Must have equipment/gadgets

Updated June 2024

For babies

• Stokke Flexi Bath – folds up easily!
• Stokke Handy Sitt
• Baby Bjorn Travel Cot Light – Light weight and easy to assemble. Perfect for home and abroad!
• Dummy Chain – (stops the dummy falling on the floor of the aeroplane!).
• SnoozeShade – ideal for getting a baby to sleep in their pram during the day and at night
• Munchkin Microwave Steriliser Bags or Single Bottle Steriliser
• Colourful Pram Chain – great for keeping toys close to hand and double up as a toy in their own right. Can be attached to a bag on an aeroplane, a car seat, a high chair etc. They also double up as a bath toy. Even our 3 year old enjoys playing with these (she makes necklaces!)
• Travel Changing Mat – we’ve tried a number of different travel changing mats over the years. Most have cracked in the sun or taken up too much space in my bag. This one is fab. It really does fold and fits into most bags.
• Suction Bowl – particularly useful on aeroplanes!
• Zoggs Trainer Seat – great for little ones in a swimming pool. They enjoy it and it makes things considerably easier for you as parents!

All children 

• The Gro Company Gro Anywhere Blackout Blind – for those Air B and B apartments where there are no decent blinds (we all need our sleep on holiday!)
• The Gro-Clock Sleep Trainer – wouldn’t be without this. Useful at home and away….especially with tricky time changes!
• Nuby Ice Lolly Moulds – We still take these on holiday for our 3 year old. You can freeze fruit juice to make cheap and reasonably healthy ice lollies. For younger children you could also freeze bottled water. These ones are ideal for little hands!

• iSafe pram travel bag – these come in various sizes so find the one that suits your pram/car seat/stroller. These are vital if you’re travelling with your expensive pram system!
• Universal Car Sun Shades – we’ve only recently added these to our must have equipment list. Up until this point we’ve relied on the ones that stick to the window. We’ve always had issues with them…they either fall off or the sun manages to sneak around the side!
• Zoggs Kids Seal Flips Swim Training Toy – great entertainment option for the swimming pool. They really encourage young swimmers to blow bubbles and get their head under!
• Intex Mushroom Baby Pool – a great little paddling pool with shade. Ideal for holiday apartments, a trip to pool and useful down by the beach.
• Portable Stairgate – Whilst this is most useful if you’re travelling with a toddler (at the crawling or just walking stage) we still find it useful with our 3 year old. It can be used to block stairs or kitchens (whilst you’re cooking), or bedroom doors.
• Solarbuddies – A mess-free, re-usable, re-fillable sunscreen applicator. See my review here.
• Sachets of calpol/nurofen – the bottles of pain relief are often 200ml so larger than the 100ml limit when flying. I wouldn’t be without an emergency dose for sore ears etc when flying!

Older Children

• Trunki Travel Pillow – Great for planes when children struggle to fall asleep. Also useful on long car journeys.
• Intex Kidz Travel Bed Set – An incredible product. Ideal for children when they are too big for travel cots but not ready for a single bed.
• Potette Plus 2-in-1 Travel Potty – Great for travelling as it folds up and fits in a large ish handbag.
• Zinc Flyte Scooter Case -See my product review 
• BabyDan Folding Bed Guard – once your little people move into a single bed you can stop taking the Intex travel bed (mentioned above) and instead take this incredible folding bed guard.
• Tangle Teezer – this is the perfect brush for hair post swimming – gone are the tears!

Entertainment for children

• • Amazon Fire  – we’ve recently invested in one of these. Much better value than an iPad!
  • Kids Shock Proof Convertible Handle Light Weight Super Protective Stand for Amazon Fire HD 8
  • Robust Ipad Case – Stands up well and can withstand a toddler!
  • Melissa & Doug Reusable Sticker Pad – really can be used again and again. Perfect for taking on holiday although I recommend you also pack some sandwich bags to put the stickers in when not being used. They can also be stuck to windows so useful for long car journeys or flights.
  • As our daughter has got older she’s started to prefer the usborne sticker books
  • Kidz Gear Volume Limiting Headphones for Kids – Pink – We tried a number of brands before these were the only ones that stayed on our toddlers head! Also very robust!
  • Kidz Gear Volume Limiting Headphones – Blue
  • Chalk – children can use this on paving slabs etc
  • TOMY Rainbow Aquadoodle -water painting – ideal in hot countries where it dries instantly!
  • Bubabloon – an amazingly versatile ball that is inflated using a balloon….! Great for the beach, the apartment etc.
  • Premium 15″ x 15″ Double Sided Silicone Baseplate Mat – This incredible double sided Duplo/Lego board rolls up and is easily transportable in a suitcase. Combined with a selection of Lego/Duplo and this provides endless entertainment options!

Medical supplies 

• Sachets of Calpol and Nurofen – this can be taken onto the plane.

Other

• • Cool Bag and Ice Packs – A hugely useful addition to a family holiday (especially if self catering!). I tend to take my cool bag as my hand luggage (I invested in a beautiful Joules one!). I then pack the freeze packs in my suitcase. Not only does it mean you can keep your picnic cool it also means you can transport the ice-cream back to your apartment!!
  • Individually switched multi socket – if you’re travelling with little children you often find yourself in need of lots of plug points (monitors, iPad chargers, Gro Clock, bottle warmer…the list goes on).
  • Bodum Travel Press Set – to help you get over the those early morning wake ups!