What should we pack for vacation?

Me and my husband are going on a plane in September to the beach we’re bringing our 5 year old and 10 month old. What should I bring for the kids and me and my husband?

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Help a mama out and respond anonymously on our forum. What should we pack for vacation? - Mamas Uncut

Clothes and plenty of them also anything that you use daily for getting you and your husband and kids ready

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Clothing. Toiletries toys that are replaceable, cup for the littler one. Cash. Refillable water bottles. A couple different pairs of shoes each. When you get there buy some life jackets (not water wings) even if the waters too cold to get in, get some sand toys, and sunscreen in case you forgot it in your toiletries, first aid kit bc sometimes there’s glass, metal, fish hooks in the sand. If look around online you’ll find packing checklists as well. You don’t mention where or for how long.

Something to drink or chewing gum on the plane to keep their ears from popping during ascent and descent. Several kid-size masks for the 5-year-old & masks for the adults. Snacks and quiet games and books for the flight, maybe a small stuffie or lovey, fidget toys like those poppers to keep them occupied. Layers of clothes to adjust to different temperatures or to roll up as pillows or use as blankets.

Find some place they can run back and forth at the airport or walk around with them as much as you can while waiting to board. Hold the hands of the 10-month-old to help walk or jump up & down. Jumping jacks, kicks, calisthenics—anything to get the wiggles out as there’s so much sitting around in the airport and on the plane. If they can sleep on the plane it’s great. A little spray bottle filled with rubbing alcohol is good to spray down surfaces & sticky kids (not faces) and small pack of baby wipes, easy change of clothes for kids in case of accidents.

Go potty and start with a fresh diaper before you get on the plane. Show the 5-year-old pix of an airplane bathroom so they’re not afraid to use it on their own while you wait outside as there’s hardly room for one in there. Don’t have them lock the door so you can get in if needed. Make sure you know how to use the pull-down changing table in the plane bathroom if you need it. Maybe even a kid leash and umbrella stroller while you go through the airport so you don’t lose the kids if they run or wander off. Airports are vast & crowded. You’ll have to leave the stroller at the plane entrance & they’ll stow it for you onboard. If you have to walk a long way, get a cart to roll the kids or ask for one of those golf carts that pick up handicapped and elderly people to come get you.

I’d have one parent board early & set up the space, then have the other parent bring the kids later so they’re not cooped up as long. For deplaning, have one parent take the kids off if they let you off before others, the other parent is in charge of the carry-ons & picking up any stuff left around your seats. One person runs the kids around while the other waits for luggage. If it’s safe, let the kids ride a luggage cart with your bags as you head for transportation.

Pack at least 2 bathing suits for each kid so one can be hanging up drying while they wear the other one, like a morning & afternoon suit, or a dry one each day. Nothing’s worse than trying to yank a wet suit on a wiggly child. For girls I recommend 2-piece. MUCH easier to pull on & off when wet when you hit the bathroom/change them. No fiddling with complicated straps.

Pack swim diapers or buy some to be delivered to where you’re staying, or know where they’re in stock. That way you can pick them up easily without a giant markup at your destination or having to check through a big pack of them.

Take bags for garbage, wet stuff & extra zip-lock bags to keep stuff dry and/or clean(er).

Use sunscreen that won’t harm sea life, get rash guards or swimwear with sleeves so you don’t have to keep reapplying on their upper body. Lands End has good ones. Spray sunscreen is easier for reapplications at the beach. Don’t forget tops of feet, or get little swim shoes (good for rocky beaches, hot sand, avoiding critters & not getting tangled in kelp. Ears, noses, and foreheads are also prime sunburn spots.

Have hats available & put sunscreen on scalps unless y’all have thick hair.I got foam visors from Oriental Trading Co. & croakies that float in water so you can retrieve them. Attach croakies (holders) to sunglasses. You can adjust them so they fit snugly around their heads & if they do come off you can find them floating on the waves. Have 2 pair kid sunglasses for each: they’re sure to lose or break one pair. Might be cheaper to get them before you leave home vs. beach markup. Or not. Check costs online. Goggles are just more expensive things to take off and on and lose unless your kids have really sensitive eyes.

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Rent one or more umbrellas and/or have a pop up mini tent to keep the kids (and you if you fit) out of the sun. Pick up a cheap plastic pail, shovels or molds from a CVS or variety store, or pack clothes in little Tupperware containers they can then use to build sandcastles. Bonus is you can wash the plastic containers out & use them for meal leftovers instead of creating even more styrofoam or plastic waste. You can rinse out the pail and fill it with water from an outdoor spigot at the beach to rinse some of the sand off the kids when you leave.

Put lotion on them after baths when you get the rest of the sand off/out of them. If you stay at a hotel ask for extra lotion at the front desk or pick some up at the store vs. weighing down your luggage. Plastic sand toys & generic lotion are cheap: you can leave them for others instead of packing them to take home.

Also see if you can borrow/buy/rent water wings or life jackets for both kids as they are really bulky to pack, and unless you have places to swim at home, they’ll just sit in a closet. If you’re staying at a hotel or with friends or family, they should be able to direct you to any and all resources, or order online & have them shipped to & held at wherever you’re staying.

