Tis’ the season of presents! Thinking of gifts for families with little ones? 2022/2023 is bringing lots of hope for travels – so why not get some travel gear for your loved ones? Because we live in London, traveling around to other countries is more feasible than if we still lived in the US. We feel so blessed that our baby girl has visited 9 countries by 9-months-old! Because of these trips (flights, train rides, and road trips), we have accumulated a bunch of lessons learned on our favorite products to better manage her and our toddler.
Here is a list of our favorite products, which might make the perfect gifts for families who want to travel with their little ones! Depending on budget, you could get one or multiple and make a little gift basket out it! Any parent who is itching to travel will be so excited to go through this practical and fun present!
1. Travel Documents Organizer: My husband said the first time he really felt like a grown up with a family of four was when we started traveling after the London Lockdown, and he had to manage all four of our Passports, BRP cards (entry cards to get back into the UK), COVID Vaccination Cards, boarding passes, and local currency. This Family Passport Holder keeps everything consolidated and easy to find, so no matter what tantrum your toddler is throwing and how much your baby is screaming for milk, you know exactly where your travel documents are located. It is easy to insert into back-packs, purses, or diaper bags!
2. Baby Carrier: I’ve talked a lot about baby carrying during traveling, as it is my go-to method to hold my baby at the airport, on the plane or train, or while exploring a new city. The Baby Bjourn carrier in particular is so durable! My baby can hang out, people watch, sleep, and most recently, NURSE, while I baby wear her! It is easy to adjust on yourself and can hold up to a 40 pound child (although I personally wouldn’t recommend going past 25 pounds, as that starts to take a toll on my back). However, it is significantly easier for me to carry my baby in the carrier compared to holding her without.
3. Travel Stroller: This is a bigger gift, but our favorite item has to be the BabyZen YoYo stroller. It is a bit pricey, but it folds up and fits in the overhead compartment of the airplane. The best aspects of this stroller is that it is lightweight, easy to manoeuvre, and can be folded/stored in the overhead compartment bin of a plane. The con is it cannot be converted into a double stroller and there is limited storage space underneath the stroller. I feel like most other travel strollers would be the same way, without the durability and ability to fold so compactly.
4. Toddler Body Leash: This is a slightly more controversial item, so maybe check with the parents on how they feel about a toddler body leash. Some people don’t mind, while others do. To each their own, but I am in the first group. I love that my toddler wants to walk around and exert energy, but if we are traveling, and I want to stay in control of how far he goes, etc. I like to use the leash. It makes me feel safer while letting him move his legs, so it feels like a win-win to me.
Side note: My mom used a leash on my younger sister almost 28 years ago, and she seems to have turned out fine, so I will stick with that trial-run as a success 🙂
5. Safe Co-Sleeper: We personally used the Doc-a-Tot for both kids until they were about nine months. It is important to do research on safe sleeping guidelines, but we generally opt for a Cot rental from the hotel for the toddler and the Doc-a-Tot for the baby. We have a few extra covers, as back-up (when those poop explosions happen :/). A portable, safe-sleeping product can tremendously enhance a trip, especially if there is no cot rental available or if you have multiple kids who need a cot, so that one can use the co-sleeper.
Important: Remember to always check with a doctor and your country’s guidelines on safe sleeping!
6. The Milk Gear: For our children, milk is an essential part of their days. Whether it is a cup of Whole Milk for my toddler or breast milk or formula for my baby girl. Here are a few items that I always keep handy with me. I think all of these together in a cute basket would make for a cute gift to a mom/dad who want to travel with their baby! Before gifting the bag, be mindful to get the appropriate items and check with them if the mother is nursing/pumping, or if they are doing formula or regular milk. During my breastfeeding journey, I primarily nursed directly, or on trips, I would take a manual pump to quickly pump milk when convenient. This worked for me, but will depend on the individual.
- Sippy Cup
- Baby Bottles
- Bottle Cleaner and Brush
- Portable Formula Container
- Electric Portable Pump
- Breathable Nursing Cover
7. The Food Gear: Feeding our kids on trips is a whole other topic I have described in another blog post. Overall, it is not easy. So the more prepared a parent can be, the better it is! Here is a list of key essentials for feeding. Similar to the Milk Gear, you could compile these items into a basket for a parent!
8. Activities for the Toddler: Entertaining a toddler can be challenging at home or traveling abroad! I have an assortment of activities, of a variety of price-ranges, that are our go-to items to take in our carry-on on all of our trips, whether flights, train rides, or road trips.
- The Amazon Kids Tablet
- The Montessori buckle board
- Stickers that don’t leave their peel
- Coloring books and nontoxic crayons
- A portable kids travel tray
9. Seasonal Items: If you choose to gift the kids attire for their trips, take into account the sizes they will be in particular seasons. For example, if you give a swimsuit to a baby, take into account the size she will be during summer time. If you choose to give mittens/gloves/jackets to the child, take into account the size they will be during the winter time! Always a good idea to include a gift receipt, when pertaining to children’s clothing.
10. Hygiene Kit: Anything hygiene related is very in trend now, because of COVID. Packing a cute little travel bag of Hygiene items for kids would make for a perfect addition for a diaper bag. Things to include might be kids face-masks, wipes, kids hanitizer, and kleenex!
Hopefully these suggestions have given you some ideas on gifts for the future traveling family! Any other favorite items that you have used? Share below!
*Please note, Traveling with Tots is a member of the Amazon Services Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com