Travelling with children of any age has its challenges. It’s daunting to travel for the first time with a baby. Then the toddler stage is even more daunting when they won’t sit still. Even when they are older it has its challenges. Here’s how I make travel with older children easy.
Wipes
Baby Wipes, wet wipes, whatever you want to call them are a godsend when travelling with kids of all ages. I can guarantee that if I want my kids to stay clean they will find a way to get dirty! I’ve been trying to look out for ones that are plastic-free and biodegradable.
A washcloth and a bottle of water would work the same. Maybe keeping it damp in a tub or a resealable bag. Let me know if you have any eco-friendly tips or can recommend any decent wipes that won’t clog up the environment.
Lavender Oil
This is one of those tips I wished I’d known about years ago! a small bottle of lavender oil is great to keep in hand luggage with multiple uses. It masks bad smells and relaxes everyone! I like to put a couple of drops on the kid’s soft toys or neck pillows if they have one with them.
Alternatively, a tissue would do the same job. A couple of drops are more than enough to create a calming fragrance and hopefully help them wind down a bit. All the excitement of travelling can cause them to be a bit like a coiled spring. Not ideal for 11-hour flights!
Spare Undies and T-shirt
No matter how hard I try, there’s still a chance we may have various accidents meaning we need to get changed. I’m not just talking about toilet accidents. I don’t know about you but every time drinks are served on my flights the turbulence hits! It also gives a bit of reassurance in case of delays. They don’t take up much space in your hand luggage either.
My kids all have their small backpacks to fit a change of clothes. We roll undies and a t-shirt up together and pop them in a ziplock bag. This sits at the bottom of their backpacks ready for an emergency.
Snacks are a must for travel with older children
I think but do try to avoid nut-based snacks. There’s always a possibility that someone on your flight (or boat, train or coach) may have a life-threatening nut allergy so then it would become just dead weight in your bag. I’m not a big fan of taking chocolate as a snack either just because it can be messy. Even though I’ve got the wipes and spare clothes I’m all for trying to avoid a mishap!
Crisps, popcorn, dried fruit and sweets are great choices. I pop them in small snack-size containers to avoid them all being eaten at once too! It saves me a few quid doing this, travelling on a short-haul flight from the UK The price of drinks and snacks for a family of 5 costs a small mortgage! On top of the cost factor, it also helps keep the kids quiet as they can be impatient at times (they are kids after all) and aren’t always so willing to wait for the crew to serve 200 other people before them!
A reusable/refillable water bottle
For security reasons, you can’t take filled water bottles through security screening at airports. You can take an empty bottle and most airports now have water fountains (some are adapted especially for filling water bottles too).
To save yourself a few quid fill the bottle before flying, even if you don’t drink it all on the flight it is great to have for the transfer from the airport to your destination when you haven’t necessarily got the change to buy a small water bottle and it’s better for the environment too, no single-use plastic waste. Saves you money and is better for the environment, win-win!
First Aid Kit
A small first aid kit is super helpful. I just make sure we have some plasters, antiseptic wipes, and a small tube of antiseptic cream. A couple of sachets of children’s paracetamol suspension for the younger ones and a packet of paracetamol for the rest of us. One more first aid kit essential for us is the white tiger balm. It’s great for headaches when a small amount is wiped across the forehead and temples and it’s also brilliant for itchy bites.
That’s usually enough to deal with all the dramas that happen on our travels. I always take Piriton for the kids and allergy tablets for me and Jay. It helps things such as prickly heat and also if you get any particularly itchy bites it takes the edge off those a bit.
Have you got anything that you’d suggest taking that is essential? I do have lots of other things I’d take to be perfectly honest but these are the things I couldn’t live without when we travel with older children!
Let me know what you and the kids can’t travel without. And any more eco-friendly tips are greatly appreciated. Have a look here at my other travel tips!
Becky x
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