Packing List
How To Use This List:
If your kids are at least three years’ old, print out the children’s lists linked just below. Cross out “pyjamas”. Explain that “swimsuit” means “togs” and “flip-flops” means “thongs” but they should actually pack sandals or crocs. Vow to create your own printable children’s list for future trips, when you have time. Give them a suitcase and set them packing.
Then copy and paste the rest into a word processing document or email. Delete any items that don’t apply, and any explanatory notes you don’t need. Start packing, deleting items off the list as you go. When your document is blank, leave the house immediately.
*Stars indicate lower-priority items I remove first if the bag is looking too full.
Printable kids’ lists:
Pre-Readers (3-5 years old) (via Creative With Kids).
Readers (primary school age[pdf]) (3-page list via Stuffed Suitcases – see this post for notes on how to use it, and alternative lists).
The Rest – for adults:
This section includes a core list, plus checklists for newborns, weaning babies, crawlers and early toddlers, late toddlers, young kids and big kids.
It covers all types of family trips, from Japanese ski holidays to Thai beach vacations to Christmas runs home to visit Grandma.
I encourage you to tweak this list for your own needs and save a copy wherever you want. If you use it as the basis for a publicly-available post, please link back! Thanks.
Core List:
- Documents and paperwork – passports in holders, tickets, itinerary (flights/transport/hotels), travel insurance details and emergency contact number, guide books/phrase books or apps if using
- Money – purse, credit cards, debit cards, local currency if taking
- Comms – phones with chargers and universal adaptor, kids’ apps
- Clothes – one outfit per day including underwear (maximum five days) plus any spares (see under each agegroup for amount of spares). For winter, layering up can reduce packing volume (take maximum three or four full outfits plus all spares and rotate layers). Generally I don’t take pyjamas, I take comfortable enough day clothes and use them around the clock. A light scarf or pashmina is very versatile, especially for conservative cultures, religious places and against dry heat or extremes of air conditioning.
- Warm wear for winter – warm hat, coat, scarf, gloves, legwarmers or long johns, socks, singlets
- Summer and beach wear – sun hat, togs, goggles*, flippers*, snorkel*, floaties*
- King-sized mosquito net and tent poles* if needed, depending on destination
- Universal plug (you will hand wash something at least once, and may find it handy for bathing infants)
- First aid kit – sun cream (kid-friendly), mosquito repellant (kid-friendly), tweezers, bandaids, panadol for adults (plus add children’s or infants’ from lists below), nasal decongestant (adult)*, sterile saline drops*, small scissors, small sewing kit (not strictly first aid purposes but fits nicely in the same bag), ear plugs (ditto, although sleep is medicinal)*, antiseptic hand gel, tissues, rolled bandage, thermometer, feminine hygiene products, and don’t forget the contraception – unless you want to pack twice as much next trip. I don’t take medications for vomiting or diarrhoea – I prefer to either rehydrate and ride it out or see a doctor, obviously quicker on the latter with the kids – but a sachet of oral rehydration salts is a good idea and consider also some water sterilisation tablets*.
- Toiletries – toothbrushes for all, combs/hair brushes/clips and ties as needed, one kids’ toothpaste and one adults’ (use a somewhat-empty tube to save space, less empty for longer trips), one set of shampoo, soap, nail clippers and nail brush to share, adults add their own deodorant, moisturiser, glitter eyeshadow in electric blue*, etc.
- Shoes – one pair each if possible. Two maximum. Not needed for babes in arms!
