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Travel

How to Survive a Long Car Ride with Kids

August 22, 2021 by KT Leave a Comment

Car Ride Travel Hacks for Long Car Rides with Toddlers and Kids

Are you looking to do a long car ride with babies, toddlers, and/or kids soon? Are you looking for some car ride travel tips? Well, I have some tips on how to survive long car rides with toddlers and kids.

We have done a lot of car ride travel lately thanks to the pandemic, and it’s honestly not as bad as I thought it would be. Our longest trip was a 24-hour trip to visit the in-laws and it was more enjoyable that I thought it may be.

So here are a few ways to survive long car rides with children because there’s definitely better ways to make the long hauls than others!

Drive Overnight

Driving overnight is the best when traveling with babies, toddlers, and kids.

I know it’s not always possible, but when it is, it is so much easier!

We drive from New England to Florida, and we leave at 6-7PM at night, and arrive in the later afternoon/early evening the next day. We go straight, and we find it preferable from driving two full days and a hotel stay in between. (But we are also crazy.)

It’s exhausting for the parents, but you get quiet kids for a big portion of your trip if you travel overnight! My husband and I have a system… 6 hours each back and forth until we arrive, when humanly possible.

We are EXHAUSTED, but it’s so much better! Especially when the kids are sleeping for half the drive!

We have also done half overnight where we will go to bed at home early and sleep for awhile and then wake our kids up in the middle of the night to get an early start. They will go back to bed (usually) and we get to sleep in our beds and get a few hours of shut eye before we begin our journey.

Whenever possible, try to do some or most of the drive during the overnights. The road and the car is more peaceful and you’ll make better time because you’ll have less rest and food stops and you’ll need less mental breaks too!

Be Boring Beforehand

I think one reason why my kids do so well with long car rides is that they are use to being bored. We don’t always entertain them– especially during car rides. We never had a DVD player or any screens in the car, and don’t really entertain them during short or medium car rides.

Keeping kids bored can be such a blessing because they can figure out how to entertain themselves and enjoy the little things.

Start training your kids now to be bored and entertain themselves so they will do better in the car for future car rides!

Take Breaks Wisely

We like to plan out our breaks and use them wisely. We usually start at the evening, and plan to go through until we need gas (and pee), which is usually six hours in our case. And then in another six hours we get gas again and then get out and grab breakfast.

We usually take our breaks only when needed. Sometimes we just do McDonald’s or other foods to go and eat while we are driving, because the kids keep busy eating their meal in the car for a half hour while we don’t waste any driving time, and sometimes they need that time to get out and run wild for a half hour out of the car.

You’ll kind of know when you can get away with more travel or when you need to just stop. And sometimes just bringing them into a gas station and picking out snacks will do the trick, and other times, you may need to find a playground or restaurant or something else to break it up.

We like to stop only when we all need it, because sometimes we’d rather just get to our destination and other times we need more time.

Plan for Anything

One thing I didn’t realize when we started our road trip adventures was how interesting it was driving in other parts of the country was.

I didn’t realize that the South didn’t have the convenient travel plazas that the northeast has with gas, bathrooms, and food right off the highway. Once we hit Virginia on i-95, I realized we would need to get off the highway everytime.

We would try to find big gas stations attached to restaurants to help us save time, but sometimes it was hard to read maps to make sure we would pick correctly.

I found that we made a lot of mistakes our first go around. When we first started our road trip adventures, we wasted more time on our breaks, just because we didn’t have it planned out as well as I thought.

We’d arrive at 24 hour gas stations, but the inside would be locked because the gas was credit card only, so we wouldn’t be able to use the bathroom, and would need another stop.

We also would hit more traffic or make better time and not be where we thought we may be on the road.

I would try to plan for everything or as much as possible and try to be flexible.

You may want to keep a travel app like Priceline on your phone so you can book a hotel on the road if you need it and other handy apps on our phone like gas apps and such.

I also made a list of playgrounds right off the highway and other short travel stops if we needed a break for my kids.

