We are very fortunate to travel a fair bit with our Tiny Humans, from weekend trips to visit family to multi country trips to Europe. A couple of years ago I wrote about some of my top travel gear when travelling with Tiny Humans under the age of two but here are some of my overall tips. ( The intention is to update this page frequently as I learn new lessons)
1. Portable play surface- Travel is unpredictable but travel with kids is even more so. One of my favourite pieces of travel gear is our Monkey Mat. Basically a nylon sheet that folds down super small. We use it as a play mat in hotel rooms or airports, as a picnic blanket, mattress protector and in several cases emergency blanket for sick Tiny Humans.
2. Think about gear for the day to day- When packing for long trips especially it is easy to get so caught up in what to bring for the trip you forget about the day to day while travelling.
- wet bag or tote bag to put bathing suits in.
- Muslin towels (or baby blankets) absorbant and fast drying for trips to pools or splash pads.
- Mini-back packs or activity pouches are handy for plane, train and car travel but also useful for keeping kids entertained in restaurants
- Reusable water bottles
- Folding placemats are great for restaurant meals or even quick picnics
- Snack baggies and reusable containers to pack leftovers or bring small snacks.
3. Flexible luggage-
- Folding totes or backpacks
- Kid carry ons become restaurant activities
4. Pack smart-
- Buy diapers at destination
- Bring medication
- Folding potty seat
- Blankets for plane but also for chilly restaurants
- Disposable toys – McD’s toys or other inexpensive small toys that you will not be heart broken if lost.
- Stuffy mugshots
5. The marvellous plastic bag-
- Dog poop bags for diapers or other bodily waste
- Big baggies for wet items
- Smaller baggies for leftover food or small toys or “nature” souvenirs
6. Dishes and Laundry – We received a picnic bag as a wedding gift. It didn’t get much use until we moved to Europe and started exploring more by car. I have expanded the items in the bag to suit our needs. For example, the bag is currently home to a sippy cup AND a wine opener. (this tip is better suited for car trips but can be adapted for plane travel)
- Plastic plates, utensils and cups for breakfast or dinner in your hotel room
- Knife and cutting board
- Dish soap in a pill bottle or secure container for cleaning snack contrainers, reusable water bottles and tiny utensils
- Paper towels or napkins in a plastic bag
- Dish towel
- Hand laundry soap
- Corkscrew and bottle opener (a plastic jar key like this is carry on appropriate)
- Beeswax sheets and plastic baggies
Inside the Mommy Bag 