27 Amazing Travel Hacks with Kids That Will Make Your Trip So Much Easier
If you’ve ever traveled with kids, you know this: it can either feel like a dream… or total chaos.
After years of traveling with my two girls (now 4 and 7), I’ve learned that the difference between a stressful trip and a smooth one isn’t luck—it’s preparation.
These are the exact travel hacks with kids that have completely changed the way we travel as a family. The kind that make airports easier, hotel stays smoother, and long travel days actually enjoyable.
Pre Trip Travel Hacks with Kids
Watch Youtube Videos, do Pretend Play or read books about where you are going
This builds excitement and familiarity so everything feels less overwhelming when you arrive. Travel hacks with kids can be easy like this and don’t have to be so thought out! Just a few easy minutes of prep the week of
Have a designed packing area in the house and throw items that you need into that area
Start a “travel zone” a week before and toss things in as you think of them—it cuts last-minute stress in half. We also keep this area year round with airport outfits, pjs for all of us and they stay in the luggage always! After a trip is done we do the wash and they get folded back inside.
Have Duplicates
This is costly at first but it saves SOO much time packing with kids. I have duplicates of their water bottles, ear phones, toothbrushes, shampoos etc. I have pjs specifically for travelling that stay in the luggage
Pack Snacks. Then triple it
Delays happen, moods change, and airport food isn’t always an option—snacks solve almost everything. I’m not kidding you this is one of the travel hacks with kids that you cannot miss. When I say “pack snacks” though I mean pack an obscene amount and then triple it. Hide snacks in all sorts of spots.
Download their Ipad shows. Let them pick a new “special show” for the plane
Something new = way more engagement. Save it for the plane so it actually feels exciting. Make sure to download the shows ahead of the flight. Put a reminder in your calender about 3 days before the flight
Packing Cubes
Since I have 2 girls close in age, I actually use packing cubes to pack by outfit theme instead of one for each of them. For example, bathing suits for both of them get one packing cube. Their underwear, pjs and some comfy clothes get another! I label the outside so I know what’s inside. I use another colour for myself ( pink) and they have white ones so it’s easy to know what is theirs and what is mine!
Write a packing checklist you can reuse for every trip
Once you create one master list, future trips become so much easier. It saves mental energy and helps make sure you don’t forget the little things.
Airport & Plane Travel Hacks with Kids
Bring Dog “Pee Pads” For the airport floor, change table or hotel room
Sounds odd, but they’re amazing for messy floors, diaper changes, or even quick clean-ups in hotels. We also use them in airport or restaurant bathrooms on the changing tables as a dispoable way to stay away from germs!
Do not board first. Let one adult go first
Let one adult board early with bags, while the other lets the kids burn energy before getting on. Don’t be fooled by the priorty boarding for families! lol
Write and drawer thank you cards for the flight attendants
We tried this recently on our last flight and it was such a hit. I got this pack of cards ( only $11!!) and only brought a few. The girls were so focused on drawing pictures for the pilot and flight attendants. It kept them busy for a solid hour!
Use Rolling Backpacks for Kids aged 3 and up
This is a travel hacks with kids that will change your airport experience. They carry their own things, feel independent, and you’re not stuck holding everything. It works so well in the airport and if you do want to do carry on only, this is a great way to do it! We love these ones
Take a photo of your kids before the flight
A current photo of what they’re wearing that day is always smart in a busy place. Hopefully you never need it, but it’s a good just-in-case move.
Label your Passports so it’s easy to find the person you are looking for
Makes it so much easier to grab the right one quickly (especially when you’re holding 4+).
Use “Danny Go” as an energy burner. Or a balloon
Airports = built-in play space. Get the wiggles out before sitting for hours. and we do this by watching Danny Go. We just stream it off You Tube!
Use an Inflatable Foot Rest for Sleep
If you have a long haul flight with kids, using an inflatable foot rest will 100% help your kids sleep. Some airlines do not allow them so check ahead but if they do….this is the way to do it! This is the one we use
Give them a job at the airport
Carry boarding passes, pull their suitcase, or “lead the way”—it keeps them engaged and cooperative.
Let them go into the Cockpit
Such a small moment that feels huge to them—and makes the flight more exciting.
Screen time= no rules on travel days. Limit use ahead of the trip
Save your sanity. Set limits before the trip so this feels like a treat, not a habit.
Have a separate “plane pouch”
Keep only in-flight essentials in one zip pouch so you’re not rummaging through your whole bag. It makes settling in way easier.
Introduce toys slowly and not all at once
Don’t give everything at once—space them out to keep interest going longer. I sometimes hide some toys in the deep pockets of my luggage lol and bring it out a few days into the trip
Lollipops for landing
Seems like a no brainer but add this to your packing list ahead of time and have them ready to go.
Make a busy bag
I have curated and manufactured my own busy bags so you don’t have to build your own from Amazon ( which ends up being way more $$). You can buy them here! They come in blue or pink and include some of my kids favourite products that have been tried, tested and true over the years!
