How to Create a Family Travel Kit for Hotel Stays
Summer is here and that means fun vacations with the family! If you’re planning on staying at a hotel with kids, here’s how to create a travel kit for hotel stays. These 6 items can all fit in a tiny travel bag, and they will help make your hotel stay so much nicer.
1. HDMI cable
Bring an HDMI cable to hook up your tablet or laptop to the hotel TV. You’ll be able to watch anything you want on your Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon subscriptions. You could also rent a DVD from Redbox, put it in your laptop, and connect that to the TV. Another idea is to download a couple of kids’ movies before you leave home and stream that to the hotel TV. Then relax on your bed with your kids and watch good TV without having to deal with bad and often inappropriate hotel TV channels.
2. Outlet adapter or extension cord
There are never enough plugs for all the phones, tablets, laptops, handheld game consoles, camera chargers, and other devices that we bring with us on hotel vacations. Pack an outlet adapter or extension cord and everyone will be happy to have their favorite gadgets fully charged.
3. Sound machine (or app)
When you stay in a hotel room, you might get woken up by other vacationers who are staying in the rooms next to yours. Bring a travel sound machine for ambient noise so you can sleep in peace and be fully energized for traveling with kids. Or you could download an app on your phone and pack one less thing. Try the Sleep Machine Lite app or the Sleep Pillow Sounds app for the iPhone and the White Noise Lite app for android devices.
4. Night light
Don’t forget a night light for your kids if they can’t sleep in the pitch dark. Plus, a night light will help you be able to move around your hotel room without bumping into things and waking up the kids. You might also want one in the bathroom for nighttime visits.
5. Oatmeal packets
A couple of oatmeal packets is a great addition to a family travel kit. If your hotel room has a coffee maker, you can whip up a quick and satisfying snack for the kids (and you) in a pinch with these instant oatmeal pouches and hot water. What’s more, the packaging of these packets are so convenient — they’re actually also measuring cups. You’ll easily cook the perfect bowl of oatmeal every time.
6. Denture cleanser tablets
Traveling with a baby? Include a box of denture cleanser tablets in your family travel kit to easily clean pacifiers, sippy cup lids, baby spoons, and other baby or toddler items that need cleaning. Simply grab a cup and fill it with warm water and then add the item and a tablet. Your baby’s things will be completely clean in just a few minutes.
What other things do you consider essentials for vacations with kids?
Featured image courtesy of Hotel Chatter.
My friends never go to a hotel without their trusty container of antiseptic wipes. They use them on counters and tables but most especially on remotes and telephones. They aren’t germaphobes, but have had a bad experience or two so come prepared… I’ve also seen people on airplanes bring them to wipe down tray tables and have them to wash their hands before snacking, etc. Traveling can be messy business!!! One other thing…. I’m becoming more and more aware of bedbugs. Any easy solutions out there to prevent picking them up on trips? I’m careful to wash everything back at home, but other than that?
duct tape…outlet covers, fix nearly anything. sharpie on duct tape to label things so kids don’t lose track of what’s theirs vs. their sister’s. I usually bring clorox wipes for door knobs, remotes and switches.
i always bring along foam/liquid anti-bacterial hand soap.. hotels always give you bar soap.. while it’s obviously brand new, i just never feel like it really cleans!
Great idea Anna!
I always bring one of the little Bath& Body Works air freshener sprays. It may be just me, but a lot of hotel rooms tend to smell musty, especially since the windows don’t really open and either the AC or the heat is running all year… so I spray a few pumps of “Christmas Cookie” or “Cinnamon Spice” as I’m unpacking and the room smells like home rather than… a hotel room. (Also great for when someone “goes” and their smell lingers in a small space!)