You never know what can happen when you travel, so I always find that planning for different scenarios can be helpful.

Dollar Store Finds

I love going to the Dollar Store beforehand and getting some new toys and new finds. I find it’s a great way to keep the kids busy with something new without spending a lot of money.

It’s amazing how something new can keep someone busy for a little while. I also like to bring in some of my kids favorite toys that I don’t let them play with as much for the sake of keeping them busy when I really need it.

Some other toys that I like for road trips besides dollar tree trinkets are:

  • Tegu Blocks
  • Wikki Stix
  • Melissa & Doug Water Wow!
  • Etch A Sketch & Drawing Boards
  • Paper and Markers

The Best Snacks

Snacks. Snacks. Snacks.

Snacks can be a lifesaver when traveling. My kids get the best snacks when traveling. Usually new snacks to try or their favorite snacks they don’t get often.

I usually try to go with less messy snacks and snacks that take a long time to eat like fruit roll-ups.

You may also prefer to have them pick out their own snacks beforehand or at a truck stop so they have something to be excited about too.

Movie Time

It’s one of my last moves, but movies or tv shows can be great for long car rides with toddlers and kids. We usually do so to either reward very great behavior or to save our own sanity.

I especially put a movie on when I need to sleep and everyone is wide awake and making many requests to me while I’m riding shotgun.

Because I’m cheap, I never invested in a portable DVD system or anything. I usually just put my kindle fire on the arm rest and let the kids use that, but there’s so many different ways to use movies and screens as entertainment.

Bring a Potty with You

If you have new potty-trained children or children that need to go quickly, you may want to bring a potty with you.

I have a fond memory of my son always picking the worst times to need to go the bathroom, so the potty can come in handy for those emergency stops in unideal places.

Practice Makes Perfect

The more you travel, the easier it gets. At least, that’s been my experience. Our kids have gotten so much better with driving in the car. I remember feeling so defeated when it took us DOUBLE the time it would normally take, but now with my kids 4&6, we don’t take nearly as long when they were younger.

We’ve been better at picking places to stop, and we’ve learned when we really need to stop and when we can push it a bit. Also, the older they get, it’s gets better too because you can stop less and they will be more comfortable with longer trips!

Good Luck on your road trip travels with young kids!

Filed Under: Travel, Uncategorized

13 Ways to Save Money with Airbnb

August 7, 2019 by KT Leave a Comment

tips and tricks to save money with airbnb

Are you looking for how to get a discount on Airbnb? Well, here are 13 different Airbnb tips for guests to save money on Airbnb bookings!

If you are not familiar with Airbnb, Airbnb is a community marketplace where people list, discover, and book places to stay all over the world. You can list your place or can stay at someone’s place.

The platform is a great way to find great places to stay and there is a lot of different opportunities to save money!

I’ve used Airbnb a lot and I have never had a bad experience, but because it is a community marketplace, you do need to use some caution. I do a lot of research and read a lot of reviews before booking!

I use Airbnb a lot for family travel as of late because it gives us a little extra space with two young kids. You can read more about my favorite ways to travel with young kids if you are interested.

Below are 13 ways to save money with Airbnb to get the most savings possible:

1. Sign up with a referral link for a FREE $40 Airbnb Credit

If you don’t have an account with Airbnb, make sure to sign up with a referral link. New users can get a FREE $40 Credit (my referral link) with a friends link and can be applied to your first booking of $75 or more!

You have one year from sign up to use the free $40, excluding taxes and guest fees.

If you just create account with no referral link, you get no perks or coupons, so make sure to sign up for a new account with a referral link to get some free credit.

To get free Airbnb credit, please sign up through my referral link here!

2. Refer a Family Member or Friend for more FREE Credit!

Once you create an account, you can refer your friends and family to Airbnb to earn more free credit!

Every person you refer, they would receive a free $40 credit and you would too! You have up to a year before your referral credit from a friend expires, and you can earn up to $5,000 in credit.

