Before I had children, packing was easy. Fun, even. I stuffed strapless sundresses, a couple of bikinis, high-heel sandals, some frilly underwear, and a pile of magazines into a bag and off I’d go. But now that I’m a mom, packing has taken on a whole new and scary dimension. There’s so much to remember, lug, and keep track of! (And the items packed aren’t nearly as sexy.)

Below are four parental packing dilemmas I’ve encountered and their solutions…

Packing Dilemma #1: How do I keep from forgetting something?
As a newbie Travel Mama I was always worried I would forget something important, like diapers, formula, the favorite stuffed bunny…or the baby. So, I began writing out a long list before each trip detailing what to pack for each family member. This was time-consuming and straining on my brain as I struggled to remember every single thing to bring.

Sanity Saving Solution: Print out a list!
It finally occurred to me to type the list into Excel, with columns for every family member. Over time, I have perfected the list. It is broken down into several different categories, such as Feeding, Entertainment, and Clothing/Accessories.

Now before you go fretting over how to create some big ol’ list from scratch…use mine! I’ve made an easy-to-use Packing List for Babies and Toddlers and another for School-Aged Children. Go ahead and print one out before each trip. That’s what I do!

Packing Dilemma #2: What to pack in case of illness?
I used to raid the medicine cabinet before each trip, grabbing whatever ointments, syrups and pills I thought anyone in the family might need while away from home. I may sound like a hypochondriac, but who wants to run out in the middle of the night in a strange town seeking teething tablets or decongestants? Once back home, I returned the medicines to their rightful place in the medicine cabinet. Then, on the next trip, I started the process all over again.

Sanity Saving Solution: Keep a stash of travel medicines!
It was a pain in the booty to raid and replenish the medicine cabinet before and after each trip. It was an extra step in the packing process that I’d rather skip. Now, I keep a separate zipper-lock plastic bag full of medical necessities for travel. I take a look at the “Medicines” category on my handy-dandy Packing List mentioned above and replace anything that is missing or running low before each vacation.

Packing Dilemma #3: How to find the perfect travel toys?
When I first started traveling with children I read chat boards, visited toy stores and websites, and asked fellow parents for advice in my quest to find the perfect travel toys to purchase for each trip. When we returned home, I unpacked those long-sought-after toys and threw them into the toy box. Then, on the next trip, I started the research process over again and ran around the house trying to piece together toy sets from the last trip.

Sanity Saving Solution: Create or buy a travel activity kit (and hide it between trips)!
Now that I am an experienced Travel Mama, I have learned to hide the travel toys. Kids bore of their toys quickly. Ever notice how a new toy gets tossed aside after about a week but the toys over at a friend’s house seem downright enchanting to a child? Those toys aren’t shiny and new. They’re just unfamiliar. Sure, I am always on the lookout for a great new toy or two to bring along on a trip, but it saves money and time to keep a separate bunch of special toys just for travel.

For an easy solution, buy a pre-packed activity kit from TravelKiddy. These kits come stuffed with toys, crafts, puzzles and activities for four age groups, from toddlers to adults. To win one, post a comment to this blog about how a TravelKiddy would improve your travels.

Packing Dilemma #4: How to make room for all this STUFF?
With many airlines now charging for checked bags, it can be an expensive endeavor to tote along all the paraphernalia young travelers require.

It is stressful trying to cram all your child’s diapers, wipes, baby food, and sand toys into your luggage, all while trying to keep your bag’s weight under the 50 pound limit. Depending on where you’re headed, you might be able to load up on some of these items after arrival, but who wants to take time out of your precious, hard-earned vacation to shop for baby necessities?

Sanity Saving Solution: Ship items ahead!
Wouldn’t it be nice if everything was ready and waiting for you upon your arrival instead? Check out JetSetBabies.com to pre-order baby and toddler necessities to be delivered to your hotel or to grandma’s house. The company even calls ahead to make sure your package arrives safely and on time. I especially like their Travel Packs -  pre-made travel packages for the woods, beach, slopes, or pool.

JetSetBabies will provide a $50 gift certificate to make travel easier for one lucky Travel Mama or Travel Daddy. Just visit JetSetBabies.com and enter a comment below about which items you would order for your next trip if you won.  

