Whether we’re heading off on a road trip, flying across the Atlantic, or just going out for a few hours, leaving with two young children is never a quick “grab your keys and go” job in our house. Our travel bag? Think more Mary Poppins’ carpet bag and less handbag – but it keeps us sane (most of the time), and the boys happy(ish), so we’re not complaining.
If you’re new to the world of wrangling little ones on the go, already a pro or just want a nosy at what we take with us, here’s a peek inside our bag – the everyday essentials, the unexpected lifesavers, and the tech we wouldn’t dare leave behind.
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Don’t just tell your children about the world. Show them.
― Penny Whitehouse
🧷 The Basics (Don’t Leave Home Without Them)
Nappies
We’ve always used Pampers Baby-Dry Pants since both boys were wee, and we’ve never had a reason to stray despite trying loads of other brands. Easy to whip on and off, even in the front seat, standing up or on a dodgy baby change table in a café toilet.
Wipes
Whether it’s bottoms, sticky fingers, spilled snacks, or mystery substances. Our go-to since 2019? Pampers Fresh Clean. Smell nice. Don’t disintegrate. Do the job.
Change of clothes
We always pack 1–2 full changes, depending on how long we’re out. Puddle-jumping, surprise accidents, and snack/juice box explosions are all very real threats. Although sometimes I don’t know why I bother because we’ve had days where even the change of clothes needs changing and we’ve run out… Top tip: if you’re flying into Washington Dulles and you run out of clothes, a baby body in the souvenir shop costs around $25 plus tax – well, it was either that or he was flying in a nappy…
Wet bags
These are one of those things you don’t know you need until you really need one. Perfect for soggy clothes, leaky cups, or the odd “accident” that wasn’t part of the plan. Not just for out and about, the boys have one in their childminders and Kindergarten bags too…
🧃 Drinks & Snacks
Non-spill drink cups
We’ve tested a fair few, but keep coming back to the Munchkin Miracle 360°, the Munchkin Any Angle™ Straw Cup and the NUK Magic Cup. All three are genuinely spill-proof (until launched across the car or on the floor, but we can’t blame the cup for that).
Juice & extras
We always set off with one drink ready to go, but also carry a few sachets of juice powder (we love the sticks from INSTICKS) or a squirty bottle of diluting syrup, just in case. Much easier than carrying the box of juice pouches everywhere.
Our favourite juice powders available in Germany are by INSTICK. They are sugar free, vegan and come in loads of different flavours from pineapple, peach ice tea to energy. Some flavours can even be mixed into milk or yoghurt.
When we’re in the UK, we always stock up on the Robinsons Squash Minis to keep in our bag. We always joke that it’s time to book a flight or ferry home when the last bottle is finished!
Snacks
What kind? All of them. Crisps, fruit, gummi bears, biscuits, leftover toast from breakfast – whatever we’ve got lying around or can raid from a petrol station. Snacks are your best line of defence against whinging – unless you’ve brought the “wrong” snacks of course.
🧴 The Unexpected Essentials (aka Why Didn’t I Think of That?)
Pee bottle or travel potty
Game-changer. Especially for long car journeys or random “I need the toilet!” moments in the middle of nowhere. We have a travel pee bottle which we always have attached to the bag or under the buggy because despite asking our older son “have you been to the toilet?” more than once, it’ll be used at least once per trip… For our younger son we’ve started taking his travel potty, although it stays in the car, because he’s not quite at the same stage, but he knows it’s there for when he does decide to copy his brother. Both lifesavers, honestly.
Bottle tops & can lids
We carry silicone bottle adaptors that let the boys drink from standard bottles without spills (great for when you’ve forgotten their cups, buy a bottle of water/juice, but they’re too small to drink out of them), plus lids with straws that pop onto open cans.. Not essential for everyone, but they’ve come in handy loads of times – especially at picnics, airports, and hotels.
💻 The Tech Bit (Because Let’s Be Real…)
Now, we could pretend that our kids are perfectly entertained with books and car games… but in reality? They both can’t read yet and there’s only so many colours to play “I spy” with. Their tablets come out more often than we’d like to admit, and on long trips their daily limit of 2hrs between 9am and 6pm is usually turned off – but we’re fine with that. They’ve saved our sanity more than once and we’re not ashamed to admit it.
Tablets & headphones
Our older son uses the Amazon Fire Kids 10 Pro and a pair of comfy Philips over-ear Bluetooth headphones. Our youngest has his brother’s old tablet and iClever ones which are better for his smaller ears – soft, colourful and with limited volume and extra long battery life. Perfect for flights, long drives, or just 5 minutes of peace while waiting for food at a restaurant. And to all you mums worried about being seen giving their kids their tabs in restaurants – we see you and totally get it, so go for it!
Final Thoughts
Packing for a day out or a full-on holiday with under-sixes can feel like prepping for a mission to Mars. But with the right gear in your bag, you’ll be ready for whatever they (or the world) throw at you.
Have we missed anything you never leave home without? Let us know – we’re always up for adding something new to our ever-growing kit list! And if you want to know what toys we take, keep an eye out for our upcoming blog “Top 10 Travel Toys”.