Clever Travel Hacks to Pack Light When Traveling With Kids

Traveling can be difficult, and it can seem even more so when you are bringing little ones with you. You want them to have things that can occupy them while flying and during downtime, but you cannot pack up all of their toys to take with you! Helping your kids pack light will help them realize the important things that need to be taken and still leave some space for toys.

Since both you and the children may need a little bit of help in understanding how to pack light, we put together a set of tips on what to take and what not to take. We also included a series of methods and ideas to ensure you have enough items without being overloaded.

Before You Pack

Before you even begin packing, make sure you have enough luggage for everyone. If you need just a little more space, consider taking a look at this list where you can choose the best travel backpack for a little more room. Once you know you have enough luggage, make a checklist of all of the important things that must be packed. To make sure your final list of things to pack won’t be too long, take a look at the methods mentioned below.

The Rule of Three

Depending on how long you will be gone, consider the Rule of Three. This rule means that you should have one outfit to wear, one to wash and one to dry. You can bring three shirts, three pairs of pants, and three of all the other pieces of clothing you need. Don’t bring 3 pairs of shoes unless you need them. One is enough, but you can add a second pair of necessary. While kids can be messy, this is still a great rule of thumb.

Your kids can have solid colored, simple clothing packed that can match with other items in the suitcase. Having cotton clothing will help, and it won’t wrinkle too much.

Toys and Gadgets

Your children are going to need something to occupy their time. Allow them to bring small toys, just a couple, so they feel entertained. Bring along a tablet, DVD player or laptop as well so they can watch movies or play computer games. This will free up space in your suitcase because you won’t have to bring the giant stuffed bear that your daughter has tea parties with!

If you need to, pick up some headphones or ear buds so that your children can quietly enjoy movies, music and games. As for smaller toys, bring along some cards, small coloring pad with crayons, or you can find many types of travel games that are at the local toy store.

Get the Air Out

You will find that you might use baggies to help you store smaller items. You can even put your clothing in vacuum sealed bags that suck the air out. Be sure to squeeze the air out of everything you are packing, so as to maximize your space. When packing your clothing, you should roll it up so you have as much space as you can get.

You can also use dry bags for your valuables. These will keep everything inside dry even If your sun’s juice gets spilled all over the backpack. It’s a precaution worth taking to make sure that papers and electronics stay safe.

If you’re not sure what they are or how to choose one, you can read more here.

Leave the Bulk At Home

Unless you are going somewhere cold, you don’t need to bring along bulky coats or clothing, especially when it concerns the kids. You will also want to leave the comforter and pillow behind for space saving purposes. When packing, put in thin shirts or multi-functional clothing so you can get the most out of them and reduce occupied space. If you do need to bring a coat, you should try to wear it while you are traveling if you need the extra space.

Kid Friendly Snacks

It is inevitable that your kids are going to get hungry on the plane, or while going to and from a certain place. Bring along small but tasty snacks that kids love to save you a headache. Granola bars and raisins are healthy and will keep your kids satisfied.

Leave the Stroller and Pack and Play at Home

You can call ahead when making travel plans and see which hotels offer a pack and play or stroller rental. Many hotels keep pack and play for smaller children, so it will save you the hassle of having to trek yours everywhere. If you do want to bring a stroller, or if your hotel has none, you can bring an umbrella stroller, which is not as bulky and difficult as a regular stroller.

Car Rental

If you are planning on renting a car, simply as the car rental company if they have car seats for your smaller children. In many cases, they will, and you do not have to lug around a bulky car seat while traveling. Never be afraid to ask your car rental place, hotel, or other travel related places if they have any kid-friendly options, as in most cases they will, and your concern can be on making memories with your family.

Stay Calm, Don’t Expect a Lot

With tiny kids, you really cannot keep your expectations high, especially while traveling. Packing light is important, but packing smart is more important. You will still probably over pack, but it’s okay! Kids sometimes need more than adults do, so you have to sacrifice if you want to have more space while traveling. While you may find that you packed a little extra, you will be glad when you have that extra bag of laundry detergent because your 3-year-old spilled spaghetti all over his clean outfit!

Conclusion

We hope that you found some new ways to pack lighter, and maybe pack a little smarter. Remember, traveling light can be easy, but you do need to keep your kids happy as they travel on a plane, train, or car! Being prepared is important, but you will have to find the line between too much, and just enough.

Overall, your focus should be on making memories with your kids that will live forever! Incorporating some of these tips can just make travel easier on everyone. Happy travels!

Author Bio:

Rebecca lives in the USA, but loves hiking all over the world. Her favorite is Everest Base Camp Trek in Nepal. It usually takes 16 days, but she likes to slow down, enjoy mountains, the company of other adventurers and take more pictures, so it took her 28 days last time. Another of her passion is the ocean, so all short and long hikes along the ocean shore bring a lot of joy. She also writes for HikingMastery.com.

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