Referral credit through Airbnb is nice because you can combine credit, so if you refer 2 people, you get to use the $80 credit in one transaction, instead of taking two trips with the $40 discount.

You can share your Airbnb referral code to friends and family via e-mail, Facebook post, various social media channels, or your personal blog like this!

I love booking through Airbnb, and appreciate it if you use my friend referral code, however, I totally understand if you’d rather go through a friend or family member to help them out!

Just don’t sign up without anything because you’ll lose out on free money!

Keep in mind that Airbnb will sometimes change the terms of the referral program or the credit amount, so something to keep in mind and keep an eye on.

You’ll also get even more free credit if a referral decides to host, and of course more if they host and travel.

3. Book Early

The best places on Airbnb tend to go first: the places with the best hosts, the most unique properties, best views, and places that are the best overall value.

Hosts can set their own prices and sometimes they will prefer high occupancy and/or high satisfaction over high prices.

The best places and the best value places will tend to go early, so book early if you want a great place for the dates you are looking for.

4. Book Last Minute

If you are looking for a great price, you may want to roll the dice and book last minute.

This can definitely be hit or miss, especially depending on your travel location and dates.

However, sometimes hosts will drop prices at the last minute for their rental because some money is better than no money if the rental stays empty.

I’ve noticed hosts dropping the rates at the last minute (day before and such) to entice last minute booking.

I’ve also seen many properties stay at the exact same price without any movement.

However, you can find places that will be cheaper or offer a last minute discount because otherwise they would be receiving nothing at all.

We once got a great rate because of a last minute cancellation too so their loss was our gain!

5. Be Flexible with Travel Dates

Having flexible travel dates will help you find a great place at a great price. Unlike a hotel that has many rooms available all at once, a host will likely just have one or two, so having flexible dates can be helpful.

Weekday dates and off season dates tend to be cheaper, but it really depends on where you go and when.

Having flexibility with dates, and the number of days in your stay, can help save money in the long run.

6. Split with Friends

Splitting an AirBnB house rental with friends or family is a great way to save money on a place to stay.

We’ve split a house with family for a wedding, and it ended up being cheaper renting a big house then staying in a small hotel room per couple/family– and a lot more fun!

Look for houses with lots of room and amenities, and split it with other family or friends.

It can make that $500 a night a lot less intimidating if you are splitting it with 8 people!

Girls weekend, anyone?

7. Utilize the Kitchen and Perks of a House

Things like a full kitchen can be such a money saver because you can make food at home instead of eating out for 2-3 meals a day.

It may not be an initial money saver when you book the hotel, but throughout your stay, it may end up being cheaper than a studio hotel room.

Other perks like pool, beach frontage, free parking, washer & dryer, tennis courts, free entertainment, etc. are great perks that may save money elsewhere in the budget.

House perks can help save money on your trip and should be considered when booking a place! Plus house perks usually make a trip much more special!

I love looking at house perks and finding unique and fun properties that you can’t find elsewhere!

8. Look at all the Costs and Fees

When booking through Airbnb, you really need to keep ALL the costs in mind when finding a place.

It can be a little tricky, especially for newbies!

Airbnb money saving tip

See the example above where the first place is $320 a night and the second is $343 a night, but when you look at the total cost for my four day trip, the second place comes out cheaper.

It’s because people can pick what they want to charge per night as well as other fees. I could charge $100 a night with a $50 cleaning fee or I may decide to charge $150 and clean the room myself with no fees attached.

However, when you are looking you may be more apt to book the $100 place, but they are the same exact price. You really need to look at the total number to see how fees will figure out to find the best place for the best price.

You also need to keep in mind the extra perks too! Although place #2 ended up being cheaper, it could be in fact #1 cheaper in the long run because it may come with a beach rights, and you won’t have to pay $20/day to park or whatever!

There’s so many different fees and factors to keep in mind when finding the best place for the best price!

However, I always look at that total price first because it will give be a good estimate where the major fees will land.

