, my son is prone to migraines. He’s been getting them for years (age 6 to 9) which can make an international flight downright awful.

We pack everything to manage the onset of a migraine and follow the doctor’s orders leading up to the flight itself, but those long international flights would get him every time.

The one thing that has worked to prevent a migraine while traveling is Benadryl.

Benadryl is still a fairly new discovery for our family as we’ve always rallied through the long flights with prescription drugs but simple over-the-counter Benadryl works. Now my son is happier, more confident about traveling and puts tremendous ease on the rest of the family.

If migraines, headaches or other pains trouble your little one, consult your doctor before traveling with kids. Ask about Benadryl and give it a test run before traveling to ensure there are no negative side effects.

11 – Anti-Bacterial & Washing Up Toilettes

To minimize getting sick from all the germs packed on a train, rental car or airplane, pack anti-bacterial wipes to clean surfaces before the kids get settled in. Wipe down trays, seat belts and anything that looks suspicious.

Keep hand sanitizer and tissues nearby. Pack toilettes and a dry washcloth for washing up throughout the journey or after unfortunate motion sickness. It can happen so best to be prepared.

12 – Spare Clothes

Pack one set of spare essentials!

Even with kids at 6 and 9 years old, we pack a spare outfit in the carry-on. It could be as simple as a pair of pajamas and underwear/pants. The key is to have something to quickly change into if there is an accident.
Just knowing there is a backup offers ease of mind if something goes wrong – from missing the toilet to spilling lunch all over himself. You will be covered.

Before You Go

13 – Read A Book Or Watch A Movie About The Destination

Get the kids pumped about where they are going by watching a movie or reading a book. With the number of Disney movies out there, this really isn’t that hard to do. Or if you’re not sure, hit the local bookstore with the kids and have a look around.

Find something that’s easy to read or watch as a family. This way the kids understand what they will see and do, can imagine what the trip will be like, and get far more excited about going.

14 – A Healthy Meal & Hydration

Before you start traveling, get the kids off to a proper start with a healthy meal at home. Avoid sugars and delay the “hey, we’re on vacation!” mindset until you actually arrive at the destination.

The kids will feel better and you will too, knowing you started the trip on the right foot.

15 – Give Yourself Plenty Of Time

If you rush things you’ll be stressed. That stress carries onto the kids. Kids know when things aren’t going well or that there is fear something is wrong.

Give yourself plenty of time so that no one is rushed and unexpected toilet stops don’t cause the family to miss the flight.

Arrive early, let the kids run around to burn off energy, and get that skinny latte you want. Set the tone of the trip with a stress-free mom and dad.

Are we there yet?

Even if you’ve been prepared for this trip for weeks, you can’t control canceled flights, the person you get assigned to sit next to or other mishaps along the way…like your husband ordering the kids a soda from the lounge just before boarding an international flight while you hit the toilet…😂

Whether the travel is amazing or a total bust, you’ve done your best and there is always a lesson for next time. But don’t forget…stay calm, take a deep breath, laugh a little, and most importantly, keep traveling with kids. 🛫

Looking for more resources for travel with kids? Try these.

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