One thing about me, I like to keep as much packed year-round as I can. I find it just helps make the actual packing process that much quicker, which has helped us when we either had a surprise trip come up (like a funeral), or we've procrastinated until the last minute. It also helps make sure that we don't forget anything because it stays packed. So, of course my daughter has several travel bags that stay packed for her. She's 18 months old now, so most of this is just what I've found I've needed and added to the bags over the past year.
I like to keep as much as I can in clear bags so that we can quickly see and find items that we need. I also like that it's a plastic material so that it can stand up to messes. Also, I like to color-coordinate, so most of my daughter's stuff is either mint green or just green. She has a mint overnight bag that I will fill up with whatever little bag I need for the trip, I just keep a travel laundry bag in her overnight bag to keep all her dirty clothes separate from ours since we wash her clothes on the gentle cycle. With these bags always packed, all I need to pack are clothes and snacks for my daughter on a trip.
Baby Travel Bag
In our largest clear bag, I have all of her random items that we need for an overnight trip.
Collapsible straw cup
Whether we're at a hotel, or at family's house, there sometimes aren't toddler-friendly cups, so I like to keep one packed at all times. What I love about this is that it packs up flat, so it's easy to throw in to a beach bag or purse and take with us on the go. It has a lid that's pretty good about not leaking, and a soft straw. My daughter does great with this!
I also will bring this snack cup with us anywhere I bring the straw cup. We have a ton of these at home, but I like to keep one packed that's just for travel so I don't have to remember to bring one from home. After our trips, I'll just wash the straw cup and snack cup and then pack them right back up. Because I color coordinate, it's easy for me to know green cups = travel cups when I'm putting up clean dishes.
Water bottle adapter
Even though my daughter has her own cup, if she sees us drink out of a water bottle, she wants to drink out of the water bottle too. The problem with that, is that she's still learning how to not pour it all on her. When you're at a resort that overcharges for water, you don't want it wasted! Plus, then that's an outfit change. These adapters turn a water bottle into a sippy cup, which I've found works great for us.
Silicone finger toothbrush
Baby teeth need to be cleaned, and we've found that a silicone finger toothbrush is the easiest to use, and also the easiest to travel with.
Pop tube toy
My daughter will alligator roll away from you during diaper changes if she isn't distracted, so we keep this small toy packed at all times to make things smoother. And if the destination we're going to doesn't have a lot of toys, then here's one more thing to keep her entertained.
Mini speaker
I got this little guy on sale for black Friday, and it's been great to travel with! It's completely waterproof so we can take it into the bathroom to play her regular bath time playlist to help it feel more like home. We also really love it to play her bed time playlist to keep her bedtime routine the exact same.
Travel night light
One thing about traveling with a small child is that you'll be up in a dark room a lot. I found a little travel-friendly night light that has prongs that fold in so the light is flat for packing. It is also dusk-to-dawn so it will automatically turn on in the dark and turn off when it's bright. Another travel light I have is a mini USB light. This thing is TINY so I keep one stashed in our bag in case we need a second light.
Snot sucker + travel case
A stuffy baby is a baby that doesn't sleep, so we have an extra snot sucker that we travel with. I got a travel case to keep the hose from being bent, and I really love the case, but it does take up a lot more room than just the sucker itself.
Sound machine with built-in night light
This is my favorite travel sound machine for babies! It has white noise, shushing, and heartbeat sound effects and my daughter was always calmed by one of those. It also has a night light, which was really helpful when we were doing middle-of-the-night feeding. It has a strap that we could use to attach to a door handle or onto her crib. And, it has a timer to turn it off after 15, 30, or 60 minutes. I also have a mini sound machine that I can use either if we need 2 sound machines for a really noisy room (we keep one by the door and one near the crib), or if a battery dies on one mid nap because it was going all night then we can use the other as a backup, or if we want to take one out with us in case we anticipate a stroller nap then we can use the mini one for out and about. It is extra to have 2, but I'm just letting you know what we've found works for us through trial and error.
UV sanitizer
When my daughter drops a paci on the floor in our home, I just rinse it off and give it back to her. I'm not too concerned because I know I keep our floors clean and use a non-toxic cleaner. But, when she drops (or throws) a paci on the ground or especially the street when we travel, I like to sanitize it to be on the safe side. The goal is to avoid diarrhea at all costs!!
