5 Best Travel Products For Kids
When we had Eliot one of the things that Jackson and I both felt strongly about was that having kids didn’t have to prevent us from traveling. We did learn quickly that it does, however, change how we travel. After a lot of trial and error we figured out which products made a huge difference in how well our kids sleep. Traveling with kids is all about balancing being prepared with being willing to let go of things you can’t control.
A little disclaimer- our kids sleep in their own rooms at home, with blackout curtains and white noise. Our biggest priority is always making their sleeping space as dark as possible when we travel and ensuring we have a place to plug in their white noise machines.
You might also be interested in: 5 Baby Travel Products under $50 You Need In Your Life
Quick Tips for helping kids sleep while traveling:
Keep their environment as familiar as possible.
Try to stick to the same bedtime routine you usually do. We often bring a couple favorite books from home since that’s part of our routine!
If they’re a bit older, make sure they know where you’ll be sleeping so that if they wake in the middle of the night they can find you.
Bring familiar pajamas and blankets/sleep sacks.
If you’re staying in a hotel and you’re having trouble with light peeking through the windows, use a hanger with clips on it to hold the curtains together
Try to book places to stay that have an extra space, when possible! We often put a pack-n-play in large closets or even hotel bathrooms!
For more things to avoid while traveling, read our 3 biggest mistakes we made!
5 products that will help your kids sleep while traveling
Blackout Curtains
The first thing that we do whenever we’re traveling and arrive somewhere with the kids, is make their sleeping space as dark as possible. These suction cup blackout curtains make it so much easier. We used to travel with curtains and tacks but these simplify the process so much. Blackout curtains are an easy way to help your kids sleep well while traveling!
2. Whitenoise
White noise is already so helpful for aiding sleep but when you’re traveling it’s even more important to help your kids sleep successfully while on the road. We’ve put our kids to sleep in all kinds of enviornments and white noise helps it to sound familiar to them. We’ve tried a couple different machines before finally getting the hatch and we’ll never go back.
3. Easy and Light Travel Crib
$299 || BABYBJORN Travel Crib Light
There are for sure less expensive packnplay options available but if you think you’ll use the packnplay often or if you want to conserve space/weight while traveling, this may be worth investing in! It’s light, super easy to put together and has raving reviews! If you’re traveling with your kids, this is a great option to help them (and you!) sleep successfully.
4. Our Favorite Camera to Travel With
$119.99 || Video Baby Monitor with 2 Digital Cameras
We’ve tried an absurd amount of baby monitors and these are our favorite to travel with. We used to just bring the cameras we use at home (this one) but we’ve had a couple times that the place we’re staying has no wifi or just really slow wifi and our cameras didn’t work. These cameras don’t require wifi so you never have to worry about it! And it comes with two cameras which was a big plus!
The slumberpod is maybe the best child sleep aid that has ever been invented! It’s blackout curtains and seclusion all in one! The slumber pod goes around your packnplay, like a little tent. It’s ventilated and even has a spot to place your camera monitor inside so that you can keep an eye on your child while they sleep!
The slumberpod is absolutely worth the money if you plan to travel at all with your child. If you are ever in the position to need to roomshare with your child, this allows them to have their own dark, quiet space to sleep in.
All of these products have made a huge difference when we travel! We’ve made lots of mistakes and have wasted money on products that didn’t work out but these have all helped us to maintain somewhat normal sleep schedules while traveling. Before you head out on your trip, make sure to read about these 3 things to avoid!