Traveling with the whole family is fun but the initial steps before getting in the car or plane can be a long process depending on how your family prepares for travel. From packing toiletries to bringing the right clothes for the weather in where you are going, making sure every family member has their essential travel items is key in a successful family trip.
Here are some packing tips to keep the family organized in the packing process:
A Packing List
Once you know if you will be flying or driving, and if you are checking any bags, the first important thing to keep organized is creating a detailed packing list. Whether it is on a Google doc or handwritten, a list of items can help keep track of things you need to bring and want to bring, and things that you forgot to pack and need to.
While you are packing, keep the list close to you so you can refer to it and cross things off the list as they go in the bags you decide to bring. Tip: circle the things that are still not packed, this is usually kids stuffed animals or things that can’t be packed until the last minute.
Pack clothes by day
A good tip to packing for a family vacation (and if you have smaller children that cannot yet pack their own things) is packing by day instead by person. This saves space and can help avoid over packing. Packing everyone’s clothes by each day makes it easy to get everyone’s clothes out in the morning, with no fuss around about what to wear on what day while on vacation. Packing cubes can be helpful with this or even just plastic bags to keep things separated for each day.
Pack more than just clothes and toiletries
Depending on how long you will be traveling, make sure to not forget the things that you typically use and depend on daily. It is a common mistake for first-time family vacation to just focus on clothes and toiletries. Don’t forget medications, ointments, and other daily essentials. Bring cash, while credit/debit cards are used more these days, you never know when you might need some cash.
Aim for the right amount
With family vacations, you want to find the right balance of all the baby and kids’ stuff. You don’t want to forget the essentials, but you don’t want to overpack. Figuring out the right amount to pack depends on destination and how your family travels. Baby materials can take up a lot of room so bring the things you wouldn’t usually buy, and plan for buying other materials like baby food or snacks. Don’t forget books/toys to bring for entertainment! With practice and time, the packing process with get easier.
Everyone should carry their own backpack
As mentioned earlier, kids want to bring their own entertainment, whether it’s toys, blankets, books, letting your child carry their own stuff saves space in the suitcases. Letting your kid carry their own backpack helps them limit how much of their things they want to take with them. Implementing this also allows kids to learn how to be responsible for their things and aware of their surroundings when playing.
