Packing for kids

Here are my top 5 ideas for packing for kids:

1. Limit toys
Unless you want your car to look like a bomb hit it or to spend the last hour of your flight on your hands and knees looking for bits of Lego- Limit the number of toys you take. I work on one stuffed toy for each kid (small), one colouring book with crayons(not khokis unless you enjoy a colourful car), one electronic toy(could be a tablet for older kids) and one educational toy. This fits nicely in a kid size backpack for easy packing. My kids are very into books so they usually have a book or two in the backpack.

2. Ziplock bags or packing cubes
Packing cubes are starting to arrive in this country and they are lifesavers for packing. If you can't find a set try using Ziplock bags to experiment with this great system of packing. The idea is to organize your clothes and it really uses less space. If your kids are sharing a case like mine often do, this will make your life much easier. I use one bag for t-shirts, one for shorts and one for underwear. Z had extra bags for nappies and dresses. We tried this on a recent trip and it made getting dressed in the morning so easy. I used the same system for myself and I am buying packing cubes for all of us this week.

3. Limit shoes
Kids do not require a large number of shoes. At best you will end up lugging a heavy suitcase for your little darling and at worst they will lose those expensive shoes from Cotton On. We pack one pair of slops in general and that's it. If we are going to the Berg or Bush I will take a pair of sturdy walking shoes. Let's be honest SA children love to be barefoot so embrace it.

4. Take extra clothes
Kids are messy. Take the number of days that you will be travelling for and times that by 1.5. That works perfectly for shorts and t-shirts. So if you are travelling for 6 days, take 9 sets of clothing and you should be fine. Take at least two jackets, even on trips to warmer areas the evenings can be chilly. I have been caught on the North Coast in November. I expected warmth and it was rainy and freezing cold all weekend.

5. Always take a swimming costume
Kids will find a pool at any holiday resort and even if its cold they will be in the pool. On a beach holiday pack two suits so you can get one dry while they are swimming in the other suit.

As a bonus, check out this packing video from one of my favourite parenting channels.

Let me know if you have any other suggestions.