A step-by-step guide to packing for a trip with a baby or toddler [printable checklist]

The thought of packing for a trip or vacation with a baby or toddler (or both!) can be very overwhelming.

How do such tiny people need so much stuff? And how are you supposed to pack all of that stuff with a baby or toddler demanding your attention all day?

Don’t worry- I promise it is possible to pack for a trip with little ones without losing your sanity. All it takes is a little planning, and a step-by-step approach. Just follow this checklist and take it one little piece at a time, and you’ll be ready for your trip before you know it.

I also have this information available in a condensed printable version which includes a packing to-do list and packing checklists for you, a baby, and a toddler.

To download the printable packing to-do list and checklists, click here.

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1 week (or more) before your trip

1. The very first thing you’ll want to do is print out your packing checklists. Review the lists, crossing out items you know you won’t need, and adding any additional items to the list. (If you are going to the beach you might also want to print a beach packing list.)

2. Make a shopping list of any items you’ll need that you don’t already have. Go shopping.

3. Pre-pack toiletry and first-aid bags. This is a game changer. If at all possible, have an extra set of toiletries for yourself and for your kids, and keep them packed at all times. Even if you only travel a few times a year it will make your life so much easier not to have to pack those items every time you take a trip.

4. If you have a plane ride or a long car trip planned, start brainstorming and packing a box or bag of things for the kids to do in the car or on the plane.

5. Start collecting a pile of large items in your garage (or another out-of-the-way area.) This might include things like a pack-n-play, folding beach chairs and umbrella, the stroller, and a travel high chair.

6. If you’ll be gone for a week or more, plan for the house to be taken care of while you’re gone. Stop your mail or newspaper ahead of time, and ask a neighbor or friend to water your plants or feed your pets if needed.

2 days before your trip

7. Straighten the house and make sure you are caught up on the laundry. It’s a lot easier to pack if everything is in its place to begin with.

8. Shop for any food or snacks you will be bringing with you.

1 day before your trip: Packing day!

9. Wash, fold, and put away any remaining laundry. Leave out one outfit per person so they have something to wear tomorrow.

10. Designate a room in your house to gather everything once it’s packed. For me, this is the living room. On one side of the room, I put everything that is 100% packed and ready to go. Then on the couch, I put items that still need to be packed, or are missing something.

For example, I’ll put my suitcase on the couch until the morning of the trip, after I add my makeup bag. Then it will get moved to the done pile.

11. Time to pack! Here’s the part where I send my husband out into the backyard with the kids for about 30-45 minutes. If he’s not available, I’ll put on a TV show. Toddlers like to unpack while you’re packing, so watch out!

Here is the routine that I follow to streamline the process as much as possible:

• Start in your bedroom or closet. Lay out all of the items and clothes that you know you want to pack. I group clothes together into outfits and fold them together.
• Check your list. If there are any items you haven’t laid out yet that you want in your suitcase, go get them from wherever they are in the house and lay them out as well.
• Put all items into your suitcase, and move it to your designated packing room.
• Repeat for each of your kids’ rooms.
• When you have bags packed for each member of your family, take another look at your list. Gather anything that is still missing from your list and move everything to your designated packing room.
• If you have loose items, group like items together and put them into bags or boxes.

12. Allow your toddler to pack a bag, too. Emma has a toddler-sized backpack, and she is allowed to fill it with whatever she wants to before a trip. She usually brings her baby doll and a few small toys. It helps her feel included and gives her a little bit of independence, which is great.

The morning of the trip

13. Get yourself and your kids dressed in the outfits that you left out yesterday.

14. As you go through your morning routine, pack everything that you haven’t already. (For example, as I put on my makeup, I put each item into a travel makeup bag and then add it to my suitcase.)

15. Check your lists and pack anything that you weren’t able to pack before (like your toddler’s favorite blanket.)

16. Load up the car! I make sure that I have one bag (my purse or a diaper bag) that I can keep in the front of the car with me. Everything else goes in the back!

17. Fill water bottles and sippy cups and take snacks out to the car.

18. Buckle the kids in, hop in yourself, and relax! Remember- if there is anything you forgot, you can always buy what you need when you get to your destination. Don’t sweat it. It can be a lot of work to pack for a trip with a baby or toddler, but you did it, and now it’s time to enjoy your trip with your family. 😉

Happy travels!

Other posts I think you might like:

Travel packing lists for mom, baby and toddler

Beach packing list- Baby and toddler [printable checklist]

Road trip activities for toddlers and preschoolers

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