Paci storage + extra paci + paci strap
Another goal is to not be short a paci, especially at bedtime. So, I keep 2 spare pacies plus an extra paci strap in a little storage container that stays packed. When we go to pack for a trip, I don't have to remember to bring backup pacis because these are always ready for a trip.
Baby bottle cleaning kit + bottle brush set + travel bottle soap
Out of all the baby registry lists that I went through when I was registering, I can't believe none that I looked at recommended I register for travel bottle cleaning items! We took my daughter on an overnight stay in Galveston when she was a month old and I had to make an overnight Amazon order for supplies so I could clean her bottle. I love this bottle cleaning kit because it comes with stands for the drying rack to hold the bottles upside down so they can dry faster and not fall over. If you have the Dr. Brown's bottles, then I recommend you get a small brush set that has different size brushes for all the pieces. And a little thing of bottle soap will really help. I keep a silicone sleeve over the soap bottle to prevent leaks.
Travel silicone bib
I am not a fan of disposable bibs for travel because it's just too easy for our daughter to rip them off. Instead, I keep a reusable one rolled up and stored for travel. I prefer one with the silicone food catcher because I've found that the silicone is the only kind of bib that will hold its shape well enough to actually catch food. These are just too cute for little girls because they have ruffles on the sleeve and I love them. I keep it in a matching wet bag so I can keep the dirty bib from getting everything else dirty.
Disposable placemats
I keep 2-3 disposable placemats in our travel bag, just in case. It's nice to be able to let your kid eat messily without making a big mess on the table they're eating at. And I like to know that she's eating off something that is clean and sanitized.
Baby travel bath bag
For an overnight trip, sometimes it's just easier to not bathe her that one night if she didn't get dirty or sweaty that day. But for longer trips, I'll bring a clear bag for her bath items.
Baby wash + lotion
I made sure to get the same bath soap and lotion that we use at home for travel, since I know my daughter's skin is used to it and don't have to worry about any rashes or reactions from an unfamiliar brand. I use a silicone sleeve over the bottles to prevent leaks.
Bath thermometer
I use a bath thermometer for every bath at home, because I never want the water to be too hot or too cold and make my daughter uncomfortable for her bath. This is especially important to me when we travel because I'm not as used to the sensitivity of the water faucets! Plus, this one is cute, so my daughter plays with it as a bath toy.
Travel bath toys
I love this little set because it's just enough for traveling without taking up too much space. These toys open completely so that you can get them fully dry before traveling. These toys are the only thing that saved bath time at my father-in-law's last Christmas. I also threw in the top half of a silicone stacking cup set that we have as an extra bath toy.
Bubble bath bombs
I'll also keep a few packets of bubble bath packed, just to make things fun during our trip. These are also lavender scented to try to help my daughter relax and sleep well when traveling.
Travel night light
I keep a travel night light in the bathroom bag just as a backup if we need to put a night light in the bathroom and keep the door cracked in a hotel.
Travel medicine bag
In my smallest clear bag, I have medicine & teething go-tos for travel.
Travel kid's acetaminophen
I don't love that Tylenol doesn't make small bottles of infant's Tylenol that you can easily travel with. But, I found these pre-measured vials that are great for travel because you don't need a measuring cup or a medicine syringe to give your baby pain meds!
Travel infant's ibuprofen
I always pack both acetaminophen (Tylenol) and ibuprofen (Motrin) for travel. You can only give Tylenol every 6 hours, and you can only give Motrin every 6 hours, but if you stagger them then you can give at least one every 3 hours so your baby never has to go longer than 3 hours between pain meds. We spent Christmas 2023 rotating these meds non-stop because my daughter's teeth were cutting and she was miserable all weekend.
Medicine paci syringe
We have a paci syringe at home, and keep one packed for travel so we never run out. You only make that mistake once! I really like this one because it has the measurements on the side for both Tylenol dosages and Motrin dosages.
Mini travel thermometer
I love this little thermometer! It is so tiny and comes with its own storage case. I like that it's a digital thermometer and is not a rectal or oral thermometer, because I don't feel comfortable using those. It fits in the palm of your hand so it takes up no space in a travel bag, but gives me peace of mind to know if my kid needs to see a doctor or not.