A rolling cart or backpacks are useful to carry towels, swim diapers, snacks, drinks, extra water to rinse sand off juice boxes & snacks, wipes, folding chairs, shelters, and whatever else you drag to the shoreline so you can keep hands free for the kids. Again, if your 5 is a runner, get a kid leash until you get to your spot by the water. Take money for ice cream from carts, vendors or boardwalk stores. Waterproof packs are a good idea for room/car keys & some cash. Don’t take anything you won’t need or can’t easily replace, like wallets. Lock ID & credit cards in the car if you drive.

Yes, feel free to buy grocery food to eat in during your stay if you have a microwave and fridge available to you. Do not overbuy or you wind up throwing away a lot. You can freeze juice and milk boxes so they’ll stay cold longer, and use them like ice packs to keep any other foods you take to the beach cold. Do reconnaissance so you know where there are bathroom facilities nearby where you land on the sand.

Check in advance for the nearest clinic, pharmacy, hospital and ER just in case.

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Figure out what there is to do on rainy days. Is there an indoor pool? Everyone goes to the kid movies when it rains, so get tickets in advance. Lighthouses? Museums? Arcades? The baby can just push buttons on machines vs. paying to play. Take simple card games and/or small puzzles, activity/sticker books or (sigh) tablets. Play simple charades, Simon Says, Head, shoulders, knees and toes, put on music & have a dance party. See if you can borrow kids books from the library, though my experience is if you have a few small-size kid books with you the kids are happy to read them with you over and over.

If it’s just drizzly, play mini golf in your bathing suits & bring towels to sit on in the car/bus. See how tired the kids are the first day. Maybe they’ll happily go to sleep after dinner, or see about amusement parks, mini golf, other kid-friendly things to do at night if they are up for more.

Sit near other families with kids on the beach so they have others to play with, you have adults to talk to, & there are more eyes to watch all the kids. Also potentially more sand toys to play with.

Bring ear plugs and eye masks if they help anyone sleep if it’s unexpectedly noisy or y’all snore. If you’re all in one hotel room sexy time may be tough to come by unless the kids sleep REALLY soundly.

Figure out kid-friendly places to eat nearby. If there will be a lot of junk food, take along the gummy vitamins. Also, the water bottles with the pull-up tops you suck from are better than ones with screw tops. Harder to lose the tops because you don’t take them off, easier to use, & keep more sand out, plus they squirt if you need.

I have plastic shot glasses for kids to try new foods. That way you don’t waste a whole bowlful/plateful if they decide it’s “yucky.” Ask for additional paper activity placemats & crayons at restaurants to play with later.

Good luck and have fun! Also check the weather in case it will be hotter/colder than expected.

One might say clothes :joy:

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A push wagon
Sand toys

Baby powers to remove sand

Snack and drink bottles

Sun shade

First aid kit

Hats and sunglasses

Water shoes
So what I do before each trip I make a lists

Mullinax beach trip
6 days 5 nights
Then I write everyone’s names and make a individual list of what that person needs

Then a have a family spot and list things like snacks, cooler, first aid. That list is check off while doing the final pack and then placed into the car

Are you that thick headed🤣

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My daughter bought in Florida what she couldn’t get in her luggage. Diapers,kids sand toys she gave toys away to other kids on the beach our last day there.

A tablet with predounloaded movies

Nothing just buy new stuff and then mail it to yourself the day you leave

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Baby powder removes sand

When doing beach vacations we always try to get a place has a washer/dryer. Nothing worse than putting back on a sandy suit or towel. Also a wagon, we have a camping one with wide wheels and it’s the perfect nap spot and also easily carries everything

A nanny and lots of alcohol

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I’m sorry, but to the people “laughing”, I had never been on a plane before up until last year at 32 years old and I had the same questions too. Clothes were the obvious answer… :roll_eyes:To the people that are being kind with responses- thank you.
Apart from the obvious"clothing" it depends on what you are paying for- are you paying for an xl suitcase to be placed in luggage, just carry on? Pack pj’s and comfy clothes, if there is anywhere fancy for dinner plans that you have, and of course essentials. But again, depends on what luggage load you intend to take.

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Your clothes and any essentials. Most hotels, houses have towels for the beach. Stop at one of the big surf shops and get cheap plastic toys for sand along with your sunscreen.

Bathing suits, beach chairs, beach towels, beach sand toys, sun screen, flip flops, sunglasses and life jackets. I dont like sharks so I don’t go in past my knees.

What beach ya goin to?

A babysitter and birth control

Lol :joy:

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Everything hahaha when i pack everything be goin with me fr :grimacing::stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes::stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes::stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes:

You can rent a lot of the beach stuff there so I wouldn’t worry about packing that stuff!

Try not to feed the baby til you’re on the plane taking off. Sucking on the bottle will pop the babies ears and most likely put the baby to sleep so you don’t have to worry about them crying on the plane. That will save you from being the object of all the other passengers hatred who cringed when you got onboard with a baby.

Sunscreen and shade for the beach

I’m curious where do you live to have to catch a plane to the beach?? And where are you going?

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Your won water bottles to refill and sippy cups ect.

A baby foldable beach tent can get them cheap on Amazon.

Lots of sun screen, after sun aloe and hats!

Things for upset stomach, like gravol, Tylenol, benedryl ect for kids and you.