Traveling with Kids: A Mom’s Guide to Stress-Free Adventures

Traveling with Kids: A Dietitian Mom’s Guide to Stress-Free Adventures

Written by Dietitian & Mom: Elis Halenko

As a travel-loving mom and dietitian, I know firsthand that traveling with kids is equal parts magical and chaotic. I’ve experienced both underpacking and overpacking, from forgetting to bring sippy cups to lugging around extra clothes we never got a chance to wear. Underpacking is by far worse, yes, you can always buy what you need at pretty much any airport or destination, but it’s nice knowing you packed well so you can save your spending for other travel specific fun, plus nothing really can replace a well loved comfort stuffy with one eye…

As a family with a baby, now a toddler, we’ve traveled to hot climates like Florida, Hawaii, and Costa Rica, cold climates (BC, Canada in the winter) and unexpected climates (hello, Arizona).

You can say we’ve learned a thing or two about packing well. When we travel as a family, we have 1 rule : WE DO NOT CHECK IN ANY LUGGAGE… if this is a mystery to you, I’m excited to share with you how we manage to do this with kids.

From packing snacks to keeping little ones entertained on the plane, packing and planning can feel like preparing for a mission to Mars. But with the right approach (and a well-packed bag), family travel can be a rewarding and memorable experience for everyone!

Here’s my ultimate guide to traveling with babies and toddlers—packed with snacks, activities, and must-have essentials to make your next trip as smooth as possible.

Family Travel Packing List (for about 1 week of travel):

Keeping kids comfortable while traveling starts with smart packing. Here’s what I never leave home without:

Essentials:

✅ Diapers, pull-ups or underwear – on diapers + pull-ups, we usually only bring enough for 3 days and buy some diapers on location.
✅ 2-3 pairs of appropriate shoes
✅ 2-5 pairs of socks
✅ 5-7 outfit changes (a mix of long sleeve, dresses ect, depending on the weather)
Swim suit
✅ Umbrella / poncho (depending on where you go, we brought these along to Costa Rica!)
✅ Water/wet wipes, hand sanitizer, napkins
✅ Lightweight blanket for snuggling or napping
✅ Pacifiers, bottles, thermos or sippy cups
✅ Travel stroller (TIP: we don’t check our stroller at the beginning of our boarding adventure, we actually check it at the gate so it is super fast to collect after leaving the plane)
✅ Purse, fanny pack, passports, phones, chargers, ID, cash, credit cards, house/car keys

Food, Toiletries & Meds:

✅ Pureed prunes – Because travel constipation in kids is a real thing. Our first family trip to Hawaii, Ella suffered from constipation and it took a few days to regulate. I now always offer Ella some pureed purees or dried whole prunes now that’s she 3 after flying and a few days after.
✅ Shelf-stable snacks – Goldfish crackers, dried fruit, applesauce pouches, and whole-grain crackers
✅ Protein-packed options – Cheese sticks, nut butter pouches (if allowed), and mini hummus cups
✅ Hydration – Reusable water bottles to keep everyone refreshed, I also bring some pedialyte as traveling is very dehydrating!
✅ Baby / kid / adult toothpaste + toothbrushes & floss
✅ Family friendly body lotion + soap + DAWN (not sponsored, DAWN dish soap is great for any sippy cup washing and stain removal on clothes!)
✅ Baby/Kid sunscreen
✅ Baby/Kid Tylenol
✅ Adults facial skin cleanser, facial moisturizer
✅ Optional: makeup + make up remover

For Entertainment & Comfort:

✅ A few favorite reading books, I always bring 1-2 to make bedtime routine at home to make bedtime easier, some of our favorites Sleepy Toes and Goodnight Moon
✅ Crayons and a small notebook for doodling, I also love these light weight LED light drawing boards
✅ Stickers—because they entertain for ages, we love the Usborne first sticker books, they keep Ella busy for hours.
✅ A stuffed animal for comfort
✅ Kids headphones and an audiobook or calming music playlist
✅ 3-5 small dollar store toys that will keep them busy (something they can build or fidget with like lego!) – more on this below…

Things to Rent:

✅ Car seat – we’ve actually rented a baby carrier for almost all of our trips. We’ve paid between $10 -20/ day or so, which is worth it in my opinion over schlepping so many things and having to possibly wait forever to collect it in baggage claim after a long flight.

Plane Activities to Keep Kids Busy

Let’s be honest: expecting a toddler to sit still on a flight is wishful thinking. The key? Keeping them engaged with a mix of snacks, surprises, and hands-on activities.

Sticker Play – Bring a sticker book or let them decorate a blank notebook. It keeps their little hands busy!

DIY Snack Necklace – String Cheerios or dried fruit onto a lacing cord for a fun and edible activity. Our next trip to Hawaii lands around Easter, so I brought along some Easter crafts for Ella from Michales and the dollar store including beads.

“Mystery Bag” Surprise – Wrap a few small toys (think fidget spinners, mini cars, or finger puppets) and let them unwrap one every 30 minutes.

Interactive Books – Lift-the-flap, touch-and-feel, or pop-up books keep little ones engaged longer. We also have a busy board for Ella that keeps her fully entertained you can buy these on Amazon or have one custom made on Etsy!

Tablet with Preloaded Content – If screen time is part of your travel plan, download their favorite shows, interactive games, or calming bedtime stories in advance. Depending on the length of our trip, Ella who is 3 will get some screen time, often times she loves just scrolling through the photos of her on my phone.

Things you DON’T need:

Not everything marketed for travel with kids is actually necessary! Save space and skip these items:

❌ Too many toys – A few small favorites will do. Overpacking toys just adds clutter.
❌ Full-size toiletries – Travel-size bottles or hotel-provided options work fine.
❌ Bulky blankets or pillows – A lightweight blanket is enough; most airlines provide extras if needed.
❌ Excessive outfits – Stick to mix-and-match outfits and only pack a couple of backups.
❌ Pack ‘n Play or travel cribs and plane sleepers – Most hotels and rentals offer cribs upon request.

Final Travel Tips for Parents:

Embrace the Unexpected: Travel with kids will never go exactly as planned, and that’s okay! Laugh through the mess and enjoy the adventure.
Keep it Simple: Overpacking can be just as stressful as forgetting something. Stick to the essentials!
Plan for Downtime: Kids (and parents!) need breaks. Build in time for naps, slow walks, and screen-free moments to reset.
Extra Patience: Things will spill, meltdowns will happen—but the memories you make will be worth it!

At the end of the day, traveling with kids is about embracing the adventure—snacks, surprises, and all! This year we are hoping to plan the most epic trip of them all – a trip to Japan with Ella. So there will definitely be more travel blogs around the corner.

Where’s your next family trip? Let me know in the comments!