Hotel Travel Hacks with Kids
Request Early Check-In (But Plan for Delays)
It never hurts to ask, especially with kids, but I never rely on it. Always have swimsuits, snacks, or a plan in case the room isn’t ready yet.
Unpack right away
Even if you’re tired, take 10 minutes and do it. A room feels way more functional when everyone knows where their clothes, pajamas, and toiletries are.
Use an Ironing Board for more storage OR as a toy table
It sounds random, but it works. In small hotel rooms, any extra surface helps.
Get a Hotel that includes Breakfast
This is one of my biggest family travel splurges. It saves money, simplifies mornings, and means you’re not searching for food the second everyone wakes up hungry.
Pre-Order Groceries to your room
Having milk, fruit, easy breakfasts, pouches, or bedtime snacks on hand makes a hotel stay so much easier. Especially if your kids wake early or need familiar foods.
Ask for a mini fridge if one isn’t already in the room
Even for basic things like yogurt, milk, fruit, or leftovers, this can be super useful with kids.
Sound Machine or Night Light
Hotels are noisy. Hallway sounds, elevators, street noise, and unfamiliar spaces can all affect sleep, so this can make a big difference. We love our Hatch Sound Machine as it’s a sound machine and nightlight in one!! We eventually got the travel version for vacations but sometimes still bring our larger one
Use an Extra Packing Cube for Laundry
I love putting all the laundry in one cube during our travels. Sometimes if luck has it that there is a washing machine in our hotel or air bnb I will just grab the cute and throw it in the wash!
Travel with Kids: Itinerary Hacks
Do not over plan. One big activity a day
We normally have a breakfast of some sort, activity in the morning and then pool time in the afternoon followed by some rest. Our kids will do the activitiy in the morning (sometimes adulted focused) if they know they have an afternoon of swimming! It’s a win/win for everyone!
Plan for a hotel rest. Do not get bummed if a nap isn’t had
I can’t tell you the amount of times we all went back to the hotel, only for it to be a flop and I would get bummed about it. It’s always great when a nap works out but if it doesn’t having some non stimulating moments in a dimmed room is great for the kids regardless.
Feed the kids before dinner
I’ve learned not to wait too long just for the perfect dinner plan. A pre-dinner snack can save everyone from a miserable restaurant experience.
Do a bigger or “fancier” lunch
Lunch is often easier, cheaper, and less exhausting with kids than dinner. Then dinner can stay simple and low-pressure. We also normally do a bigger order for the whole table and encourage them to try some foods we are eating! Do they always go for it? No. But more often than not they do. I get this is not possible for picky eaters so if thats the case, just do what works for you to ensure things will run smooth.
Another option is to only order 1 kids meal ( if you have 2 kids) and then feed them ahead of time and then let them get some ice cream for dessert. Less waste, they WILL often take a nibble of what you order and you also save a bit of money;)
If you want to do a dinner, eat at 5PM
We do not eat dinner late. Period. When we were in Europe we did early dinners like this and the restaurant was very quiet OR people were still finishing their lunches LOL. Forcing our kids to stay up late to fit in just wouldnt work and the dinner would be ruined. Also in cooler restaurants, we feel more at ease eating earlier. It’s less busy so if our kids do act up, we don’t feel as bad!
Bring one “restaurant toy” that only appears when dining out
Keeping one special item only for meals out makes it feel fresh every time. It can really help stretch restaurant patience. We love plus plus pieces for our oldest!!! She loves them so much
Remember that kids don’t need perfection to love a trip
They’ll often remember the pool, the train ride, the bunk beds, or the hotel breakfast more than the big-ticket activity. The little things count a lot.
Let them pick one of the tours or activities
As the girls have gotten a bit older ( 4 and 7!), we now let them pick one tour or activitiy for them! In Guatemala, it was taco making and in Cayman Islands it was swimming with sting rays.
We also promised them a visit to McDonalda’s in Guatemala ( which is actually considered one of the most beautiful ones in the world!!). Going to one to see their menus might be a new tradition
Leave margin in your itinerary
Kids move slower, need breaks, get hungry unexpectedly, and sometimes just need to stop. Margin is what makes a trip feel enjoyable instead of rigid.
Travel with Kids: Transporation Hacks
Pack a travel friendly car seat. Here are the best ones
Buy a travel stroller that fits into the overhead compartment
Book private transfers or know how to nagivate the Taxi/Uber system after a flight
After a long travel day, figuring out complicated transit with tired kids and luggage can feel brutal. Sometimes paying for ease is worth every penny and this is where we splurge. I also always make sure to have this sorted out before we leave
Book direct flights when it’s just a few hundred dollars more
I’ll almost always pay a bit more to avoid a connection with kids. Less transit time usually means less stress, less airport spending, and fewer chances for things to go sideways.
Bring motion sickness medicine – for everyone!!!
Even if your kids don’t normally get carsick, winding roads, boat rides, or long drives can surprise you. I’d rather have something and not need it.
