Packing Essentials For A Weekend Away With The Kids

What To Pack For Your Weekend Vaycay, Mamas!

As we head into hotter climates in the region and the winter is far behind us (in our minds winter already seems ages ago), the weekend is our go-to source for entertainment and for short family trips. With a little bit of know-how and some sensible packing (i.e not all the toys), these weekend trips can become stress-free for all members of the family – yes, for mamas too!

Travelling with babies, toddlers, even teenagers is becoming more and more catered for, complete travel itineraries can be created and even special family programs customized to your liking can be set up by a travel company. All that needs to be done is pack your bags and go, but what to bring?

Sensible Stuff First

Travelling with kids requires a little extra preparation packing the travel bag, and when you arrange it well, it can be actually just as much fun for mum to pack the bag as for the kids to open it. For travel designer, Rana Dababneh from Pomalo Travel and mother of two young girls, her trip essentials are focussed on keeping kids safe and occupied, making sure to pack a family game or deck or cards, sunscreen and always medicine and band aids – in case of minor emergencies. Rachel, mother of twins, opts for a suitcase full of carefully layered ziplock bags with complete outfits to safe time and less hassle to find the right clothes for any given time of the day. For most travelling mums, a refillable bottle for each child seems to be a simple addition to the travel bags, making sure to leave without too much of a footprint.

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Entertainment on the go

When travelling by plane, mums of the youngest ones know exactly what to pack for their children, adding an outfit for mum herself too – as minor accidents always tend to happen when you least expect them and can ruin the start of your ever-so relaxing holiday. Many parents bring along a little entertainment bag for the plane filled with a plentiful of creative ingredients, such as colouring pencils and paper, a soft toy and a few colours of playdoh to create magical airplane creatures. Adding a little surprise might help too – a soft toy or bring something they forgotten about that you know they would be happy to play with. Travelling with kids means making the journey as simple as organized as possible, an elegant looking toiletry bag filled with much needed travel essentials for in your handbag – diapers, cream, wipes, pacifiers and bottles – easy to have nearby and on hand, when needed.

For teens, travel writer Laura and mum of two teenagers, it is a little bit of a different story. From early on, the children could pack their own carry on travel bags, and so now as long as mum brings an extra power adapter and sunscreen – just in case, they make sure to pack the rest.

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What to pack – essentials for weekend away:

Band-Aids

Medicines

Sunscreen

Hat

Refillable Bottle

Soft Toy

Simple Family Game

Power adapter

Ziplock bags with clothes

Swimwear

Easy to dry towel

Comfortable footwear

Packing done, it’s time to enjoy your weekend away!