My husband and I have always enjoyed being busy and active. Our first dates were spent snorkelling, scuba diving and parasailing in the Caribbean and although our life has changed significantly since leaving a life onboard cruise ships and becoming parents, we still rarely spend a day at home. We spend holidays with our boys discovering new places and free time visiting attractions and meeting up with friends located all over the UK. Of course travelling with kids involves more consideration and careful planning than travelling as a couple… long gone are the days where my husband and I jumped in the car with only a rain jacket each! Here are my packing tips for life on the go with kids, I hope you find them useful.
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Essential kit for the car
Our first aid kit containing plasters, bandages, anti bacterial wipes, indigestion tablets, Calpol, Nurofen and teething medication has come in handy on many occasions, to deal with cuts, grazes, heartburn and high temperatures.
As the weather starts to get warmer I load our car with a bottle of high factor sun cream, deet free bug spray and a picnic blanket ready for our next family adventure. We rarely go on a family day out without taking a picnic in a cooler which means I can make sure we all eat a healthy lunch and as a bonus saves us money for treats.
In the autumn I replace the sun cream and bug spray with waterproofs and wellies. Although we wouldn’t purposefully choose to visit an outdoor attraction in bad weather, being prepared for the weather changing provides us with the option of whether to stay and play in the rain, or take shelter! We also have seat protectors and a waterproof boot protector, to prevent our car getting muddy from dirty wellies and pushchair wheels.
Essential kit for the journey
I speak from our experience in Wales when I say it is no fun starting a family day out covered in sick due to one of your kids projectile vomiting in the car!
To avoid car sickness, we use anti nausea/motion sickness travel wrist bands. We also prepare for the worse case scenario by carrying lots of baby wipes, a plastic sick bowl or absorbent sick bags for long journeys and packing a change of clothes for both boys.
Although my kids like to read books whilst we are driving, looking down whilst the car is moving causes them to feel sick. We therefore tend to listen to audio books or play games. If you need some help entertaining your kids during road trips these I-Spy books are great (and cheap too!)
Of course a tablet fixed into a car mount (to make sure kids are looking forward and not into their laps) can come in very handy too. We always take some time to preload cartoons and movies in advance so that we are not relying on wifi whilst on the move.
Essential kit for a day out with kids
I load up our pushchair and rucksack with a picnic and blanket, refillable drinks bottles, baby wipes, sterilising wipes and hand sterilising gel. Sterilising wipes are useful for wiping down grubby high chair trays and sterilising gel is useful for the whole family, particularly when kids have touched animals at petting farms or picked things up from the floor, (my kids cannot be the only ones who cannot resist a stick!)
For attractions that do not allow pushchairs, or for enjoying a country walk, baby slings are great for carrying infants, and backpacks are perfect for toddlers.
To avoid carrying toddlers who refuse to sit in pushchairs give them the option of riding on a buggy board or, if permitted into the attraction, take along a scooter. (We can thoroughly recommend Micro Scooters which are really stable and easy to use for kids from the age of three).
Of course snacks, toys and sticker books are an absolute necessity for a life on the go with kids! I like to pack healthy snacks for all of us including fruit, hummus and breadsticks but I always have an emergency stash of sweet and savoury treats too, such as crisps and biscuits, for those unavoidable toddler meltdowns!
If we are visiting a place that I know will be busy I dress my boys in bright clothes so that they stand out in a crowd. From attending a few festivals last summer I also like the idea of writing my mobile number on a wristband in case my boys get lost in the crowds.
To avoid being pestered for souvenirs during a day out with my kids, and to save myself some money, I try to plan and pack accordingly. For example, when we visit Warwick Castle I dress my boys in their knights outfits as I know they will pester me for new ones from the souvenir shop if I forget!
And finally, it doesn’t matter how hard you try to plan a day out with kids, when children are involved it’s almost guaranteed that you will have an ‘eventful’ day. Remember to take along your sense of humour and camera to capture the family chaos for years to come!