Also, if there’s a major perk like beach frontage, many listings will put it right in the title or the very first line so you don’t have to look too far for the big perks!

9. Stay Longer for Discounts

Some hosts will give a variety of discounts and others won’t give any, but a popular discount is for long stays!

Most hosts would prefer one person staying a week then a different person staying every night. A lot less work for them.

You’ll find a lot of hosts will give discounts to encourage longer stays. It will vary, but staying for a week will usually give you a good 10-25%, but will vary depending on the host.

I was looking at a place for 6 days, and accidentally hit 7 when playing with my dates, and it ended up being $100 LESS if I stayed for a week compared to staying for just 6 days thanks to a 25% weekly discount rate.

I would have booked that 7th stay even if I didn’t need it because I would have saved money, and I wouldn’t have to worry about an early checkout, and just left when I needed too on that 6th day if I couldn’t extend my trip for 7 days!

Play around with your dates and see what the discounts are for extending your stay– sometimes it’s cheaper to stay longer!

Weekly and monthly discounts are the norm, but it will vary depending on the place and host.

10. Change Your Filters and Keep Looking

Airbnb can be a little overwhelming because there can be a lot of different options or hardly anything– depending on location and dates!

However, every time I look for a place, I seem to find something new and interesting!

If you feel a little stuck with the options at hand for your dates and preferences, try to tweek the filters a little bit.

Change your dates, number of bedrooms, pricing, location, number of people, whatever it may be, and you’ll probably find something new.

I always find new listings when I play around with filters, or sit on a trip and check back later and will usually find new stuff.

11. Stay at a New Listing

It is typically solid advice to stay at a Superhost property or a place with a lot of strong reviews as their are some duds on Airbnb too.

However, if you are looking to maximize your savings, you *may* want to book a new listing.

New listings are typically cheaper because they don’t have the reviews that an established listing has.

A new listing needs reviews to get more bookings, and a host knows that. A host will often do a sale for the first 3 people that book within a certain time frame, get 25% off their stay, or something similar.

We did take advantage of this once, although I said I would never book an Airbnb without reviews.

I made an exception because the place was a multi-family unit and the apartment next door was already listed with the same host and he tons of reviews with that listing. The host was also a SuperHost. The place was also hundreds dollars less than anything thing else that weekend, including dinky hotel rooms, and this was a 2 bedroom apartment downtown!

The place we scored was just renovated and the host was rushing to get it done for Memorial Day weekend. I found it the night before we left for our trip. Last minute trip with a great last minute price + 25% new listing discount = Major Score!

Be careful with this tip though. Make sure you are comfortable with the listing. There are great hosts out there that are just getting started that to get started and need a break, and their are others who definitely don’t and shouldn’t host.

If you have the time, you can also wait to see if any reviews come on. I’d look at the availability calendar first and see if there’s upcoming dates unavailable, and if so, I’d wait and see if people stayed and reviewed.

The unavailable dates may just mean that a host is going to stay at the house, but it could also be an upcoming guest with a review!

My mom LOVED a house for a wedding in a few months but it was brand spanking new and there were no reviews on it.

I told her to wait a few weeks and they’d probably be reviews. (Wedding was in October, it was prime time July). She ignored me, booked her second favorite choice because she was impatient, and then she checked it a month later and saw a spew of 5-star reviews.

She was sad she didn’t wait because the reviews were great and our dates in October were still available. However, it could have gone the other way too. It always a gamble.

12. Look for Credit Card Cashback Points for booking with Airbnb

You may want to check your credit card or any places were you get at discounts or perks.

I noticed my Chase Credit Card was offering 5% cashback when I booked an Airbnb stay through my Chase Credit.

I’ll receive the 5% cashback on my statement balance as long as I use my Chase card. If I’m going to book through Airbnb anyway and use a credit card anyway, I may as well get that extra 5% back!

Check your offer tab from your credit card to see if you got any offers from your credit cards to see if you can combine for even more savings!

13. Ask for a Discount

And lastly, ask for a discount. This is one tip I have never personally done.