Enter to Win
You can enter to win one or both of the following prizes. You must enter each contest separately. So, if you want to enter both, you will post two comments below. You can enter each contest twice, once by posting a comment on this blog and once by tweeting on Twitter. Both contests end on Saturday, December 19, 2009. Winners will be chosen at random using RANDOM.org. THIS CONTEST HAS ENDED.

TravelKiddy Contest
TravelKiddy will provide one winner with the choice of one of the following: CLASSIC TravelKiddy Ages 3 to 6, CLASSIC TravelKiddy Ages 6 to 9, or BIGKiddy with Sportpack Ages 8 to adult. To enter to win, POST A COMMENT TO THIS BLOG ABOUT HOW A TRAVELKIDDY WOULD IMPROVE YOUR FAMILY VACATIONS.

JetSetBabies Contest
JetSetBabies will provide a $50 gift certificate to one winner. Just visit JetSetBabies.com and ENTER A COMMENT BELOW ABOUT WHICH ITEMS YOU WOULD ORDER FOR YOUR NEXT TRIP IF YOU WON.

Bonus Entry
For a second entry into both contests, copy and paste the following phrase and post it on Twitter. Be sure to post a comment about your tweet.
Pack sane, parents! Visit @TravelMamas to win a @TravelKiddy activity kit or $50 to @JetSetBabies http://bit.ly/7QuFoV

JetSetBabies sponsored my flight to the Type-A Mom Conference for bloggers in September 2009. This contest and story were not part of the sponsorship. Travel Mamas was not paid any money by TravelKiddy or JetSetBabies to write this post or run these contests. 

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For more information on this topic see:

• List of Travel Gear Rental Companies

• Packing Lists

• Recommended Travel Gear

• The Best Travel Toys and Activities for Kids, from Babies to Teens

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A question I often hear from fellow Travel Mamas is, “Do you have any secrets for entertaining kids on long flights and road trips?” Any journey can be do-able, and even enjoyable, with the right stuff (and the right attitude)!

One mom’s search for the best travel toys led her to found Kids Travel Happy, a site that specializes in toys and games for use on the go. Tracyn Thayer is a mom of two boys, Izaac (3) and Dylan (6). She launched the website in October 2008 after years of hunting for what her site describes as, “cool, non-traditional travel toys to take on trips, most of which fit in a standard kid’s backpack.”

Here’s a list of the best travel toys and diversions based on Tracyn’s advice as well as my own experience and that of other Travel Mamas.

In Transit Toys

For babies en route, Tracyn recommends Melissa & Doug’s Fill and Spill Jug of Bugs for their great textures, colors, and chew-ability. Older babies can fill and empty the jug.

The Manhattan Toy’s Skwish, a modern and more complex version of a standard rattle, intrigued both my babies during trips.

Tracyn described traveling toddlers as, “the most difficult age group, as they generally want to move, move, move!” For ages one to two, Tracyn’s top pick is Beleduc Soft Cubo Stacking Blocks. She said, “They come in a traveling case, promote creativity, are soft, can be used for catch, and won’t injure if the creation collapses.”

The best distractions aren’t necessarily toys. A Travel Mama named Emily Weaver Brown advocates purchasing little items from an inexpensive store (like The Dollar Tree). Things her 15-month-old especially liked during a long flight included a book light, a calculator, finger puppets, a Slinky and nesting cups.

Another Travel Mama, Tina Garcia, bought a toy laptop to keep her then 14-month-old son happy and occupied during a flight. She recommends V-tech’s Baby Learning Laptop. She said, “It has lots of buttons, different songs, and lights. I think he liked feeling like a big boy when I put the dinner tray down and set the laptop on it.”

About preschoolers Tracyn said, “There are so many options for the three to four age group!” Her favorite, and one of Kids Travel Happy’s bestsellers is the Magnetic Dress Ups, with which kids can dress a standing doll using magnetic outfits. She also recommends SAKOL Blocks, which are Velcro blocks from a high-end Swiss company for building on-the-go creations.

Here are a few of my personal favorites for the preschooler set. The Amazing Lacing Book by Klutz has a handy pouch for storing laces between lacing sessions. International Playthings makes Imaginetics magnet board sets in a variety of themes, like Airport, Fun on the Farm, and Dinosaurs. Peaceable Kingdom Press Sticker Activity Totes feature reusable stickers with mini-scenes, in themes like Thomas the Tank Engine and Mermaids.

