Planning a vacation with kids is always exciting for the family, but it is quite a challenge when jotting a kids vacation packing list. So if you have been wondering what a travel packing list with kids should be, this post is for you.
There are numerous factors you must consider for keeping your kids from getting bored on long road trips while ensuring their comfort and safety. Luckily, a wide range of products are available to keep kids busy and make their road trip a comfortable one.
So, without further ado, let us explore the accessories that should be a part of packing for a road trip.
15 Accessories for your Travel Packing List with Kids
Here are 15 must-have items you should include in your packing gear for vacations with kids.
1. Inflatable Car Seat or Safety Seat
Getting inflatable car seats for kids is a fantastic idea. These products are available with attractive colors and themes. The inflatable seats are best for kids aged 4 to 11 and can bear weight up to 40 to 100 pounds.
The inflatable seats are lightweight, narrow, and foldable, making them perfect for travel. An inflatable seat would be an ideal help to make the road trip a little more comfortable in a car or pickup truck.
Just make sure to verify the seats you buy because they should comply with the US health and safety regulations. Such seats are crash-tested in both inflated and deflated forms. An inflatable car seat must contain more memory foam than air as it will allow the seat to maintain stability and structural integrity during a crash.
2. Pillows and Blankets
You can buy blankets and pillows, as essential accessories, depending on the kids’ age, who accompany you on a road trip. A long road trip or a vacation with kids means you must be prepared to ensure the comfort of your kids, under all types of settings and weather conditions. A set of blankets and pillows with a unique design transforms a seat, car boot, or even a camp into a cozier setting for the kids to rest or sleep. For older kids, you can get a travel neck pillow so they can sleep well while preventing their necks from tilting at the wrong angle.
If you are traveling in a car, you must consider a seat belt pillow. This pillow can help prevent the car’s seat belt from cutting into your child’s neck. Another recommended item for any kids vacation packing list is a little different than other traveling pillows. Yes, we are talking about an inflatable footrest.
If the kids are traveling with you for long hours, while sitting in the back of the car, they may need to stretch their legs now and then. For this, an inflatable footrest will come in handy. Place them in between the leg space in front of your child, and it will create more of a bed-like space for them to stretch and fall asleep.
It can be a game-changer for parents who love to travel a lot with kids. You can use the inflatable footrests to turn the backseats into a complete bed for children to sleep or relax. However, you must check that the footrest has passed CPSIA tests and should be made from high-quality PVC material.
3. A Car Backseat Organizer
Children love to carry their toys, gadgets, and accessories, wherever they go these days. This keeps them occupied and feel more at home during long road trips. You can buy a backseat organizer that can hold water bottles, touch screen tablets, toys, books, and several other objects. An ideal backseat organizer includes at least three components of mesh bags.
It can measure between 16 inches to 24 inches with ample space to cover the back of the front seat, in a regular car. So, you can quickly get a one-size-fits-all backseat organizer. You will also appreciate how easy it is to attach them to any seats, without any hassle.
4. Portable Window Blind Shades
Are your kids light sleepers? If yes, then you may need dark and quieter spaces on the go. This is especially true when your kids are trying to take a nap in the backseats of the car. You can buy portable window blinds that can provide proper blackout in the back of the vehicle.
These accessories are easy to pack and lightweight with Velcro edges or suction cups to stick to car windows, calls, and other surfaces. There have been several blind shades available on the market to fit various window sizes. Getting window shades made from 100% polyesters is ideal for effectively blocking out sunlight and harmful UV rays.
5. Tablets
Today’s young generation loves technology. Even schools are adopting technological solutions such as educational tablets. Therefore, kids will find tablets to be an entertaining companion on the way. They can it for playing games, listening to music, or catching up on school homework. The best part is you can put a parental lock to safeguard your children’s wellbeing. You can also get a kid-proofing casing to protect tablets from drops, slips, and trips.
