2021 is my wanderlust year—being safe and quarantining with two kids under age five for over a year will do that to you. My urge to travel and plan has never been stronger, but traveling with kids is not a vacation, it’s flying or driving to a different city with all the same responsibilities. Luckily, there are easy ways to make things less stressful when it comes to planning, packing, and having fun while traveling with kids.
5 Tips for Traveling with Kids
Packing Cubes
No more unorganized chaos in your suitcases! I use these with every trip—each person gets their own color, and everything is organized despite multiple people sharing a suitcase. I use compression cubes, which makes things even smaller and more compact.
Spreadsheets
I generally dislike spreadsheets, but when it comes to planning and packing for a trip, they are lifesavers. I have a master packing spreadsheet that I use for every family trip; it hsa the basic necessities we’ll always want to bring. I’ll also create a spreadsheet specific to the trip that we are going on. These spreadsheets help me organize and plan trips ahead of time and curb my anxiety.
Backpacks
My husband and I both carry backpacks for family travel, and each backpack has a purpose. My backpack has the snacks, medicine, extra clothes, and drinks. My husband’s backpack has chargers, iPad, and toys. Here’s my favorite backpack for travel with kids!
Documents
I learned this the hard way a long time ago: Make sure to print, screenshot, and save emails that are related to your trip. This means any reservation that you make with airlines, car rental companies, restaurants, excursions, hotels…ANYTHING trip related.
Tablet & Snacks
Here’s how I survive any trip with kids: unlimited access to snacks and tablet time. Download all the movies and TV episodes you can before your trip. Netflix, Disney+, HBO Max, and Hulu allow you to download episodes and movies and watch them without data or Wi-Fi. Snacks are essential when traveling with kids; I usually bring all my kids’ favorites and my backpack is stuffed with snacks and treats for adults and kids.
Planning and packing for a trip always stresses me out, but these little tips and tricks help ease my anxiety. The one thing I always remind myself while I’m traveling with my kids is to enjoy the moment and try to have fun!
