The 5 Essential Travel Items for Kids, Regardless of the Destination
Flying can be both exciting and stressful, especially when you’re traveling with kids. To ensure a smooth and comfortable journey, here are five essential items you should always pack in your carry-on, no matter where you’re headed.
1. Ride Safer Travel Vest
The Ride Safer Travel Vest has been a game-changer for our family. We used to lug the large Britax Carseat Bag through the parking ramp and I would be sweating before reaching the ticket counter. The reviews said it had padded straps but when you cram a Chico carseat, and secure a couple extra packs of diapers and maybe even the life jackets, I hoist that onto my back and I feel like a kindergartner carrying a backpack for the first time, about to topple over backwards.
We no longer travel with carseats, instead we use the wearable vest that packs flat in our luggage. It brings the seatbelt down to properly fit your child. Whether you’re flying and need this vest for the taxi/uber or rental car, or taking a road trip, this vest ensures your child’s safety and comfort.
2. Kids Headphones
Long flights can be tiresome, especially for little ones but a wise flight attendant once told my wife and I that there are no rules on the airplane! Any amount of TV and loads of snacks are allowed and we have stayed true to that rule. Kids’ headphones are a must-have to keep them entertained. Look for comfortable, noise-canceling options that have plenty of cord so they don’t keep unplugging when your kid is wiggling around or spreading out over more than their own seat. Why do their little bodies need to take up their whole seat and most of mine.
3. good2grow 6oz Spill Proof Character Top Bottles
I’ll admit, my girls aren’t even double digits and they carry around Stanleys while my wife and I use the free travel mugs that are sent at Christmas time from our financial planner. When we travel, those Stanleys stay home and we go on the cheap, cheap side. We have been traveling with the Character Top good2grow bottles since our girls were little. They are the perfect size to fill up and carry along on our adventures, and we throw them away after our flight home (that is, if they don’t lose them mid-trip). Oh, and just like the Stanleys, they are spill-proof, what a deal!
4. Lululemon Everyday Belt Bag and the Walmart Dupe
It’s sleek, stylish and popular, I mean practical. The Lululemon is perfect for stashing each of my daughter’s flight must haves. For our oldest, it is her supply of Kids Dramamine, my middle crams it full of gum and chapstick and my youngest, well, you never really know what she packs – half of the time we open her lululemon Walmart Dupe and find something she “hid” from us.
5. Fleece Blanket Hoodie for Children
Flights can get chilly, especially during long-haul journeys so our girls bring a fleece blanket hoodie along. It is a versatile item that serves as both a cozy blanket and a wearable hoodie and it seems like home. If they aren’t snuggled up with it, they stuff the bulk of the blanket into the hood and it doubles as a pillow so they can catch some Z’s during the flight.
Remember, these essentials will make your flight more comfortable and stress-free, whether you’re jumping on a quick flight or headed over the pond. Bon voyage!
