It’s pretty obvious we “love it”. What exactly? Traveling with young kids of course! Floris was 7 months old when he went on his first trip to the far West Coast of America. We explored the West Coast in a camper for three weeks. Lotte was 7 months old on her first trip to Thailand. Very different destinations but both amazing and easy to do with a young kids. I have come to realize you really must have certain items in your luggage when you’re travelling with a baby or a toddler. So which items we thought were handy on our travels? I’m happy to share them with you.
Traveling with young kids? You need these items in your luggage!
1# Baby Carrier
For us, the good old baby carrier is absolutely essential! I use it on the plane to keep my hands free if the kids don’t have their own seat yet. When we arrive at the airport and stand in line at customs (after they forgot to deliver the buggy to the plane again for instance) and when we arrive at our destination, the carrier comes in handy everywhere. Especially in less developed countries the buggy isn’t always the best choice, as walkways are often missing or are full of enormous holes.
2# Deryan travel bed
Lotte is 3 years old now and she has slept in her Deryan travel bed the whole time during our last holiday. From our very first trip this travel cot has been part of our luggage. It’s light weight, foldable and aside from using it as a bed it can be used as a playpen next to the pool for instance. The mosquito net makes it very suitable for the tropics. A certain must-have when you’re traveling with young kids! Looking for more travel beds? Check out the best toddler travel beds guide.
3# Large hydrophilic cloth
Or Hamman cloth. We use these cloths on the plane as blanket, to throw a little shade in the buggy or pram or as rug on the beach.
4# Vitamin pills
It’s getting better but our kids aren’t the best eaters… Thinking they might enjoy the local Asian cuisine turned out to be rather wishful. To ensure they get enough vitamins and minerals on our trip I always bring a jar of multi vitamins for children along. It makes me feel better at least, whether they really work or not.
5# Jar of peanut butter
This one belongs to the same category as the vitamin pills. You can always find bread on your travels so if your kids ever decide to go on a food strike you can at least fill up their empty stomachs with a peanut butter sandwich every now and again.
6# Peeling knife
Another must have for in my luggage. The good old peeling knife! De GGD tells us you need to peel or kook fruits and vegetables in a lot of non-western countries before you eat them. I eat a lot of fruit myself and the kids can always use a little extra on holiday. You can have your fruit in your hotel in the morning of course but I’m always glad I’m carrying my peeling knife when I visit a local market to score some too.
7# iPad
Yup, there it is again.. the iPad! Absolutely indispensable during long flights for our kids (now 3 and 4 years old). I choose to lock my kids in a small metal tube for several hours so yes, they can spend as much time on the iPad as they like in there. Before we leave I make sure the iPads are full of games and movies that are all viewable offline of course. You can even download films and series on Netflix to watch offline now. And don’t forget the headphones! Nobody is happy to hear Fireman Sam for the tenth time during a long flight.
8# Portable fan for the pram
It can get so hot at times, your child may get soaking wet just sitting in the pram. We’ve got a very handy small sized fan that can be charged and fixed on the pram to keep our kids cool. Our kids were able to sit and even sleep comfortable in the pram on some of the hottest days. Comes in handy on crowded planes too.
A sure thing to have if you’re visiting any country with lots of mosquitos! That way your child can sleep peacefully without getting any nasty mosquito bites. Some mosquito nets even fit the pram, the buggy and the cot, very handy indeed!
10# Thermos bottle with warm water
Picture this: after a long wait you’re finally aboard the plane. You want to give your baby a bottle while the planes ascends so it won’t get sore ears. But the stewardesses are super busy and the plane is taxiing to the runway already. Or your baby wakes up during a night flight; dinner time! Which do you prefer; having to wait 10 minutes for the stewardess to warm up a bottle for you or adding a bit of cold water to the thermos bottle of hot water you brought along and mix it up with a bit of formula? I think the latter, so be sure to take a small thermos bottle with you. It’s okay to take liquids on board for babies. And don’t forget to bring a bottle of cold water too, to mix with the hot for the right temperature.
These items are a sure thing in our luggage! What are you taking when traveling with young kids? I really want to hear your favorites!
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