- Travel towel*
- Rain wear – travel ponchos, raincoats, umbrellas*, stroller cover* – as appropriate according to destination and activity level
- Ziplock plastic travel bags (roll-up variety)
- Gifts
- Water bottles – normal type for over-twos, plus developmentally-appropriate type as listed below
- Specialty equipment* (telescope, sports gear, etc)
Newborn (approx 0-6 months):
- Infant capsule
- Swaddles/wraps
- Dummy/Pacifier if applicable
- White noise recording (on your phone)
- Nappies and wipes
- Carrier of choice (sling)
- Two spare sets clothes
- Warm outfit for plane
- Bottles if needed plus cleaning equipment (don’t bring if you breastfeed)
- Infants’ panadol
Weaning Baby In Arms (approx 4-12 months):
- Infant capsule
- Swaddles/wraps or gro bags if cold weather
- Dummy/Pacifier (if using)
- White noise recording (on your phone)
- Nappies and wipes
- Carrier of choice (sling)
- Stroller*
- Small, non-slip bath mat (once sitting)*
- Two spare sets clothes
- Warm outfit for plane
- Feeding equipment:
- Bib (catcher-style)
- Snack catcher with finger foods*
- Spoons*
- Bottle/sippy cup
- Baby food* (priority varies depending on baby’s pickiness and destination)
- Infants’ panadol
Crawler/Early Walker (approx 9 months-2 years):
- Capsule or car seat
- Sleeping bag/gro bag (if cold weather)
- Dummy/pacifier (if using) with clip
- Nappies and wipes
- Small, non-slip bath mat*
- Carrier (ergo)
- Stroller*
- Child harness*
- Feeding equipment:
- Bib (catcher-style)
- Snack catcher with finger foods*
- Spoons*
- Water bottle/sippy
- Cuddle toy
- Light entertainment
- Two spare sets clothes
- Infants’ or children’s panadol
- Gaffer tape or electrical tape (for childproofing – no, not that kind of child proofing) or travel childproofing kit
Late Toddler (approx 2-4 years):
- Car seat
- Sleeping bag/gro bag (if cold weather)
- Dummy/pacifier (if using) with clip
- Nappies and wipes and/or training pants plus three or four extra pairs of underpants and two extra shorts/trousers
- Small, non-slip bath mat*
- Carrier (ergo)
- Stroller*
- Child harness*
- Feeding equipment:
- Bib (preferably plain, with waterproof backing)
- Snack catcher with finger foods*
- Spoons*
- Chopsticks if applicable*
- Cuddle toy
- Light entertainment
- One spare set clothes
- Children’s panadol
- Gaffer tape or electrical tape (for childproofing – if still needed)
Young Tyke (approx 4-7 years):
- Boostapak
- Waterproof mattress cover*
- Cuddle toy
- Light entertainment
- One spare set clothes
- Two extra pairs underpants
- Wipes
- Bib and chopsticks if applicable*
- Children’s panadol
Big Kid (7+):
- Entertainment/toy/cheap, second-hand digital camera/journal and pen
- Learning chopsticks (if applicable)*
- Children’s panadol (until able to use adult tablets)
Senior Travellers (85+) (List provided by my Grandma)
- Formal wear for cruises, including one pair of formal shoes
- 2 sets of sleep wear
- Fold-out maps and books, for interest and entertainment
- Daily medications – over-the-counter, prescription, herbal, creams (such as arnica cream for bruising) and balms (e.g. lip balms)
- List of medications and health conditions, in case of unscheduled doctor’s visits
- Electric shaver
- Lipstick and powder
- Tooth cup for dentures
- Walking sticks
- Spare batteries and cleaning swabs for hearing aids
- Prescription eyewear
- Non-slip bath mat
- Anti-snoring device
- Hot water bottle for bad backs
- Torch for night time visits to toilet
- Travel alarm
- Snacks for blood sugar
- Disability permit
This packing list appeared first at Journeys of the Fabulist.
Once again I am back to print out packing lists for my kids. It’s been a real success story for us: they both LOVE it and it’s so much easier for me.
LikeLike
Hey you! Merry Christmas! Yeah, I wrote out a list by hand for my eldest this trip, and I should be able to do the same for the youngest soon (the pictures still needed for her… and I’m a terrible drawer… apparently…). Wait till they get old enough to carry their own bags…
LikeLiked by 1 person
The replies are growing narrower, so I’ll just start a new sequence, if you don’t mind.
