Packing the right things to take on holiday to amuse and look after a four year old has been the secret to a relaxing break for us all this year. And in fact, the secret to an enjoyable lunch out too!!
I love a staycation. And with a small child I can fill our car with all the toys and bits that he will need to give me an easy life on holiday! But I really love going abroad for guaranteed sunshine and warmth, especially after such a long time not being able to. For staycations I’m all about packing car with as much of his playroom as possible, but when it comes to flying it’s about packing the right things, or buying a few of the right new things, to keep the 4 year old entertained.
We took a few trips abroad this year (hand luggage only) and so wanted to share a few of the things that worked well for us. These are ideas that were passed on to us by friends, or ideas picked up seeing what other families had with them that we didn’t! It’s amazing how much our packing has changed from baby, to toddler, to 4 year old…
Let the child pick
Bertie has his own little rucksack and so we let him fill it with his choice of toys and games. He knows that he has to carry it around so he choses carefully. He squeezes in some of his dinosaurs, safari animals and cars, alongside card games and little books. He is happy with what he chooses! His rucksack also fits in my cabin bag.
Camera
We got a camera for Bertie for his third birthday and he loves wondering around taking his own photos! It’s particularly useful if you’re waiting around. So he gets loads of photos at hotel check in or in a queue for something. Yet to get a real keeper but it’s just another activity he enjoys!
Stickers and colouring
A trip to the bargain shelf at The Works for sticker books is a must, I always find a few new sticker books and they aren’t expensive. I also have wipe clean writing books (including a chalk board type colouring in book) and colouring mats which my 4 year old loves, and a bag of wipes to clean them down with. We always take a pad of paper and some crayons and pens too (great pens all on a string for the win). We’ve also now got a little LED ipad-style drawing tablet which is great for learning to write and for some fun drawings!
Books
We consume books at a rate of knots and normally read 5 or 6 different ones a day. Instead of filing my suitcase with books, I buy a few second hand ones on World of Books that can get bashed around in the suitcase or wet by the pool. They’re new to us and so are a nice treat to read for the first time. We also have a travel Yoto mini and it is one of the best things. Perfect for bedtime and sticking to the end of day routine we have at home. Also useful on the go as all the cards are on my phone so I can play stories in the car through Apple car play too.
Vinted goodies in zip lock bags
I adore having a scroll around on Vinted for plane and holiday bits. Jigsaw puzzles, card games, Lego – you name it, it’s all available on Vinted. Nearly always cheaper than buying new and so less frustrating if a piece gets lost on the plane or dropped in the pool. I’ve found some good as new puzzles and saved money in the process. Lego was the big surprise, so much money saved!
I always bag the bits up in zip lock bags and spread them across different bags so that the ‘new’ toy surprises last through the holidays.
Pool equipment
We bought a swim vest life jacket type thing as well as a dinosaur rubber ring. Sure, this stuff is all available on holiday but as far as I can tell it is cheaper to buy in advance than in a tourist shop. Buying in advance also meant it fitted in my luggage on the way home too! The swim vest that my son has for swimming lets us all relax a little around the pool and was great for building water confidence. We’ve got some pool noodles too. If you can fit a noodle in your luggage then they are useful as bed bumpers to stop a child falling out of bed!
Screen time
Is essential. It’s the only way we can have a leisurely lunch on holiday! Bertie has his iPad and it has a rubberised case. He’s also got some Bluetooth headphones. If food is taking a while to arrive, or we want another glass of wine, then plugging him in for a while buys us time! Amazon Prime is a bit of an annoyance abroad without a VPN. There’s limited stuff for kids that you can stream and downloads only last about 48 hours once they’ve first been watched. Make sure to download across your different devices for peace of mind if you’re using Prime.
We’ve got Disney+ now and it is a far better experience as the downloads don’t vanish and also are far less likely to stop working too. There doesn’t seem to be a cap on how much you can download to one device either.
Car seat
A year or so ago I bought a Mifold-Hifold travel car seat. I can’t recommend it enough. It’s a high-backed booster and in my opinion good enough to use day in day out, not just for travel. It is excellent British design and manufacture and folds down to the size of a hand luggage rucksack.
I’m fairly sure that we’ve already recouped the cost of the seat from money saved by not having to hire a seat abroad. I’m also certain that it is a far safer seat than anything we might have hired from the car company…
Food
We don’t rely on aeroplane food. I’m thankful as we had a big delay on one flight with BA this year that took us well past tea time for my 4 year old. I’d brought a packed tea which was a godsend, as there wasn’t any food available onboard until after take off. The food available on board with BA is also quite grown up – not the bog standard type food kids want to eat. So we packed all the snacks and a picnic tea and then topped up with fancy snacks and drinks at the airport.
Pre-ordering to Boots airside is also a great trick. You can pre-order anything from the website, then you pick it up once you’ve cleared security, and know that you’ll have exactly what you want instead of what is available. When I first did this when Bertie was a baby and filled a cabin bag with pre-mixed formula bottles for a week away as I wasn’t sure what I would be able to buy locally. We always take our own water bottles too and fill up at the airport. With a villa stay, lots of hosts offer to do the first shop for you. This was perfect for us in Greece as we arrived to all the food we needed for supper that night and breakfast the next day having landed around 7pm!
Tracking your luggage
We flew with hand luggage only on holidays this year, as I was worried about Heathrow bag loss statistics. I still got a Chipolo one spot disc for each of our bags. It is a little Bluetooth tracker that you can pop in your luggage and means that if your bag is slow to arrive on the baggage belt from the aeroplane’s hold, that you can check where it is from your phone. No real understanding of how it works, but very clever!
Bathroom bits
I found a handy folding toilet seat to stop my son falling down the loo! We haven’t used it that much, but it has been handy when he needs to sit there for more than thirty seconds! Before we got one of those we used a My Carry Potty, these are life savers. It’s still always in the boot of our car and a nighttime camping loo for many years to come! Bertie has also used it in an airport security queue…
Also in the household category – we take detergent sheets so that we can do our washing easily when we are away!
And what do I wish had been in my packing?
Card games – like Uno and Snap. On holiday in October we were surrounded by families playing Uno. I haven’t played it for years and cards are definitely on the packing list for our next trip! I may also have to start travelling with hold luggage again as in Lidl in Crete I saw they were selling SUPs, and I decided taking ours with us in future would be a great idea!! And in that vein, we’ve also added rash vests to our packing list. We always have kiddie ones but being able to hide adult skin from midsummer Greek sun is also a big win!
What packing items am I missing? What does a 5 year old have on their essential packing list?
Dobble is another good card game which takes up very little space; my daughter has enjoyed it since she was 4 or 5 and still does at 10.
Author
Thank you! I will have a look! We’ve been playing Tummy Ache this week and that’s a current favourite
Thanks for sharing your holiday packing tips for a 4-year-old. It’s always a challenge to keep them entertained and well-prepared while traveling. Your ideas, like letting the child pick their toys, packing sticker books and coloring materials, and having screen time options, are fantastic. Plus, your recommendations for child-friendly car seats, tracking luggage, and even toiletry items are insightful. Here’s to stress-free family vacations!
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Author
Thank you! They’re things that have become essential to us
Author
Glad it was helpful ❤️