Teething gel + teether
I think teething on vacation is every parent's worse nightmare, because you don't want to keep the whole floor awake just because your baby is screaming non-stop. I have a daytime gel and a nighttime gel to really tackle those tough days.
Teething drops
These come in pre-measured vials like the acetaminophen and are great for cranky babies at night. I use these plus the gel because I just want her to be comfortable enough to sleep if she's in pain.
Travel cooling teether
Can you tell that I've been personally victimized by a teething baby on a trip? If I know my daughter has a tooth coming in, I can pop this in the fridge to cool down so she can have something soft and textured to chew on. It also comes with a strap so they can wear it when they're awake.
Baby travel diaper bag
If we're not taking an international trip, we won't take our usual diaper bag backpack with us on the go. Instead, I have a small travel changing kit that comes with a changing pad, wipes dispenser, and trash bag all in a wet bag. I just keep a travel diaper rash spray and diapers in the bag as well, and we're good to go. If we're traveling for more than a few nights, I'll bring a travel disposable diaper pail with us to keep our trash from overflowing and our room from stinking from dirty diapers. If I feel like I need a diaper bag while traveling, I'll usually go to my fanny pack diaper bag.
When we travel, I make sure to use high-quality diapers that can keep my daughter extra dry, because you never know how long you'll have to go before you have a clean place to change them. I also make sure to change her before a flight so that if she falls asleep during the flight I won't have to worry about a wet diaper waking her up.
Baby travel sleep bag
I keep one small packing cube reserved for my daughters sleep essentials that always stay packed.
Pack-n-play sheets
Most hotels and cruises will provide you with a pack-n-play for free, but it doesn't come with sheets. I recommend you bring 2 sets so that you can swap them out if your baby gets one set dirty. Bring crib sheets that are colorful or have a pattern and avoid plain white sheets so that your sheets don't get mistaken for the cruise's bedding and get taken away by housekeeping. Having your own sheets is actually nice because you can wash it with your own detergent and know that 1) it's free from any harsh chemicals or perfumes that your baby's sensitive skin might not be used to and 2) it will smell like home and can be comforting to your baby being in a strange place.
Lightweight sleep sack
My daughter usually sleeps in a 1 tog sleep sack at home that is recommended for 69-72 degree rooms. However, I've found that when we travel, the rooms are usually warmer than this, so she has a 0.5 tog sleep sack just for traveling that is best for 72-75 degree rooms. I actually like this best for traveling because the 0.5 tog sleep sack dries significantly faster than a 1 tog sleep sack, which is helpful.
Vacation-themed paci
We travel with at least 1 WubbaNub paci, because they're less likely than a regular paci to get lost. Her travel paci is brightly colored so we can easily spot it in the room.
Baby travel monitor bag
While we love our Nanit back home (and the Nanit does come with a travel kit), I don't trust the security or the streaming quality of Wi-Fi when we travel. It's also nice to have a travel-dedicated baby monitor so we don't have to worry about taking down our everyday monitor and packing it for each trip.
We have a baby monitor that didn't require Wi-Fi, and I love it! I got an adjustable arm that comes on a giant clip and I can just clip it onto the edge of something and face the camera towards our daughter's bed.
The camera, monitor, cords, and arm all fit perfectly in a little travel bag.
Baby travel airplane activity bag
Everything so far is what we'd pack in a suitcase and only use once we get to our destination, but I wanted this list to be exhaustive (are you exhausted yet?), so I'm going to include what we have for the plane.
Travel backpack
I found the cutest little backpack for our daughter's plane bag! One thing to note is that you can only take a diaper bag as an extra bag if your baby is a lap child. But, if your baby has their own ticket then they can have their own carry-on and personal item as well. I know that this backpack fully loaded is too much for her to carry, but it can actually clip on to a carry-on suitcase that I can pull her through the airport on, so no one actually carries this bag for now.
Paci storage + paci + paci strap + paci wipes
Pacis are SO important for flying with babies because the sucking motion helps pop their ears. I keep a paci case clipped onto the outside of her bag so we can quickly find it. Make sure you pack plastic paci straps when you travel! Most paci straps have metal clips, which you'll have to take off to go through the metal detectors at security. But, a plastic paci strap can stay on all the way through security, making it one less thing you have to take off and put back on after security. Paci wipes are needed because inevitably while traveling your kid will somehow get their paci dirty, even with a strap on.
