Pack Essential Accessories to Ease the Challenges of Traveling with Kids

Travel with kids is a rewarding experience, especially the parts where you build their resilience, expand their horizons and make incredible new memories together. But even the most starry-eyed globe-trotting caregiver among us knows all too well those worthy rewards come with their own unique set of challenges. While you can’t avoid those challenges altogether, you can help soften them with some preparation and smart parenting, including selecting the right combination of travel gear. Pick and choose among the following options to see what might earn its place on your family’s packing list for its ability to minimize travel headaches in favor of unforgettable moments on the road together.

PHOTO: © MELII BABY INC

FAMILY TRAVEL SNACK CONTAINER
Snacks are a family necessity on the go, near and far, to help keep moods and energy regulated. Stock a Melli Snackle Box ($11.99) with a nice variety of foods to keep all tastes happy on demand — no more hunting for pricy packaged treats in a pinch. Removable dividers accommodate bigger foods (or bigger portions). Rinse out and re-stock at your destination to keep the snack train moving all vacation long.

© LONELY PLANET

KIDS’ TRAVEL JOURNAL
Encourage your children to document their travels, old-school style, and create a memento in the process with Lonely Planet’s Create Your Own Travel Journal ($15). Part activity book, part trip diary, it urges them to record thoughts pre-trip, keeps them busy on the way there, helps them track impressions at your destination, and then encourages post-trip reflection. Such an engaging way to prep, process and preserve.

© TRAVELON

FAMILY TRAVEL WALLET
When you’re traveling with a family’s worth of important documents, best to corral them all in one place. Trust the most organized in your group with Travelon’s Family Passport Zip Wallet ($28), which stores up to six passports with room to spare for credit cards, printed boarding passes, a cash stash and more. It features RFID blocking to thwart digital thieves and zips up nicely, keeping everything securely contained. Choose from a variety of easy-to-spot colors.

© BUBBLEBUM

TRAVEL BOOSTER FOR KIDS
Need a booster for the taxi or rental car but hoping to avoid traveling with unwieldly gear? BubbleBum Inflatable Booster Seat ($40) to the rescue. It blows up easily, adding a helpful (and often mandated) boost for kids aged 4 to 11. It deflates easily, too, rolling up and tucking into its own little carrying pouch, which you can toss into any tote. Back home it’s handy for carpools.

© NIMBLE

TRAVEL POWER BANK
Gadgets — and therefore the batteries — tend to work overtime on the road in a variety of ways — capturing memories, navigating unfamiliar streets, sharing highlights to social media and more. When you’re out exploring for the day, Nimble CHAMP Portable Charger ($59.95) helps keep the family’s devices juiced, with two fast-charging 20W USB-C ports and a 10,000mAh battery. It’s also smaller than a deck of cards and made from 90 percent recycled plastic. It comes in modern color combos, as well as a more powerful pro version.

© KANGA CARE

KID-FRIENDLY 3-OUNCE REFILLABLE TRAVEL BOTTLES
If you have to decant your toiletries into 3-ounce bottles to comply with the TSA liquids rule, you might as well make it adorable. Kanga Care Travel Buddiez Penguin Family ($15.99) boast wide openings, flexible bodies and built-in changeable labels — and they’re cute to boot.

© EARGASM

AIRPLANE EARPLUGS
Chewing gum doesn’t always do the trick. A surer bet: Reusable Aviation Ear Plugs by Eargasm ($36.95), made from hypoallergenic silicone that provides a snug fit and combats ear pain from pressure changes during take-off and landing. They also help minimize engine and other noises up to 20 dB, which may also come in handy if you have the challenging combo of a shared hotel room and a family snorer. Available in kid and adult sizes, they include a small aluminum twist-tight carrying case.

© HYDAWAY

COLLAPSIBLE WATER BOTTLES
Of course, it’s important to keep the whole family hydrated when traveling, but buying single-use bottles for everyone or hauling a bunch of clunky reusables are both less-than- ideal options. The Hydaway 25-ounce Collapsible Water Bottle ($34.95, plus $14.95 for a Travel Case), made from food- grade silicone, folds down into a little 1.5-inch-thick disc, small enough to tuck into a pocket, to make it through TSA with ease. Also available: a Family Travel Bundle ($100), with two 25- ounce and two 17-ounce bottles.

© STOKKE

KIDS’ RIDE-ON SUITCASE AND AIRPLANE BED
If the youngest among you isn’t comfortable, no one’s comfortable. Enter JetKids by Stokke BedBox ($229), a suitcase that transforms into a seat- extender, turning your typical airplane seat into a cozy kid-sized bed. The case has wheels, allowing your child to pull it through the airport or ride as you pull. There’s enough room to stash some belongings, too, but bundle it with JetKids Crew Backpack ($279 with BedBox included) to score more space.

© SNOOZ

TRAVEL SOUND MACHINE
Sleeping away from home comes with all sorts of challenges, especially when it comes to little ones. The palm-sized, 5.7-ounce Snooz Go sound machine, Bluetooth speaker and nightlight ($59.99) earns its keep in three helpful ways, most notably as a dedicated bedtime and naptime helper with six settings, including fan sounds and white noise. A charge lasts up to 20 hours.

© TRIPPED

TRAVEL TECH POUCH
Seems as if someone in your brood is always looking for a cord, a charging block or an electrical current converter. The list goes on. End the search by keeping them corralled in a dedicated pouch. Tripped Travel Gear’s Travel Pouch Tech Organizer Bag ($39.95) is a solid choice. Its interior pockets and compartments, paired with an accordion-style opening, somehow make the bag feel at once vast and compact. It zips into a sleek and tidy 10 inches by 4 inches by 6 inches, which you can slide into your backpack or carry independently. Get one for each traveler or dedicate a family pouch for all the shared basics.

© KIDDIETOTES

SCOOTER LUGGAGE FOR KIDS
Kids love travel independence, but to be sustainable, it’s got to be easy. Fun? Well, that’s the dream. The KiddieTotes Luggage Scooter ($130) pairs a carry-on- and kid-sized roller bag with a scooter, helpful for keeping up while in transit and at your destination. Choose from designs including robot, llama and unicorn. FYI, these won in the Best Travel Gear for Children category at the annual Travel Goods Show this year.