By age — check off or print

Packing list for a holiday with kids

With children, packing is not about more things but different things. This list runs from documents to the beach, with what each age adds per category. Tick it off on your phone or print it.

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Documents and essentials

0 of 75 packed

Children need their own passport — adding them to a parent’s passport has not been possible for years.

Clothes per child — one week

Count more generously than for yourself: more gets wet, dirty and torn. Rule of thumb: one set per day plus three.

Extras by age

On top of the base list above.

Carry-on and travel day

The difference between a hard travel day and a bearable one sits almost entirely in this bag.

Sleeping and care

First aid and medication for children

Bring doses that match your child’s weight — working that out in a foreign language on the spot is hard.

Beach, pool and outdoors

Rainy days and evenings

The category everyone forgets and needs most.

How do you split this across the family?

One list for the whole family works better than a list per person. Shared items — the first-aid kit, sunscreen, the adapter, the beach tent — only need to come once, and that only works if everyone looks at the same list.

From around age seven, give children their own section. They pack their own clothes, games and water bottle. You keep the overview without checking everything, and they forget their comfort toy less often than you would.

More on splitting tasks in planning a holiday together. For the general base without children: the complete holiday packing list.

Split who brings what

In PAKT you add this list to your trip and assign each item — to you, your partner, or a child’s own section. What is packed shows up immediately, offline included.

The list is kept for the next holiday. You adjust what changed instead of starting again.

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PAKT holiday planner — shared family packing list split per child
App Packing list app: what to look for Rather tick it off together than print it? Six criteria and an honest comparison. Packing list Complete holiday packing list The general base list, without children. Camping Camping packing list with kids Tent, bedding and cooking gear for the campsite. Flying Flying with kids: 10 hacks From painter’s tape to the hourly-surprise system.

Never lose a list again

Put this packing list into PAKT, invite your family and split who brings what. Next holiday the list is still there.

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Frequently asked questions

What do you pack for a holiday with kids?

On top of the usual list: an own passport per child, more clothing (one set per day plus three), a first-aid kit with children’s doses, familiar sleeping items and a well-stocked carry-on. The carry-on matters most — it is the difference between a hard travel day and a bearable one.

How much clothing does a child need?

One set of underwear and socks per day plus three spare, eight to ten tops and four or five bottoms for a week. More gets wet, dirty and torn than with adults. Always bring a rain jacket and closed shoes, even to a sunny destination.

Does a child need their own passport?

Yes. Adding children to a parent’s passport has not been possible for years — every child needs their own passport or ID card, including babies. Travelling without the other parent? Bring a consent letter and a copy of their passport.

What goes in the carry-on for children?

Snacks, an empty drinking cup, one complete change of clothes per child, wipes, plastic bags for wet clothes, something for travel sickness, the comfort toy and a small surprise per hour of travel. Keep plasters and wipes near the top.

How do you split a packing list across the family?

Use one shared list and assign each item, rather than everyone making their own. Shared items only come once. From about age seven, children can pack their own section. PAKT records this per item and shows what is already packed.