Luggage: c/o Hey’s

Sunscreen: Avene SPF 50+

Swimmer: c/o Kortni Jeane

Luggage: c/o Hey’s

Swimmer: c/o Kortni Jeane

We’ve got some fun travel coming up very soon and what better way to get the kids excited than by having them pack their own bags! And who wouldn’t get excited over the cutest pint-size luggage you’ve ever seen? I’ve partnered with Hey’s Luggage once again to share with you a few pieces from their Kids Collection that even the grown-up’s will be swooning over. The Hey’s Travel Tots Collection has the cutest little animals translated into mini luggage and backpack sets. I chose the Owl for little Gemma and even at 16 months she can’t stop walking around the house in her new backpack. Needless to say, she’s ready to take off!

As for the little Mr., he has a serious PAW Patrol obsession so I knew he would be thrilled to have his own PAW Patrol luggage set – and was I ever right!

Hopefully our destination will be warm and sunny so we’ve packed up swimmers, shorts, dresses and more for the kids, plus our favorite sunscreen of course.  I would be lying if I said that packing for kids was easy-peasy lemon squeezy. However, the reality is that it can actually be quite stressful making sure that you have everything you need for your little ones.

While a checklist (made well in advance) is your best bet for ensuring you’ve got all the bases covered, I’ve put together my top 10 sunny destination packing tips for kids that will hopefully make your next packing endeavor a little less overwhelming.

1. Buy, don’t pack the beach toys. Buckets, shovels, inflatable toys all take up TONS of space in a suitcase (or car), so once you arrive at your destination make a quick stop at a local convenience or grocery store and grab budget-friendly versions that can also be left behind (or trashed) at the end of your trip. Bonus tip: These can double as great bath toys too!
2. While your picking up beach toys, why not grab some crayons and coloring books so the kids have something to keep them occupied when your relaxing in your hotel room.
3. Pack lots of denim to get extra mileage out of the kids clothes. Denim wears exceptionally well and can easily be wiped down versus other cotton pants/shorts that once stained are pretty much done until they are washed.
4. This is less packing and more of a travel tip. Take advantage of laundry services or book accommodations that have laundry inside your unit so that you can pack less and wash often. If you’ll be washing yourself, don’t forget to bring small detergent packs from home to save on buying them.
5. Even if you’re travelling somewhere warm, be sure to bring long-sleeve and long pant pyjamas for the cooler nights. You can always take them off, but can’t put them on if you didn’t bring them.
6. Bring only the amount of diapers you will need for 1-2 days and then just purchase the rest at the destination. This will save TONS of space in the luggage that you can use for other things.
7. Be sure to pack your kids favorite snacks (healthy ones) for those times that they just won’t eat anything on the menu and you’re desperate to feed them.
8. ALWAYS bring a stroller (an easy umbrella stroller is best) even if you think you’ll only be sitting on the beach all day. Kids get tired no matter how old they are and the stroller will come in handy on long evening walks or afternoon naps.
9. Bring a stash of plastic bags (Ziplock or other) for easily storing away wet clothes that need to be addressed later or holding diapers that need to be tossed. Theres’ nothing worse than being stuck with stinky messes in hot weather.
10. Make sure you pack 2 swimmers per child so you can alternate and have a clean pair each day.

There is so much more I could add to this list, but most importantly HAVE FUN and remember this is vacation so don’t get too stressed out if you can help it :)

Heys’ has exceptional quality luggage that our family has come to rely on for all of our travel needs. Be sure to check the blog again on Tuesday, December 13, 2016 for a His & Her’s packing post where I will be hosting a giveaway for one carry-on luggage (you’re going to die over the print) that you definitely don’t want to miss!