Travel white noise machine
The best flights are the ones your kids sleep on! Some people think the plane is enough white noise to sleep, but I always found them just a little too loud for our daughter to fall asleep on, so we bring our own mini white noise machine to help her sleep. In case she does fall asleep, I keep this little arm pillow in my carry-on bag so that I can comfortably hold her without my arms dying.
Tray table cover
What I like about this is that it can be used as a placemat on its own, but also comes with a little box that you can put their toys or snacks in to keep them from sliding around.
Seat extender
I love this little seat extender hammock for planes! It gives them extra leg room to keep their legs from dangling, or to be more room to play, or to sleep on for longer flights. It is too bulky for her little backpack, so that comes in my carry-on bag instead.
Snack dispenser
We actually only use this while traveling, because normally we don't need this many snacks at home. What I like is that you can have lots of different options for snacks so you don't have to worry about them not liking the only thing you packed.
Magnetic wooden blocks
These blocks have been my daughter's favorite travel toy. The whole set is about as big as your phone, so it's pretty compact, and it comes with a travel bag. Because they're magnetic, it keeps the blocks together so you're less likely to use them. When my daughter was younger, she would just clack them together or knock them down after we stacked them, but now she actually plays with them and is so interested in figuring out which sides stick together.
Magnetic dress up set
Another magnetic (and therefore, great for travel) toy we have is a little dress-up play set. It comes in it's own storage tin and our daughter can just stick the magnets all over the tin.
Mess-free coloring book
I love little coloring books that just use water, so you don't have to worry about your kid ruining anything while they stay occupied. I also like that just one "marker" makes all the colors she'll need, so we don't need to bring a whole pack of the rainbow for her to color.
Suction cup tube toys
My daughter loves these little animals where she can pull their arms and legs out or scrunch them up or twist them around. They do light up, but it's very dim so it's not obnoxious to other travelers. Just to be safe, we don't use these for nighttime flights.
Window spinners
These are great to stick to the window! My daughter loves to just spin and spin and spin these, and they're quiet too!
Window gel stickers
These are a favorite of my daughter, but they're not the most long-lasting toy. Thankfully you get 20 in a pack, because my daughter once spent an entire flight picking several of these apart. But, she did like sticking them on and taking them off the windows and played with them for almost an entire hour.
Fidget poppers
My daughter is obsessed with little poppers, so we have one that's made for little fingers in her flight bag.
Spinner toy
This is a very simple toy, so I have to admit that it doesn't keep her attention for all that long, especially as she gets older. But, it is really small so it's worth the little room it does take up for the 15 minutes of entertainment.
Busy board
This busy board is relatively small, but it has a lot of switches and buttons that keep my daughter's attention for a while. Light the tubes, this does have a small light that's not obnoxious even with the cabin lights dimmed.
Toy straps
This helps keep toys and her drink and snack cup from falling. These also double as a teether when she wants.
iPad mini + kids travel case
We bring plenty of toys for the plane, but I'm all for iPad kids on planes if it prevents a meltdown when they're bored of sitting still after an hour. We originally got a YouTube premium account just to download Ms. Rachel for the flights, but have kept it ever since we realized how nice it is to not have ads on YouTube videos now!
Phone mount
When you're ascending or descending, you can't have your tray table down, so this can hold your phone for you if you have your hands full with your kid. We put the iPad away for takeoff and landing, but use this to watch her shows if she is in a grumpy mood.
Kids travel headphones
These are wireless, so your kid won't get tangled in them. And they're cute! I just keep them in a headphone bag so they don't get lost in the bag since its so flat and small.
Wet bag
Messes happen, and you need a place to put dirty clothes. The more, the merrier when traveling!
Travel mini placemat + bib
This travel placemat is great for on the go! It rolls up really small and can suction to any hard surface. It has raised edges to make little bowls you can put food in. It also has straps that you can attached a toy or cup to so they aren't falling. It comes with a travel bag, so I just stash an extra bib in there so we're all good to go for an airport meal. This works best for younger babies, but I still keep it packed and get use out of it. However, if we're going on a longer trip them I'll back a travel plate set so that my daughter can have something kid-friendly to eat out of at our destination.