Of course we all get irritated beyound belief from time to time. Probably more than we’d like and surely more than we’d like to admit. I know I do. Not just by our children, by the way. The problem I refer to is that we, at least many of us, myself first and foremost, focus on the wrong things. That is – grabbing an ice cream, watching TV, using the mobile phone. All this istead of giving our children the attention they need (like many of the parents on removed) And the tantrums are a consequence of our annoyance with the children for drawing our attention from our own needs.
My guess is that what is so annoying about child-leashes is that while they can be a useful support gadget, the impression is that a lot of people use them as an excuse not to pay attention to their offsprings, but to have more time and attention for their own needs. Perhaps a part of it is envy for the people who can be so selfish as to use a leash for their children.
Again, this is in no way a comment on your parenting skills and choices. You are probably one of the most aware parents around. I am just trying to investigate the phenomenon, why it generates dirty looks from people and why I myself dislike the image of a child on a leash.
LikeLike
Yeah, I should probably rethink the number of threads deep I allow comments to go.
You can abuse any tool, for sure, and using a leash as an excuse to avoid doing any actual parenting is definitely a way of abusing that particular tool.
The thing is I don’t think that happens very often at all. Parents are genuinely busy, and usually not with their own needs, but with the other kids/the family shopping/etc etc etc. If you see a parent using a leash, please be assured that there is a 99% chance they are using it for good and not evil. 🙂
Certain things put extra pressure on the system. Some kids are by nature “runners” or “bolters” – they take off quickly at every distraction, and they’re hard to stop. We have one. It takes years to train this out of them, no matter what technique you use.
Lifestyle things like not having a car can change the picture, too. When we lived in Brisbane and went places by car we had very little need for a leash or a stroller. As soon as we moved to Singapore and started going places by public transport these things became more necessary just from that alone. It’s not a coincidence leash use is more common here! You can manage a child fine for twenty or thirty minutes at a time in a way that’s just unsustainable when you have to be out and about on foot for five hours’ straight.
Travelling is definitely a situation which puts extra pressure on the system. There’s the five-hours-straight thing. Then, not only do you have to do your usual parenting, you have to give twice as much guidance because the rules have changed and your kids are only just getting the hang of the ones you had back home, and perhaps they’re tired and jet-lagged and culture-shocked, too. This at a time when you’re also navigating a new environment, perhaps in a foreign language, and therefore have half as much attention to give to them. People who don’t need a leash at home should still consider packing one for travelling.
So yes, I guess it’s the “lazy parent” idea that draws a lot of those looks/that squeamishness, but I think that’s basically unjustified.
LikeLike
Sorry, Michael, I just had a click around on that website and I had to edit the link out of your comments.
It’s not that some of the posters are clearly being ridiculous (someone has posted a picture of a member of a surf club wearing a surf leash as if it’s in the same category as a child leash, and there’s a picture of some sort of childcare group using a grab-the-rope system as if that’s the same? maybe these are joke shots); but I’m really uncomfortable with people putting photos of other people’s kids up on the internet without permission generally, but especially when it’s meant to shame, and especially when I can’t see anything wrong with most of the photos. (There is one photo I can see a problem with, but the rest either look fine, or at least there’s not enough information to judge.)
So I took the links out of your comments – no offence to you intended.
LikeLike
No problem, I understand your motives and actually agree with them (the surfing club thing was really unnecessary).
LikeLiked by 1 person
So… a very nice list, but a child harness? Personally, I find them horrible. The alternative names say it all – “child leash” or “walking reins”.
LikeLike
I would much rather allow my child the guided freedom of a harness/reins/leash than tie them kicking and screaming to a stroller, do them an elbow injury by dragging on their arms (which anyway is only practical if you have as many spare hands as children), or let them get injured, lost, or worse. My kids prefer it this way, too.
