We just went on our first trip to Disneyland with the kids. I can’t wait to share with you our tips for doing Disneyland for the first time, but first I want to give you a helpful tip for packing with kids. For a great reward system for vacations, check out this post.
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In my twenties, I was able to spend a year in England. Backpacking around Europe was part of the experience, and I had a method of packing that I have adapted for traveling with my own kiddos.
One common problem I’ve found when traveling with kids is the explosion of clothing once we arrive at our destination. This actually happens in our children’s bedroom too. They search for one shirt and tend to pull every other shirt in the drawer out in the process. I want to help you avoid the suitcase explosion that might happen in your hotel room, VRBO or wherever you might be staying.
Cute Kid Luggage
One a brief side note, I thought I might get some questions about the luggage. We purchases these cute bags at Target at the beginning of the year. One of the outside zippers already broke on one of them, but otherwise they have kept up pretty well. I decided it would be fun to link to a handful of cute choices for kids.
Cute Owl Rockland 20 Inch Polycarbonate Carry On
Polka Dot Rockland 2 Piece Luggage Set
(Lots of color combinations)
Rastar Remote Control Child Suitcase
with Wheels for Kids – Choose From 3 Animals
American Tourister Disney Minnie Mouse Red Bow
Hardside Spinner 21
, Chat, Black
Tip for Packing with Kids
The magical item needed to make your packing experience effective is gallon sized Ziploc bags
. When traveling around Europe, to have the most space efficient packing system I would roll my clothes and put them in Ziploc bags, removing all the air before putting them in my backpack. This method saved so much space, and I was able to jam more in the bag. I always like having clothing options when traveling. I’m definitely an over-packer, and this method allowed me to be one. I would put my t-shirts in one bag, shorts in another, etc.
For kids, I pack the Ziploc slightly differently.
For this trip, I packed for my kiddos. This was a complete surprise trip. They had no idea we were headed to Disneyland until we announced it right before we got in the car for the airport.
Mostly, I like my kids to help pack. I want them to learn to think through good clothing choices for travel and plan for certain weather conditions. I also like them to be able to express themselves through the clothing they choose.
The Ziploc bags are helpful with kids because we do one outfit per bag. The child can pick out the underwear, socks, shorts/pants and tops for each outfit and then stick it in a bag. Suck the air out of the bag with a straw to take out the air and save space while traveling. Do this with each outfit.
When you have arrived at a destination and your kids need a change of clothes, simply pull out ONE Ziploc bag containing ONE outfit and you are done. They put the outfits together so should be satisfied with the combination. No more suitcase explosion with clothes scattered everywhere in a tight, shared space. How beautiful is that?
This method has really made packing and traveling our family. I hope this helps you as you journey around with your own children.
More Tips for Traveling with Kids
Keeping Kids Busy While Traveling