Do you have any packing tips for life on the go with kids? Please share them in the comments section below
Disclosure – This post is in conjunction with Rennie® but all thoughts are my own
If you found this guide useful, check out our other guides to travelling with kids
– Tips for cruising with kids by experienced cruisers
– Essential packing list for cruising with kids
– Tips from a Flight Attendant; Flying comfortably with children
– Tips from a Flight Attendant; Preventing travel sickness
– Tips from a Flight Attendant; Flying safely with children
– Top tips for a baby (and parent) meltdown free holiday
– Essential travel kit; tips for a holiday with a young child
– Essential packing list for flying with a baby or young child
– How to survive road trips with a baby or young child
– How to survive and enjoy camping with young children
– Tips for potty training on holiday – A great guide by TraveLynn Family
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This looks really helpful. Thank you for sharing such great list. This would surely help tons of family. Looking forward to more helpful posts.
We definitely bring less with us now that the kids are a little older! I love that your family has such a wide range of adventures <3
I am so pleased I don’t have to do this anymore! I remember a car full of stuff when I took her as a baby to visit friends in Brighton. Then as she got older it got easier! You have to be so organised! #mondayescapes
I must admit that I do miss having a car, simply because of the large amount of stuff you can store usefully in it for family days out. Ditto the pushchair to be honest. Mind you, as they get bigger, you can make them carry some of the clobber themselves…
some good tips there, for many years we holidayed in northern france with our 4 boys and everything was thrown in the car 1-2 days before we left, we took all sorts away with us, whole lego sets, ski goggles, duvets and pillows for the journey, i dreaded breaking down and unpacking both ends #mondayescapes
Such great tips! I need to call you when I next pack for a trip I think, I ALWAYS forget something important (last weekend, I forgot the baby’s grobag, so I didn’t sleep a wink wondering whether he would end up burying under the covers or something…)… :D #mondayescapes
Good tips! I particularly like the wristband with the number on! Such a good way to help locate you should you lose your child! #mondayescapes
These are all really great tips. Thanks for sharing, Sarah
I have similar packing tips. I have toiletries, camping gear and clothes ready to go. I take them and put them in the car. In that way, I do not miss time packing. After a trip, I check what need to be refilled and washed. I make sure I do what need to do before the next trip. #MondayEscapes
I like the part about wearing bright colors at festivals – great idea! And I have a daughter who gets car sick practically every road trip so bringing a plastic bag has become routine – it most definitely comes in handy! #mondayescapes
I don’t have kids, but I think these are helpful tips! So many things I’ve never thought about!
Wow, I can’t believe how organised you are! I don’t think we were this well prepared even on our 10 month trip around SEA ;-) Great list! #MondayEscapes
Fab tips! We always have a change of clothes but sick bags in the car are definitively an amazing idea… after learning the hard way we will be investing in these! Oh and tissues, we can never have enough tissues!
Love this list, we do take a heck of a lot but there are some things I’m going to now keep in the boot like plasters and a first aid kit…oh and possibly a sick bowl too!
Good tips
You make a really good point about using a car mount. Ours have only just started to use tablets in the car, and I’d never considered the angle they were sitting at….great post! #MondayEscapes
Such great ideas! I know from the experience of being the projectile vomiting kid that it’s no fun for anyone. Mum would have a large ice cream container with a plastic bag in it ready for me on long car trips because I was awful with car sickness.
I always have a little first aid type kit in my bag with band aids and blister packs and sunscreen now. #MondayEscapes
I’m realising reading this how much less stuff I take around now my kids are older! The idea of writing your phone number on the wristband is a good one if kids are too young to know parents number. Thanks for sharing with #MondayEscapes.