Other baby travel items
These are things that I have for trips, but I don't necessarily use for every trip. We just grab what we need for the situation.
Travel crib
We have the Graco pack-n-play, but I don't recommend it for travel. This thing is heavy and not easy to carry around! I got the Guava Lotus travel crib, and we really like it. While the Graco is 37 pounds, this is only 14 pounds! The straps on the bag are made so that you can wear the bag like a backpack. And the setup seemed much more intuitive on this crib. We got the set that came with the quilted mattress topper, and it is so soft! The side also unzips so your baby can easily go in and out of it to play in. My mom got the Dream on Me travel crib for her house and it's amazing! It's only 10 pounds and it folds up really tiny. All you do is pop the legs into the crib and it's fully assembled, no weird buttons to push and hold and fold. Because my daughter is now over 1, my mom got a mattress pad insert and it makes this bed very comfortable! The only downside is that the mattress bag is about as big as the travel crib bag, so it's one more bulky thing to carry. The only downside to this travel crib is that your baby will outgrow it much faster than the Guava Lotus, because the lotus is 5 inches longer and 4 inches wider, but the Dream on Me is 1/3 of the price!
If the place that we're going to has a pack-in-play that is provided, we just use a stretchy blackout cover. But, if we're bringing out own travel crib, we have the SlumberPod. The SlumberPod is a little less claustrophobic for an older kid who is taller when they stand, but the stretchy cover is much smaller to travel with and easier to set up.
Travel stroller
We have the GB pockit travel stroller which was perfect because it can fit down the aisle of the plane and then fit in the overhead bin. It's also great for cruising because it can fold up and go under your bed when not it use, so you can actually have room to walk around. I keep a stroller caddy attached to it so we can have a place to hold our drinks and phones. What I like about this caddy is that it has a pouch that can zip off so if you keep money in the pouch, you can zip it off and take it with you if you're leaving the stroller. We use this stroller backpack to pack it up when we're not using it when we travel so that we can carry the stroller handsfree. The backpack straps are made in a way where you can either wear it on both shoulders like a normal backpack, or on one shoulder like a tote bag. We keep a travel stroller fan in the backpack so that we can keep our daughter cool on hot trips.
However, now that my daughter is getting a little bigger, we actually have started traveling with a collapsible tricycle instead of a stroller. Our 18-month old does really well in this and seems to enjoy being pushed in her trike a lot better than a stroller, and it will grow with her as she gets older. It folds up so easily that it's fast to get it in and out of my car, and I also think it takes up less space than a stroller when in use, so I feel that we can walk through crowds a little easier. It has a cup holder right in front of her that she can reach, and comes with a storage bag on the bag where we can stash a jacket or snacks for her. I keep a mini camping towel in the bag to use as a snot rag, picnic blanket, dry off wet benches, or just to wipe dirt off her hand. I added a little drink and phone holder to the clip, and it's perfect for me! I do not recommend the bag the matching travel bag! It has no padding in either the straps or the back of the bag, and is very uncomfortable to wear even for a short amount of time. We traded that in for a trike backpack and like it so much better. It has padding all over and has so much more room so it can actually hold more than just the trike.
Travel bathtub
When my daughter was less than a year old, we would just hold her in the shower or bath for her bath time. But after she got to be about a year old, she started to see baths as more of a play opportunity than a quick event, so she started fighting us on being held. We took a travel bath tub with us to Mexico and it worked out really well for us! This is great for rooms where either their is no tub and only a shower, or if the bathtub is situated where a parent can't be within arms reach for safety. We just inflated this and put it in the shower and she played in the bath and loved it.
If your baby can't sit up on their own, they also make travel chairs that you can sit your baby in to hold them upright either in the bath or on the floor.
Travel high chair
This sounds extra, but it has been so great to travel with! We have a little travel high chair with a tray table that works wonderful for traveling. When you're at a restaurant, they'll likely have high chairs that you can use. But if you're in a hotel room and your kid wants a snack/meal where they need to sit down to eat or have a table to eat, this works perfectly for them. We also take it with us to the beach all the time and it's the perfect size for her.