6. A Toddler Travel Bed
If you have a newborn, toddler, or younger kids, a portable travel bed will come in handy and be a true savior. These beds can fit standard crib size sheets and do not make squeaky noises. You can neatly tuck the sheets into inner mattresses with a guard rail to ensure your young ones do not roll out of bed during their sleep. You can buy a travel bed with a lifetime warranty, so you do not have to worry about any quality issues.
7. Safety Harness for Motorcycle Road Trips
If you are going on a vacation but traveling with a kid on a motorcycle, a safety harness is a compulsory item for the travel packing list with kids. You will also be able to use a safety harness as a walking helper, airplane harness, and baby feeding seat belt. So, it is an all-inclusive product.
This safety harness is primarily suitable when traveling with kids aged between 2 and 12 years, weighing 99 pounds or less. You can buy one with a minimum of a 1-year money-back guarantee. If you are on the road at night, then do buy a safety harness with reflective patches, so the other riders and vehicles can see there is a kid in the vehicle.
8. Headphones
Like tablets, headphones are another great gadget to carry when packing for a road trip with kids. You can buy headphones so kids can stay busy while you can concentrate on driving. You can buy headphones that are compact, durable, and even rechargeable.
You can usually get them for an affordable price and in various exciting colors, themes, and designs. Just make sure you get a clear and crisp sound for the kids to enjoy music and audiobooks. In addition, it would be a good idea to buy headphones that come with a feature to limit how loud the volume is as this protects your children’s hearing.
9. Digital Camera
We live in a world where we love to capture every moment, especially something related to kids. You can buy digital cameras with easy-to-use buttons, large and eye-catching colors. However, do not undermine the capabilities of kids’ cameras as they can take great pictures. So, if you wish the kids to capture their entire trip, digital cameras are the kids vacation packing list. Many digital cameras for kids also come with complete accessories, including photo albums, fun stickers, carrying cases, selfie lenses. You can even buy mini portable photo printers to print a picture directly from your smartphone.
10. A Swim Vest
Swimming is a great summer vacation activity with kids. Hence, if you are embarking on a road trip and come across a nice place to swim, you will need a swim vest. A Speedo will make an excellent item for a travel packing list with kids. In addition, you can buy a swim vest equipped with UV protection of 50+. This will protect the kids from harmful UV rays in the pool. Always pick a swim vest with buckled safety strap and full-frontal zipper.
11. A Backpack
Offer your young ones a sense of freedom and responsibility by adding a backpack when packing for a road trip with kids. You can buy smaller ones for toddlers to elaborate designs with several compartments for older children.
This will help the kids carry their toys, water bottles, snacks, books, gadgets such as tablets and laptops. It will also unload the burden from the parents having to carry the entire luggage.
12. Rain Ponchos
Unless you will be on a road trip with no rain forecast, it is always a good idea to pack a rain poncho. You can even buy disposable ponchos, in bulk. These are available in a variety of designs and colors. A good-quality cape will also provide adequate space for the kids to play and move while wearing it.
13. Collapsible Water Bottles
Water bottles are an essential accessory for a road trip with kids. Don’t forget to buy collapsible water bottles made from food-grade silicone. This way, the water bottles will be stain-free, taste-free, and odor-resistant.
14. A Travel Adapter/Charger
As you carry kids’ laptops, tablets, and gadgets, you will need a universal travel adapter for charging needs. These chargers can help charge all sorts of electronic equipment and devices via an AC outlet, DC power source, and car charging ports.
They are lightweight and portable devices which can fit easily into 2-pin and 3-pin power sockets. Furthermore, these chargers come with a feature to alter the voltage, internationally.
15. Toys and Board Games
Carrying toys and board games is necessary to keep your kids entertained throughout a road trip. You can get toys for toddlers to keep them busy, while board games are perfect for entertaining a family when going away on vacation with kids. There is a wide range of toys and gifts you can purchase online or from your local store.
Conclusion
If you are a parent creating a kids vacation packing list, the accessories mentioned above are must-have items for a road trip. However, depending on your circumstances, it is entirely up to you which items are more practical than others.
