Are you getting ready to take your family on a trip and not sure what is essential and what is nonsense? We have travelled for over twelve years with our kids on all forms of transport and have learned a thing or two. Let’s dive in to the items that are absolutely essential for easy family travel.

Essential #1

First, food. Whatever that may look like for your family, make sure to have some snacks on hand and meal options that suit your picky eaters. We like to bring bento boxes or a small cooler for snacks that are sure to please.

When it’s longer travel, we read menus ahead of time to find a place to dine. Another option is to find a fast-food stop that we know we can all happily eat from. With one kid with lactose intolerance and one who refuses 99% of meat, we make sure we are snack strong. I have personally found that my kids prefer meals over snacks, so we pack accordingly. On any day/trip it it is still one of the essentials to have some sort of food (or drink) on hand.

In our breastfeeding days we just made sure to have what made us comfortable for any feeding situation (pumping, public feeding, bottle supplies, etc) and kept snacks on hand that I liked.

Essential #2

The second essential to make your travel easier is a toy. It doesn’t matter if we’re in line at Disney, in the car, or at a park, my kids love having something small to play with. Just other day my son even brought a deck of cards with him to the park.

If your kiddo has (within reason, of course) a favorite small plush, car, doll, fidget something…consider it essential. We really like having something small for them for any “just in case” situation. For a complete list of shoppable ideas, head here to see our must have travel toys.

Essential #3

Thirdly, you’ll want something to entertain them. This could be a coloring book, pen and paper, book, tablet (yup, can you imagine a four day road trip without one?), etc. Keeping entertained in a way that they enjoy is totally essential for your travel. My kids love to draw and are happy to tote paper and pens around the zoo, museums, etc.

While we don’t usually allow tablets outside of the car, the one rare exception is theme parks but they have to be willing to carry it. If you’ve ever been in a two-hour line you feel my pain. Even when we do a day adventure for homeschool, you will see my kids with something to entertain them on the way there and potentially something for while we’re there. To see my family on an adventure, head to our YouTube channel and you’ll peep this tip.

Remembering these three essentials will make your family travel much easier. Having favorite foods, toys, and entertainment on hand will improve the mood on your trip. Happy moods lead to easy family travel!