For gradeschool children, Tracyn advises checking out Magnetic Go Games, with a range of ability levels from Memory Match to Sodoku and more.

My sister, Karen Mullery, a Travel Mama of triplets, suggests Polly Pocket and Littlest Pet Shop for entertaining grade school girls. While these go against my rule to avoid toys with a multitude of tiny parts, she and her daughter, Siobhan (13), swear by them. To make storage and clean-up easier, choose sets that come with their own case.

My nephews, Trevor and Ryan Mullery (13), propose Lego kits for elementary school boys, such as a 63-piece Lego Mini Jet that comes in its own portable container.

For middle school and high school kids, Tracyn suggests classics like Rubik’s Cube or iBall. She said, “Those hard to solve classics will have them engaged for hours!” She also likes 3D Magna Puzzles, 64-piece magnetic puzzles that come with their own case and solving surface.

Games

Card games like Old Maid, Crazy Eights, Hearts, and Rummy are fun for young kids. Get all four games in one pack from ThinkFun. Of course, you can play these games using regular ol’ playing cards. Read the rules for children’s card games at The United States Playing Card Company.

For elementary-schoolers, many favorite board games are available in travel size, like Connect Four Fun on the Run, Travel Dominoes, and Magnetic Travel Backgammon.

Tracyn’s favorite game for middle school kids is THINK-ETS, a game from Thinkalots, which she said, “encourages open-ended story play and creativity and can be played anywhere.”

Kids from preschoolers through even high school enjoy Car Bingo. Download free printable Car Bingo cards from MomsMinivan.com or buy magnetic Car Bingo cards from Family Travel Gear.

Arts and Crafts

My craft-loving four-year-old keeps busy during trips by coloring with her Triangular Crayons (that don’t roll away) and Flip-Top Markers (whose lids I don’t need to chase down) by Crayola.

As far as coloring books go, we got a lot of mileage out of the Disney Princess Coloring Book, even though I swore I would never allow princess-y stuff in my house! Boys will prefer something less girly, like a Star Wars Coloring Book with Light Saber Pen. For something more educational, check out the array of TREND activity books for various ages.

For budding sculptors, avoid Play-Doh…it’s too messy for on the go. Instead, choose Silly Putty. The Changeable Silly Putty changes colors with the warmth of kids’ hands.

Books

It goes without saying that you will need to bring along some favorite books for your kids, no matter their age. My one-year-old is an all-action boy, so to keep his attention, books must be interactive. For squirmy babies and toddlers, I suggest engaging books like Pat the Bunny and Touch and Feel Wild Animals.

I try to choose books for my daughter that are themed to our vacation. Curious George is a favorite in our household and the series offers several titles that coincide with travel, like Curious George Takes a Train, Curious George Takes a Trip, Curious George Goes Camping, and Curious George Goes to the Beach.

On road trips, hold off popping that movie into the player awhile and let your kids’ imagination flourish while listening to audio books instead. Children of all ages (and adults!) love the Harry Potter Series.

Electronics

Aaaahhhh, yes…most parents (including me!) at some point give in to the lure of happiness and silence that can be induced by a travel DVD player, Nintendo DS, Gameboy or iPod. My advice is to hold off on the electronic gizmos for as long as possible, but don’t be too proud to use ‘em when you need ‘em! If you allow video games and television at home, I suggest “starving” the kids of these treats for a week or so before departure. This ensures your children will be sufficiently enthralled by electronic entertainment when you need it most.

Many popular children’s television shows, movies, and video games can be uploaded to iPods before leaving home. Travel Mama Emily Weaver Brown recommends these applications for toddlers and preschoolers: Peekaboo Barn, Preschool Adventure, and Wheels on the Bus. She said, “These games have saved my butt numerous times and they cost only $2 or so each.” The previously mentioned toys can entertain kids after arrival too. Hopefully you will be so busy with site-seeing, outdoor activities, and other fun that you won’t need many diversions. Here are a few things you may want to consider packing in the suitcase though.

Destination Toys

For bath-time entertainment, I like Alex Squirters Transportation toys because they come with their own case. Girly-girls might prefer Alex Bugs in the Tub with its sweet butterflies, snail, and net scooper.

