5 Best Items for Travel with Kids (Newborn to Preschool)
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We were traveling plenty before having children. Once our first was born, we didn’t hesitate to travel internationally with a baby. Now that we have kids ages spanning infant, toddler and preschool we have found what works best for us and excited to share with you. I often have people as me for advice about traveling with little kids. I will be the first to admit that I am no expert when it comes to kids or travel but these are things that work for us. We try really hard to travel as minimalist as possible. Yes there are a lot of gadgets out there that might be super helpful but we prefer to keep things simple. So here it is, the top 5 must-have items for traveling with kids (newborn to preschool).
1. Ergo
I am allllllll about baby wearing, when we can. One its good for the baby. Two you get extra snuggle time. Three, way less bulk than a stroller. I am not a stroller person. Some people swear by taking a stroller but thats not for us. When our girls were little I used the Solly Baby Wrap which are super cute, comfortable and breathable. As they got older though I have found using the Ergo to be much easier. We have the Ergo Performance that has some breathability, doesn't get super gross when they drool or sweat, AND I can wear them on the front or the back. Right now Edie is the main benefactor of the Ergo however when Keelin is tired of walking while we explore I can also put her on my back comfortably. The best part, it is easy to take them in and out when they need to get their wiggles out and they can fall asleep and get a nap in the Ergo. We use this while we travel, explore new cities, hike etc. Multipurpose and we have absolutely gotten our moneys worth!
2. Packing Cubes
THESE ARE LIFE SAVING!!!! If you don't have these yet YOU NEED THEM. I repeat YOU NEED THEM! We have a 5 piece packing cube set and it has helped me stay organized while trying to pack for myself and other tiny humans into one suit case. Literally if I didn't have these, my suitcase would explode every time we went somewhere. The 5 piece comes with two large, two medium and one small cube. I pack each of the girls in one of the big ones, keeping their stuff separate. In the medium ones I have my underwear, bras, socks etc and the other is for our swim suites (cause you need to pack swimsuits no matter where you are traveling, thanks dad). In the small one I have the socks for the girls and Keelins underwear. So far this has been a great system for us. We live out of the cubes while we travel and there is no explosions of clothing!
3. Small Backpack for Kids
Can you walk? Then you can carry a backpack. Buying a small backpack was the best decision we ever made and she LOVES wearing her own backpack. The one we bought her is a Cath Kidston Children's backpack and its soooooooo cute! We try to keep the backpack pretty light since she is still little but inside we usually have coloring book or other activities, small toys, snacks like squeeze packets goldfish etc. I will have extra snacks and water in the diaper bag or my backpack but its always nice for her to take a little responsibility with her things.
Ummmm... Hello Look how cute this green one is. Totes buying it for Edie
4. Water Bottles
Ok, ok. This is just something we try to have with us allllllll the time BUT there are some water bottles that are great and others that are not so great. I'll make this quick. We like for the girls to have water cause, well they get dehydrated traveling but also its something for them to suck on or drink when taking off and landing to help with ear popping. Snacks work great for that too. ANYWAY, we have found that the Contigo or the Hydroflask water bottles to be the best for travel, for us. Two main reasons we like them, 1) they don't sweat in humid climates and 2) they don't leak when flying. We have used the Camelbak bottles in the past and though they are cute and great for the day to day, when pressure strikes they leak and spray!
5. Kid friendly iPad Case
Last one, and I know people will have their opinions on this, but this is what works for us. I'm not here to debate the use of technology. Yes we use technology. Not always. Its not a constant, but it is helpful. Having a kid friendly iPad Case makes it easy for them to hold and protects the iPad. There are plenty of options out there, some have handles, others have legs to stand on. One thing to consider when picking out an iPad case is that you want to make sure it is sturdy enough to protect he device but is low profile and light enough to put in a backpack. We often have our girls carry their’s in their backpacks so making sure its not adding too much weight is important. Its really up to you and what you think will work. Just remember you will be shoving it in a bag so you don't want something too bulky!
That's it friends! Those are my top 5 items for travel with kids. I know its not ground breaking or earth shattering but thats what I'm trying to show you. Travel with kids is not as scary as you think it is. Just have snacks, some water and you are golden. Add in a couple extra things for convenience and you are kickin major booty!
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