The holidays are here and that means many of us are making holiday travel plans for family trips or enjoying last-minute weekend getaways with the kiddos. Of course, when you have little ones there’s a lot more planning involved. But don’t worry — we got this!
I reached out to other moms and asked them to share some of their top tips when traveling with kids. Here are some tried-and-true ways to ensure that your upcoming holiday travel experiences are well-organized, more fun and less stressful.
Multi-Generational Travel
If you have your parents close by, you can always invite them to come along on the trip. That way, you have babysitting help and they get to spend more quality time with the grandkids. One of my friends says she takes her parents along and leaves the kids with them in the hotel room when she wants to get away with her hubby. “But if you have to take the kids with you,” she says, “Pack plenty of wipes!”
Ziploc Bags to the Rescue
Another mom friend buys large gallon-size Ziploc bags and places an outfit in each bag. She also labels the bag with the date the outfit is for and the child’s name, so it saves time. You just grab and go! This also makes it easy for anyone to dress the child and know what outfit to put on them. Of course, check the temperature to make sure that the outfit is appropriate for the weather. “I sometimes write the temperature on the outside of the Ziploc to remind me what to pack,” she says.
Honestly, I don’t know how parents lived BEFORE there were Ziploc bags!
I swear by this method. I always set aside all my kids’ outfits and place each one inside a large Ziploc bag (I prefer the slider bags, which are much easier to open and close). Inside each bag, you can add a top, bottom, underwear, pair of socks and some accessories, too. No matter how long your vacation is, you’ll have all your completed outfits sorted by day, so you don’t go crazy looking for that missing pair of pants or socks.
Ziploc Space Bags are also a great option. These are extra-large bags that provide vacuum storage so you can fit a lot more in your suitcase. One of the parents at our school used these on a recent family trip to Europe. “I used a roll-up vacuum seal travel bag. Then I created a picture collage of the four outfits inside, taped it to the front and it worked amazingly well.”
Yet another parent I know recommends packing cubes for their clothes, especially when you have more than two kids, she says. I just received a new set of packing cubes for my birthday and I can’t wait to use them to see how it works for me.
Get Some Rest
A friend of mine told me she always travels with melatonin gummies for children. If there’s a time change or any other elements that affect her kiddos, these gummies help her kids get a good night’s sleep.
Keep Them Entertained
I always pack a backpack for each one and fill it with new surprises from the Target Dollar Spot, so they can open them on the plane or once we arrive at the hotel. That gets my girls excited and keeps them busy playing with their new games, toys or educational activities. My friend agrees: “I have them pack a small backpack with whatever toys they want, a blanket, a water bottle and a snack,” she says.
Of course, if you don’t mind tech gadgets, you can also pack a tablet or other device. My kids have the Fire Kids Edition Tablet that they use to play games and watch shows. They each have a set of LilGadgets headphones so they’re able to use their tablet without disturbing other passengers on the plane.
What are some of your favorite mom hacks for holiday travel with kids? I’d love to hear your ideas!
