Packing For Your Kids {FREE Printable}

PackingForYourChild
Packing for your kids

The art of packing a suitcase may have been a list obsession in my family.  By obsession, I mean, my dad and brother were good at it and it drove them nuts that the females of the family were lacking.  I can remember my dad teaching me how to roll my t-shirts and shorts when packing for summer camp, to conserve space and keep the wrinkles out (although the wrinkles weren’t a concern for summer camp).  I remember learning how to stuff my pillow with any extra blankets or stuffed animals, before getting on a plane, so that useful space in my suitcase wouldn’t be wasted.  I remember how frustrated I was when my brother unpacked my duffle bag the night before I left to study abroad and eliminated at least a third of what I had packed…and for the record I was fine and didn’t need the excess.  So maybe obsession wasn’t the correct word, perhaps, practical packing served a higher purpose.

These days it seems that we are always on the road… that may be a stretch, but it sure feels like it.  Every couple of months we decide to hit the road to visit our siblings and parents. We love that we are close enough that it is even a possibility.  But seriously, I forget at least half of what I intended to bring!  I make list upon list upon list of what we need to take with us.  Sometimes those lists are in crayon or on a magnadoodle, alas, I could not function without them.  So I finally got smart and typed out a checklist that fits most of the trips that we take.

OKCMBPackingList
Checklist for Packing Your Kids. I make notes all over these pages so that I make sure we get out the door with what we need.

My first step in practical packing for my children is to sit down with my planner and figure out what we are going to do on our time away.  I make a note at the top of my checklist of those events. This past trip we went to the river to fish, and I just know if I hadn’t written down to grab the fishing poles, I would have left them.   Next, I consult The Weather Channel to see if we need our rainboots or swimsuits.  I will usually make a note of the highs and lows somewhere on my page, because motherhood has granted me the memory of a goldfish.  With all of my information in one place, I start filling in the blanks for what I need to pack.

If I’m on top of my game and the clothes are all clean, I can easily grab the number of shirts out of the drawer.  A very key thing to keep in mind is whether or not you have access to a washer and dryer while you are gone.  I can usually cut our bags in half if we are going to wash mid-trip.   On the subject of bags, have you ever tried packing in laundry baskets?  Try it and let me know what you think.  I love it.

This all may be common sense to you type-A-clean-house-organized-purse moms.  In fact, if you are one of those, please comment below with some of your own advice for getting out the door with everything you need and without packing the kitchen sink!  For the rest of us, I hope this printable can help you on your next adventure!

Now if I could just make up a list for myself.  My bag still ends up missing two outfits and thrown together at the very last minute.  Someday…

If you would like to download this checklist, click below::

OKCMomsBlog_Kids’ Packing List.1

OKCMomsBlog_Kids’ Packing List.2

Happy packing!

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Anna
Anna is a born and raised Arkansan, transplanted to OKC for her husband’s job. She has 3 fantastic kiddos who are currently three and under. Although she has never taught in the school system, her degree is Family and Consumer Sciences Education is put to use every day in her full time career as a stay at home mom. Anna is also a lifestyle and portrait photographer. She’s Yoga practicing, lover of sewing, cloth diapering, DIY-ing, baby wearing mom who loves to bake with processed sugar. You can keep up with her over at Barefoot Mamma.

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