Help me pack better with kids?

[RishMum]

So I feel I have never been a great 'packer' when it comes to holidays, though have been a frequent traveller and travel lover. Now with 2 DC (4y and 10m), we are due to go visit family overseas for couple of months. Will include a wedding, some hotel stays and domestic travel and living with family for rest of the time! Please give me your foolproof tips to pack, including any must have products so my suitcases don't turn into an absolute nightmare on day 3 that nothing fits in again and can't find anything again. I always make it a point to separate toiletries and medicines in travel kits for kids etc. But I am probably bad and putting things back as they were at end of the day in a hotel or when in a rush (like a wedding) and all ends up piling up and causing a royal mess in my baggages. Any websites, insta pages or any tips actually would be most welcome!

Packing cubes will be your friend here! I used them for the first time this year and am converted! You'll be able to keep, say, the smarter clothes for the wedding packed separately and untouched till needed etc, get some from Amazon and use a fabric pen to write on each one what's in it, or just write on a bit of paper and position it so you can see it through the mesh on the cube - good luck!

I use packing cubes and have a different colour for each person. So small one with socks and pants middle sized one with tops and larger one with trousers and shorts a sweater, rain jackets and swimsuit. You can tell whose stuff is where at a glance

then one extra stuff bag for dirty laundry.

i use one washkit for all as we all use one bathroom, so saves on rummaging

only take the minimum. I work out the longest stretch of days between washing machine availability and only take enough for that many days

i take a really small cross body handbag for me and pack a foldable tote bag to use for all the dayto day stuff when we get there

i take foldable water bottles and we fill them every morning

just two pairs of shoes for each person, trainers and crocs/flipflops

get militant about everyone putting their stuff in one spot in the hotel room and not just flinging it around

Thank you both. Recently saw something about packing cubes online. Will order those. Assume any random ones from Amazon are fine?

I got the savisto set of 6 - they were £20 when I bought them 6 weeks ago but are now nearly £30 I forgot to say one of things I found really useful was that I could just put the cubes in the drawer or wardrobe shelf without actually unpacking if you see what I mean? Oh and roll clothes rather than fold them in the cubes!

I got packing cubes from aldi last year. I'll be looking out for more!

I agree with packing cubes plus a passport wallet.
Very handy things to keep all your passports and other bits. We always keep a printout of our accommodation and ehic cards in there.

Packing cubes for sure and separate them into something like this:

• children’s toiletries
• childrens medicine
• toys
• underwear
• tops/T-shirts
• trousers

make sure you also have a bag for dirty laundry and just be vigilant returning everything to where it belongs.

Take a 5 day- a weeks worth of clothes plus any specific items you need (eg swimwear, wedding clothes) wash whatever you need.

I backpacked with mine, you learn to pack very light.

Colour co-ordinated packing cubes in different sizes. Each person has a different colour. Attach small tie on label to each bag with what is in each eg underwear, shorts T shirts etc. Did a 2 week tour of Vietnam and Cambodia different hotel every couple of days - did a cube with spare outfit each for emergencies but didn’t actually need. About 3/4 way through holiday I sort of repacked putting all used/dirty clothes into one suitcase keeping clean clothes souvenirs washing kit etc in other so then only had to open one suitcase

Superb! Thank you all. Packing cubes seem the way to go. Can any of you please post Amazon links of your tried and tested ones. There seem to be way too much choice. And if I am going to need 4 sets, don't want super expensive ones. Probably Amazon ones are all going to be similar to each other but links might be useful if any!

I go budget with the plastic case sheets come in instead of packing cubes but same principle. Once there I always designate one suitcase the dirty washing basket, so when we get home all dirty washing together.