Fresh off a family vacation and in honor of Amazon Prime Days as I'm posting this, I thought it'd be fun to share some of my Amazon must-haves for family travel, some non-necessities that ended up super useful,
plus a few things I thought I would love but actually didn't. All links are
affiliate links, which doesn't change your price, but means I get a tiny bit
of Amazon's profits if you decide to order.
Not an Amazon Prime member yet? Try it for free for 30 days to take advantage
of the Prime Day Deals!
First, my all-time most used Amazon item for travelling with kids: a Fire
tablet. At just under $50 for the base model even when they aren't on sale at all, these things
are a great deal, and they keep my kids so happy in the car. You can control
which apps and content they have access to, and download content that doesn't
require wifi before you leave home, like audiobooks, and movies and episodes
of shows on whichever streaming services your family subscribes to.
Must-Have: A super tough camera
|
|
I never want to forget moments like this!
|
I have a Fujifilm XP120 and I love it. It's waterproof down to like 65 feet
underwater which is way deeper than I go, it's freeze proof down to 14
degrees, it's dust proof, and most importantly, it's shockproof so it won't
break the first time a kid breaks it like my beautiful pink canon camera my
oldest broke when he was 3. And it takes beautiful pictures! If you're a
professional photographer, you will also want to have your high-end camera
with more bells and whistles, but whether you're a pro or just a random like
me who wants to remember fun times with your family, I think any parent who
travels should have a super tough camera so you don't have to live in fear of
dropping your cam!
Surprise Fave: Waterproof bag
I bought this at the last minute to be a dry bag for kayaking and thought I'd
use it like twice on our most recent lake trip. Instead I found myself using
it as my purse for the week, toting around my waterproof camera, sunscreen,
phone, cabin key, sunglasses, and some ice cream money! It was great to toss
onto the sand and know it wasn't going to get ruined when it got splashed, and
the strap was long enough I could easily wear it as a cross body bag all
week.
Didn't use: bucket hats
I thought we all *needed* hats for sun protection...but it ended up being
really windy on the water and my kids hate chin straps. So most of the time
they didn't wear them at all, and one of the few times they did, my son threw
his in the lake and it sank like a brick. I still recommend getting hats for
your kids, but don't be surprised if they end up sitting in your bag on all
your adventures because it's too windy!
- An inexpensive one with a strap so it might not fall off:
Must-have: Scalp Sunscreen
If your kids won't wear hats either, or if you yourself will be out and have a
part in your hair, this is essential for preventing sunburns. I have
definitely burnt my part before and trust me, the gooey crusty peeling sunburn
line from forehead to neck is something you reeeeally want to avoid. This is
the brand I use now and so far none of us have gotten burnt scalps while using
it, even when we spend all day in the sun!
Surprise Fave: Tinted lip balm with SPF
I honestly forgot I had this in my purse, but LOVE it for long days in the sun
and water. It helps keep my lips protected from the wind and sun while also
adding just enough color to look cute in pics, but still look natural. I
almost feel like it restores my natural lip color when my lips are getting a
little dry and pale from being chapped!
Didn't use: Boat Towel
I thought this would be really useful, but it just wasn't. If you love them,
then awesome, but for me it just sits unused. I probably just don't know what
it's really for, because there was nothing wrong with it, it just has to be
wet to be soft and useful, but I don't see much use for a wet towel. If you
are a super casual boater, this may not be something you need either.
Must have: Wagon
Transporting kids on trips can be tough when you want to go farther or faster
than little legs are up to. My 8 year old has special needs, so this happens
to him a lot, but he has outgrown strollers. We found a wagon was a great
solution, and he fits in it with his 4 year old sister when she needs a break
too, or either can stretch their legs completely out if they are the only one
in the wagon!
This is the wagon I have:
Surprise fave: Franklin Soft Bocce
Finding yard games that are safe for all ages and stages can be tough, and I
honestly wasn't expecting much from this soft bocce set. But to my surprise,
it's now one of our favorite family games! This is great for any family, but I
especially recommend this for anyone who has a child with a sensory need to
throw.,
Didn't use: Wonder Nation Toddler Girl Beach Bump Toe Sport Sandals
Ok this is actually from Walmart, not Amazon, and is one I actually did use, but will never use again. I bought
these
because they were literally the last water shoes available at any Walmart in
Sioux City in my daughter's size, and I wish I hadn't. She wore them one
evening at the lake, and at the end of that time, her ankles were rubbed raw
on both sides. I hope that other families aren't having the same experience
and maybe we got a defective pair or they are just an especially bad match for
my daughter's ankle shape specifically or something, but if your kids have
sensitive skin at all, I would look for a different option.
Must-Have: baby carrier
My youngest is 4 now, so I don't use baby carriers much anymore, but for a
newborn, a stretchy wrap style carrier is essential. There is a bit of a
learning curve, but if you can learn to tie shoes, you can learn to tie a baby
carrier, and it becomes just as easy and automatic once you do! Moby is a
brand I have personal experience with and can vouch for the quality of, but
there are lots of other good ones out there too:
For older babies and toddlers, I recommend a woven wrap style carrier like a
Pavo or Oscha, or a buckle carrier like a Kinderpack. Unfortunately all 3 of
those brands are not on Amazon.
Surprise fave: Saltwater Shark II Sandals
These saltwater sandals look fancy, but fit comfy, and can safely be worn in
the water without damaging them! They are expensive, but durable, and I really
love that they are nice enough to wear to church or a summer wedding but are
also tough enough to not worry if they are hiking or playing in the dirt, and
the closed toes mean no stubbed toes when they kick a soccer ball in the yard.
If I could only buy my boys one pair of shoes to be worn for everything they
do all summer, I would get them a pair of Hoy Shark II sandals!
I hope these ideas are helpful! I love hearing what other families are
really using and loving, so if you have a fave to recommend, feel free to
leave a comment to tell other families what you found! Have fun
shopping!
Comments
Post a Comment
Thanks for joining in the conversation! We can't wait to hear what you have to say. Some comments are moderated, so it may take some time for your comment to appear on the site. We encourage lively discussion, but will delete comments that are hostile, hateful, spammy, or rude.