Travel with Kids — Our Top 5 Secrets
We travel quite a bit with the kids, so I wanted to share our top 5 secrets!
1. The Right Bags
Make sure you have the right luggage for you and your kids. Our boys each have a rolling duffle that was a gift from their grandma a few years back. They are from Eddie Bauer and have been pretty indestructible thus far. We just got back from 7-day trip, and these small, but mighty duffles were able to hold all of their clothes and shoes. Even when the boys were smaller, they were able to wheel their own luggage through the airport or into the hotels {that's handy}.
W & J each also have a study backpack that has divided pockets. Even though the rolling duffles are actually carry-on size, we check them. Then, the boys each take their backpack as their carry-on item. My boyfriend always takes our very organized Swiss backpack we picked up at Target as his carry-on, too! I keep it stocked with pens, sticky notes, a small office supply cube that has a tiny stapler and other essentials for trade shows, a Norwex glasses wipe and anything else we may need.
2. Water Bottles
These buggers are popular now, so you can find them at most of your favorite retail haunts. We carry "Swell" bottles because that's what we have and I like how they stay really cold. Obviously you can't enter security with them full, but you can fill them up at the water bottle stations as soon as you pass through. We not only carry these for travel, but we take them everywhere. True Value Reunion … yep! Disney … yep! Grandma's house for by the bed … yep! Car rides … yep! I am sure you get the drift, but we never leave home without everyone having their own water bottle, which has prevented many a melt-down and extra stop!
3. Kids Zipper Bags
I ordered each of our kids two zipper bags with their initials on them. The smaller of the bag always holds their earbuds, charging cord and plug-in for their iPad Mini or other electronic device. The small bag goes into the big bag which always contains their iPad Mini, maybe a book or other items they want to travel with for "to do-ing". Then, we stick the big bag {which has the small bag, lol} into their backpack. If we are on a day trip, they can simply take these zipper bags by themselves and have everything they need to keep occupied during a car ride. We also teach them to always keep the items in those bags everywhere we go, which makes for less items left behind when we leave!
4. Family Kits
I also ordered two other zipper bags for our Family Kits when I got the boys' bags. One says, "First Aid" and the other is "Charge Me". These two bags are always packed at our house and ready to go on adventures. Traveling with kids means there is always a chance someone will get sick, so we even leave a Kinsa thermometer in the first aid bag. We keep burn ointment, antibiotic cream, bandaids, general medicines, bee sting wipes … and any other item that looks exciting. Before we leave, I empty the bag onto the table and make sure it has everything full and ready to go! The charge bag has multiple cords, charge ports, a backup battery charger and any other items we may need to travel. Everything is tied up and organized with cord ties from our favorite True Value store wink! The best part about these two bags is that they fit right down into Jason's carry on backpack everywhere we go. Disney … yep! True Value Reunion … yep! Someone always needs something and they two kits have come in handy time after time!
5. Laundry Bag
Last but certainly still very important is the collapsable laundry bag. The bag I take varies on the trip. Jason had a really thin but awesomely durable "Stuff Sack" from his trip to Alaska a few years back … it rolls to a small orange thing, but you can fit a ton of stuff in there, and it buckles closed and stays dry. Other times I take a plastic lined zipper bag that I picked up from a fundraiser with Mixed Bag Designs. The ikea $1 blue bags work great, too! We also keep one of those clear, plastic laundry bags you find in the hotel closets -- folded and tucked in each bag.
During and especially at the end of the trip, I have the kids put all dirty clothes in one bag. If we are gone for a number of days, I pack one suitcase with all the dirty clothes, and use the laundry bag for socks and underwear that may sneak out if the bag gets opened somewhere along the way {like by airport security!}. Unpacking is a lot faster with everything already together and turned right side out!
We love traveling with our kids! And they usually like going with us … mostly. We use most of these tips when the boyfriend and I travel without our nativies, too, though. It helps to make packing a little easier!
Thanks for reading. — Cassie