Travel Essentials for Young Children

Traveling is often one of the most important gifts we want to provide for our children. As the child of a commercial airline pilot, we traveled A LOT as children.

I learned so much from seeing our country and other parts of the world, and I want my children to have the opportunity to do that too. That being said, traveling with younger children is not always easy (shocking I know!).

 Animal Planet Neck Support Pillow, Children’s Neck Pillow, Giraffe, Machine Washable, Soft and Plush, Brown ReTrak ETAUDFSHRK ReTrak Animalz Retractable Volume Limiting Children’s Headphones Harry Potter Coloring Book Trailmaker Boys’ Shark Camo, Multi, One Size

I have learned over our trips that there are some things that help make the trip a little easier for both kids AND parents. Here are some of my travel essentials for younger children:

• Bubble Bum booster seats— I discovered the portable Bubble Bum car seats a few years ago, and they have been a lifesaver when traveling! If you rent a car at your final destination, the add-on charge for car seats and booster seats can be exorbitant, and you can never really be sure what you’re getting. The Bubble Bum car seat (only for children over 4 years of age and 40 lbs) is inflatable, so you can compress it for traveling and blow it up when you reach your final destination! 
• Good kid headphones— Whether you’re pro screen time or not, faced with a long flight, comfy headphones for your child can go a long way! Keeping them entertained, while protecting their ears, can be a godsend! We like the ReTrak headphones because the boys think they are comfy, and I feel good about the fact that there is a maximum decibel level to protect their hearing! Bonus: they have a retractable cord. 🙂 
• Kids neck pillows— If you’re lucky, you child(ren) will fall asleep at some point on your flight. They have super floppy necks, so a good neck pillow can keep them propped up and sleeping. I love these little ones— they are just the right size and cute to boot! 
• Coloring materials— Never underestimate the power of new coloring books and a fresh box of crayons. I like to go to our local Christmas Tree Shop or Michaels to stock up with the $1 ones, that way there’s no love lost if they get left on the plane! If your children are a bit older, there are some great more advanced coloring books (usually near the front with the mandala ones). My oldest son fell in love with the Harry Potter one!
• Child-size backpack— You have enough stuff to carry as it is, make sure you child has an appropriately sized backpack to fill with their own items (stuffed animal, books, small toy, coloring supplies). I think it’s a good idea to get them started at a young age being responsible for some of their own items. It’s also very helpful for making sure that they don’t pack too many items to take on the plane!

What’s on your essentials list for traveling with young children?