Plus, I’m yet to find an explanation as to why a harness/leash/rein is inherently bad, but go ahead if you have one. It’s such a hot-button topic with some people – it’d be good to understand why.
LikeLike
Your point is clear. I think my arguments will be along the lines followed by others. That is, that in the long term I think it is better (for both the parent and the child) to teach the child responsible behaviour rather than leash him/her like a dog.
I don’t condemn the use of child-leashes alltogether nor do I think people who use them are bad parents or something. I just think they and their children look quite ridiculous.
Al least you only pack it for the toddler. There seem to be plenty of people putting children of the age of 7, 8 or even older on a leash – removed
LikeLike
Yeah, similar arguments as before. I guess my reply is two-fold.
First, a leash is an excellent way of teaching them. A stroller doesn’t teach them much about how to behave on foot, and other methods don’t work when your back is turned for two seconds or your hands are busy. A lot of kids without leashes seem to learn that they can get away with running off if they just time it right. With the leash they learn a different skill – how to content themselves when mum’s busy at the checkout for five minutes.
My second point is it’s a bit cruel to expect an eighteen-month-old to behave like a five-year-old. Better to leash them gently than get frustrated and start yelling at them (or worse) because you finally snapped. The neurological structures responsible for impulse control take about twenty-five years to mature (although most kids would have enough maturity in this area to follow along before they reach school age).
I’ve seen older kids with leashes probably twice, and in both cases it turned out they had developmental problems. I must admit it looked quite strange at first glance – I’m thinking of a seven-year-old we saw last Christmas who turned out to be autistic but looked quite normal. The mother was looking after several children at once, too, so you can understand she just couldn’t take the chance.
LikeLike
I think about what I would prefer myself, and I don’t think I would want to look back at photos of me on a leash as a child.
There are multiple ways of teaching skills, and the leash is not my choice. I don’t think it helps in any way to prevent yelling (or worse). If a parent has no self-control and self-awareness, no amount of gadgets will help, when the problem is elsewhere.
In the end, I just don’t want to use the phrase “I am leashing my child”. Sounds like I’ve got a Hannibal Lecter there.
LikeLike
When I was doing my first pre-natal class one of the first things the midwife said was, oh and by the way, you’re all going to snap. She said, “You’ll be there and you’ll think oh I could just drop this baby right out the window right now! and this will happen to every single one of you, even the ones who think they’re too self-controlled for that – and then you’ve still got the toddler years to come!”
And of course we all thought no, I’m too self-controlled for that, and then six months later we all understood. 🙂
The “problem” you mention (the one that’s elsewhere) is that we don’t live in caves with our extended family tribe under the same makeshift roof having to go out and hunt/gather for our next meal while the grandparent generation runs the creche (and/or we cousins all take turns). In fact, in many places, very few members of the general public will even help a parent out for five minutes in a shopping centre. Hence the reason all parents everywhere hit the wall and throw a tantrum from time to time. But the gadgets do reduce that by making up for some of the necessary support system.
I would be interested to hear what your alternative techniques for teaching the kids not to run off are. And what would you do during the several years where no technique is going to work because they’re just not developmentally mature enough to be relied upon yet?
LikeLike
Pingback: Teaching kids to pack: a prospective, randomised, uncontrolled trial | Journeys of the Fabulist
this is awesome. wish i had read this a month ago. I didn’t pack 1/2 of what you suggest, and now we have to go shopping for things like socks and undies. oops.
LikeLike
I don’t pack half of this every time! You do have to pick and choose and what suits one place won’t suit another. Socks and undies are almost always useful, though – it’s true. (P forgot to pack his undies on our last trip 🙂 ).
LikeLike
Pingback: Ain’t Misbehaving – Crawlers and Early Toddlers (8mo – 2yo) | Journeys of the Fabulist