I used to think I didn’t have room to pack bulky sand toys. Instead I wound up purchasing and then ditching them at the destination on every trip. This method was not good for my pocketbook or the environment. Then it occurred to me that kids really only need one bucket and scoop for hours of sand play. Now I pack a small pail and shovel set, like one by Small World Toys for each of my children on beach trips. They double as a bath toys too!

An inflatable ball is great for entertainment at rest-stops, the beach, or even back in the hotel room. Plus, it’s lightweight and takes up practically no packing space.

Travel Entertainment Tips

As the Travel Mama, my advice is to keep a separate stash of toys, books, and games specifically for travel. This way, you don’t have to run all over the house pulling these items together for every trip. Plus, as we all know, children tire of their toys quickly. Hiding these toys makes them seem new again.

For lengthy trips you will want to splurge on a few new toys to be unveiled on the go. You can wrap these gifts to buy a little time and add to their magic. If you don’t have time to get fancy, use tin foil instead of wrapping paper.

Tracyn advises, “Keep in mind, especially with younger ones, that parent or older sibling interaction is key to (keeping little kids) content. This is not always possible if the only adult is driving, but it’s best for the non-driver to be back with youngest of travelers for interactive play.” She notes, “I’ve found that if I bring anything for myself to do, I’ll never get to it because my ‘to do’ is partially to keep my kids happy and entertained and guide them through their activities.”

For more ideas for travel toys, games, and activities, browse the over 700 items at Tracyn’s site, Kids Travel Happy.

Other sites worth perusing for travel games, toys and activities are Diapers.com, MomsMinivan.com, Family Travel Gear, and ThinkFun. If you want toys or other gear delivered to your destination, check out JetSetBabies.

What is your family’s favorite travel toy, game or activity? Leave a comment below!

For more information on this topic see:

• 4 Packing Sanity Savers

• Packing Lists

• Recommended Travel Toys & Gear

• Your Travel Questions Answered

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“Eat while you drive. Stop to play.” I recently tested this tidbit of road trip advice from a friend.

My friend and fellow Travel Mama, Danielle Beaty Adler, has braved several road trips from San Diego to Phoenix with her two sons, Jessie (22 months) and Jacob (5.5 years), BY HERSELF! What’s more, she does this without the aid of television, even though her SUV came stocked with a DVD player.

If Danielle can manage a six-hour trek alone, surely I could survive a four-and-a-half-hour trip without the aid of Barney or the Wiggles on screen. Especially since I would have with the luxury of an adult helper (my husband, Phil).

Danielle places a cooler on the front seat beside her and passes a steady stream of healthy travel snacks back to her older son, who distributes the goodies between himself and his younger brother. She said, “The night before, I cut up gobs of fresh fruit and I steam lots of veggies.” Then she divides them into separate plastic containers for easy handling on the go. She even packs the steamer for multi-day road trips! Danielle told me, “After that they get some kind of carb like Cheerios, granola bars or a muffin. I’m a sucker for muffins.” After stopping to let the kids run around and burn off some energy, she serves lunch back in the car. I would love to tell you that with the help of Danielle’s advice we made it all the way to Las Vegas without succumbing to the lure of the DVD player, but I can’t.

I plied my four-year-old, Karissa, with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, apple slices, organic cheese puffs and ranch-flavored soy crips. I did not go so far as to steam vegetables for the trip, I’m afraid. I climbed into the backseat and spoon-fed jars of baby food to my one-year-old son, Leo. We stopped at a rest stop, sadly lacking in trees and grass, and kicked an inflatable beach ball about and blew bubbles. For travel entertainment back in the car I read books to the baby and zoomed little cars up and down his limbs. I provided lace boards, washable Crayola markers with no-drop, flip-top lids and coloring books to my daughter. Nonetheless, both kids hit the proverbial wall a half-hour before we arrived at Excalibur on The Strip.

Maybe in a couple months when Leo has perfected chewing and swallowing finger foods without gagging I will be able to proudly announce I survived a multi-hour road trip without a single minute of television. For now, I’m thankful for Baby Einstein videos and the aura of calm they brought to the last segment of our journey. The important thing is, we arrived safe and sound…with sanity in tact!

Do you think it’s okay to let children watch television on a road trip? What are your favorite road trip snacks? Leave a comment below!

For more information on this topic see:

• Road Trip Resources

• Road Trip Tips

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