I’m not really the haggling type and don’t like to bother people. However, it’s a great way to save money with Airbnb.

BUT, you can always ask for a discount. Airbnb is a marketplace of regular people listing their homes, cabins, condos, beach house, tents, igloos, etc. and you can always message people and ask questions.

You can even ask the person if they would consider a discount.

It doesn’t mean they will say yes though.

However, if you have a good approach, ask nicely, and be reasonable, they may go for it.

You may also have better luck if it’s a last minute type of trip. You could reach out a few days before and see if they’d offer any discounts if they don’t have any booking within the next few days, and if it’s still available, you’d be interested at ::insert number amount here::

I think the longer you stay, the better chance you have at receiving a deal.

It can’t hurt to ask. Right?

Have you tried asking for a discount before? Are you an Airbnb host that have granted discount requests?

To book on Airbnb or to get a free $40 credit to put towards your first stay, please head here.

Do you have any money saving tips for Airbnb? What is your favorite way for Airbnb Savings?

Filed Under: Saving Money, Travel

The Absolute Best Way to Travel with Young Kids

July 21, 2019 by KT Leave a Comment

The Best Way to Travel with Babies, Toddlers and Kids to make traveling with kids easy!

What is the absolute best way to travel with young kids?

Time Machine. Teleportation. Private Jet.

RIGHT!? I mean, teleportation for travel with kids would be SO AMAZING.

Someone make it happen. PLEASE.

But if you are looking for a somewhat realistic option for a great way to travel with kids, I love renting a house for my family or getting a place with more than one little room.

Having more than one room when traveling with young kids is a game changer. You can put them to bed at a early bedtime and then have another room to hang out in and do things, instead of just laying quietly in bed.

So how do you get so much space without spending a fortune?

It can be done. I usually budget $100/night (give or take depending on location) for a place bigger than a boring hotel room.

Here’s how I book a place to stay for a family of four with plenty of space with a tight budget:

*Please note that some of the links below do contain affiliate links, please see my disclosure policy if you have any questions.

Book with AirBnB

AirBnB is a great way to get extra space for a family as well as saving money too!

AirBnB is a community marketplace where people list, discover, and book places to stay all over the world. You can list your place or can stay at someone’s place.

We’ve used AirBnB a lot over the past few years, more so now that we have young children. We luckily have had all very positive experiences, but use some caution as anyone can list a property there.

Make sure to book a property with plenty of reviews, and if you want to ensure a positive first experience, look for listings with a Superhost because they are the elite hosts who are really experienced and helpful!

If you haven’t used AirBnB before, new users can get a FREE $40 Credit and can be applied on your first booking of $75 or more! You have one year from sign up to use the free $40, excluding taxes and guest fees.

Getting $40 off a booking is obviously not a free stay somewhere with your family, but it definitely helps! Also, if you refer a friend, you can get free $40 credit once they return from their trip.

4 Friends x $40 = $160 + $40 for signing up with a referral link = $200 in free credit to use!

Also, when you are looking at AirBnB listings, make sure to look at that total number instead of the per night number:

AirBnB Free Credit, How to Book on AirBnB to save money

See the example above where the first place is $320 a night and the second is $343 a night, but when you look at the total cost for my four day trip, the second place comes out cheaper.

It’s because people can pick what they want to charge per night as well as other fees. I could charge $100 a night with a $50 cleaning fee or I may decide to charge $150 and clean the room myself with no fees attached.

However, when you are looking you may be more apt to book the $100 place, but they are the same exact price. You really need to look at the total number to see how fees will figure out to find the best place for the best price.

Overall, AirBnB is a great place to look for unique properties and extra space!

We stayed at a hotel for a very last minute trip and after one night of very bad sleep, I looked at AirBnB the next morning. I found a 3-bedroom house for that night for $10 more a night than our small hotel room. $10! It was definitely worth the upgrade!

For more information or to receive free credit for signing up for AirBnB, please head here.