Thanks for the great ideas on what to keep at the ready when traveling with kids! Having an article like this helps us not forget an important item. #mondayescapes
Great tips! I need to look into buying car seat covers. Living in Ireland we’re never far away from rain and mud. I always try to think about everything we might need on a trip or day out, but then I’ll forget some of the coats after telling the kids they don’t need them in the car!
#MondayEscapes
Great tips Lisa. Wet wipes, snacks and a change clothes are my bare essentials when out with the kids. Luckily the girls are able to fit into roughly the same size clothes now (with a bit of extra leg room for Baby) so I’m gradually cutting down on the amount I have to cram into our change bag!! #MondayEscapes
I like the bright clothes idea – that one might be useful now my daughter is highly mobile! #MondayEscapes
Useful list, Lisa. We always have wet wipes, sticker books and snacks. And living in the UK we hardly ever go anywhere without our trusty wellies! #mondayescapes
Great moms think alike, I guess! My must-pack list is very similar: handy wipes, hand sanitizer, refillable water bottles, snacks, an audio book, notebooks with colored pencils, jackets, and a camera. If there is going to be a lot of pretty scenery, we usually bring a pair of binoculars too. #MondayEscapes
Oh seat and boot protective covers are a great idea and the id bands too. I remember my granny pinning her address to me on the inside of my coat before go into the maze at Hampton Court! #MondayEscapes
Great tips Lisa! I usually pack loads of food but forget things like first aid stuff like plasters! #mondayescapes
I learnt the hard way a few years ago about not being prepared for when a sickness bug strikes when you are on the motorway. I think I spent about £15 on wipes in the services. Always have a stocked boot now for any eventuality. Great post and tips #Mondayescapes x
As someone who has a daughter with a very sensitive stomach, I agree completely about making sure you have plenty of wipes and something to catch the throw up. She doesn’t get car sick often but we never know when she’s going to be sick from something else.
I don’t have kids yet, but when I was a kid and was travelling with my family my parents always packed a mini first aid kit, antibacterials (my dad’s favorites) and of course medication for most cases ( stomach ache , gut issues, paracetamol). As an adult I carry less of these things (I can always find a pharmacy abroad) but I’m sure that once I become a mum I will go into full packing mode! #mondayescapes
I learned quite early on to always have a spare towel or cloth nappies plus a throw rug packed permanently in the car.
Even if it’s a short 15-minute drive you never know when sickness will hit your kids and nothing worse if they then have to sit in it to get back home.
I also never leave home without the water bottle and snack bag. In my son’s younger years a spare set of clothes was always packed in our day trip bag. The day trip bag was even taken grocery shopping.
Amazing tips, I need to restock our first aid kit!
What great tips. I’ve not even considered many of these. You’re so organised. I love the bright coloured clothes for crowded events tip. I usually have two disposable BBQs in the car (don’t ask), bucket and spade and towels. Oh and some water. I think I need your tips in my life!
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Not a great photo to accompany this tip Suzy! My eldest had put a jumper on and covered up his brightly coloured tshirt!
Some great tips there, bet travelling with you guys is super fun and stress free! #MondayEscapes
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Not sure about stress free Keri! When travelling with kids I don’t think it ever is but being prepared certainly helps make it less stressful and more fun;)
Haa haa, you sound like me. My friends always say i go prepared for anything, but it does come in handy. Thank goodness we have a big car LOL
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Yes we have a large SUV too Kara and it is always packed to the max! When we went on our cruise in October we didn’t even have room for our pushchair and had to go buy another one near the cruise ship terminal in Southampton;)
Great list, I forget how involved it used to be, not the boys are older life is so much easier, but still take wet wipes, plenty of food and check i pads are charged xx
I do like your idea for avoiding the souvenir traps, very cunning. Waterproof boot liner is a good one too #MondayEscapes
This is a fantastic list, Lisa – very helpful! The careful planning and packing is definitely worth it. Good tips on how to save on souvenirs and avoid car sickness. #MondayEscapes
Great list
I need to become a better and by that I mean lighter packer now we have a baby