VRBO and Homeaway

VRBO and Homeaway are other home rental options to check out. They are under the same management, so I find them generally the same. I usually just check one of them, especially if I’m short on time.

I will sometimes find the same places listed on AirBnB as well, but I’ll also find some new ones too!

Sometimes, I’ll even find some very different prices for the exact same house on VRBO and AirBnB between the two sites, so make sure to compare prices beforehand.

VRBO or Homeaway are both great home rental sites that may have other options than AirBnB, and is a great place to look for large house rentals for groups!

Find Discount Hotel Suites

If you can’t find a decent home rental for the right price or you’d rather the amenities at a hotel, booking a suite at a hotel is a great option for a family.

Look at the room type when booking to see what options are available. Not every hotel will have a one or two bedroom suite available for that extra space.

I hate when hotels say it’s a suite but it’s a studio or have a half wall for a one-bedroom suite, so look at pictures when you can to make sure you’re getting the extra space you need.

Hotel Suites are definitely more expensive than a regular room, but I like to use Priceline’s Express Deals to get the best deal on hotel rooms.

Keep in mind Priceline’s Express Deals are non-refundable so make sure you are indeed going and make sure you are okay with a “mystery” hotel. It’s really hard to get refunded with Priceline so make sure to do your research.

Head to the Express Deals tab on the right side after you enter your location and details in.

Hopefully there will be a lot of options and this can vary a lot depending on your destination and how busy the dates are.

I personally concentrate on express deals that say bed choice available, because if not, you get what you get, and you can’t pick what room you want aka a suite.

I’ll open every express deal within my budget and star requirement and see what the bed choice availability is. I look for 1-bedroom or 2-bedroom suites or anything that’s more than a small studio bedroom.

You’ll have to click “choose a room” then “book” to get the bed choice availability, if it’s offered.

If there’s a winner or two, I will then utilize hotel canary, a free chrome browser extension I downloaded a few months ago. The browser extension will tell me what hotel it is.

priceline hotel canary example

I pressed my hotel canary button on the checkout screen, and it was the Fairfield Inn & Suites. If I paid $3 more, I could also upgrade from 2 double beds to a 1 bedroom suite.

I hate surprises so it’s nice I have a pretty solid idea of what hotel it may be.

I’ll then go back and look at the hotel and look at all the details, pictures, and reviews and see if I would like to stay there or not.

If so, I will see if I can find the hotel elsewhere for cheaper than Priceline’s Hotel Express Deals or directly through the hotel for reward points. I usually end up booking through Priceline’s Express deals, but not always, especially if I want free cancellation.

Priceline’s Express Deals is a great way to get prices for cheap, and I love the bed choice availability option so I can pick what will work best for our family.

I’ll usually check other hotels for more options and pricing through Expedia, Hotels.com, and other sites.

I try to put in 3 kids and two adults to rule out those smaller rooms from the get go, and then weed through them, and then just change the exact guests later.

I always like to price compare hotel rooms, because pricing can vary depending on different sites, and sometimes promo codes or incentives might be available on a certain site and make it more lucrative to book there.

Personally, I do a lot of research before traveling to make sure I get the most bang for my buck, but the extra space with young kids is SO nice.

Booking a house or larger hotel room is the absolute best way to travel with kids in my opinion.

The Best Way to Travel with Kids with traveling tips and hacks

What is your favorite way to travel with young kids? Do you have any tips that you use to get the most space for the best price?

Don’t forget to check out What to Pack on Vacation with Babies and Toddlers!

Filed Under: Daily Parenting, Travel

What to Pack for a Family Vacation with Free Printable Packing List

July 5, 2019 by KT Leave a Comment

What to Pack on Vacation for Kids, Toddlers and Babies with a Free Printable Packing Checklist

Are you looking for a checklist of what to pack when traveling with a baby, toddler, or young child? Are you looking for a free printable packing list to make it extra easy to pack for a vacation?

I have young kids (almost 2 and 4) and I’m always making lists of what to pack when we go on a weekend trip, road trip, or flight for a long vacation.

And I always loose these packing lists.

So ta-da! A post dedicated to what to take on vacation with toddlers with all the things I usually pack for my family.

Some of the things on the list below won’t always apply depending on where we go, why we are going, how long we are going and the season.

If we are also going to visit family in another state and are flying for a week or more, I sometimes will order things like diapers & wipes from Amazon (or whatever is the cheapest) and ship to their house beforehand to save packing room.

You may want to use my guide as your guide when you are coming up with things to pack for your trip with young kids, and you may need to tweek it a little for your needs. Also, some things, you may not need on this trip, but may for the next trip! The list is a good starting point for packing!

I also have a handy “What to Bring on Vacation” printable checklist so you can print off the list and mark and cross items off if you’d rather have something directly in your hands!

Download a FREE printable packing checklist for vacation or weekend getaway with kids!

Below are some things to bring on vacation for babies and toddlers. Enjoy!

*Some links below contain affiliate links, please see my disclosure policy if you have any questions.

The Basics

  • Shirts & Jackets
  • Pants/Shorts
  • Pajamas
  • Underwear
  • Socks and Shoes

Top Toddler Travel Essentials

  • Sound Machine
  • Night Light
  • Bedtime Books
  • Toys/Games/Kid Activities/Markers & Paper
  • Small Distraction Toys and/or New Toys
  • Lovey (Stuffed Animal, Blanket, etc.)
  • Baby Gates, Baby Clips & Other Baby Proofing Help
  • Pack n’ Play
  • Pack n’ Play Sheets
  • Sleep Sacks/Blankets
  • Diaper Bag
  • Diapers & Wipes
  • GoodNites/Pull-Ups/Bed Mats for Bedwetting
  • Travel Diaper Changing Pad
  • Baby Bath Tub/Bath Toys
  • Travel Potty
  • Travel High Chair
  • Baby Carrier
  • Stroller/Folding Wagon

Food & Beverage

  • Cooler & Ice
  • PB&J and/or light meal for travel
  • Water and/or Soda
  • Juice Boxes/Milk Boxes
  • Lots of Snacks
  • Plates, Bowls, Kid Utensils
  • Milk Bottles, Water Bottles, & Sippy Cups
  • Dish Soap and Bottle Brush
  • Napkins/Paper Towels
  • Baby Bibs
  • Garbage Bag (for Messes, Throw Up, and even Dirty Laundry)
  • Anti-Bacterial Soap

Seasonal Items

  • Bathing Suit
  • Puddle Jumpers/Life Vests
  • Sunscreen/Sun Hats
  • Sunglasses
  • Flip Flops/Sandals/Water Shoes
  • Swimming Goggles/ear plugs
  • Beach Towels
  • Beach Toys/Outdoor Toys/Bubbles
  • Winter Jackets
  • Snow Boots/Snow Suits
  • Winter Gloves/Hats/Scarves
  • Extra Blankets
  • Umbrella/Poncho

Hygiene & Well Being Items

  • Toothbrush/Toothpaste
  • Body Wash/Shampoo
  • Shampoo/Conditioner
  • Brush/Comb
  • Deodorant
  • Washcloths/Kid Towels
  • Laundry Pods
  • Hair Dryer & Hair Straighter
  • Makeup
  • Vitamins
  • Thermometer & Medicine
  • First-Aid Kit

Miscellaneous Packing Items

  • Passport/Birth Certificate (especially for your almost 2-year old if flying anywhere)
  • Laptop & Charger
  • Smartphone & Charger
  • Kindle/iPad/Movie Watcher
  • Headphones
  • Pillows
  • Coupons/Entertainment Book/Discounts to Attractions
  • Eye Glasses/Contact Solution/Contacts
  • Camera/Tripod
  • E-ZPass for tolls

What did I miss when packing for little ones on a trip? What do you always forget when traveling with young kids?

Filed Under: Daily Parenting, Free Printables, Travel Tagged With: Free Printable

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