Traveling with children is lovely; it creates lifelong family memories. It also requires an extra degree of planning and organization to keep everything running orderly. From efficient packing to the construction of a kid-friendly itinerary, here are some very important strategies to help in maintaining order amidst the chaos of family travel.

Packing Strategies: Use Packing Cubes

Packing cubes will revolutionize family travel organizations. Color code the kids’ clothes in their own set of cubes. For example, put all your daughter’s items in purple cubes and those of your son in green ones. This makes it easy to quickly locate anyone’s belongings in the suitcase.

Within the cubes, pack vertically by standing them up rather than stacking clothes on top of each other. This allows you to maximize space and pack right up to the suitcase lid. You can even pull out a single cube if you need something without having to unpack the whole bag.

Pack a capsule wardrobe

Rather than planning specific outfits for each day, including a mini capsule wardrobe that pairs tops with the bottom pieces. You can stick with one color scheme per child where everything goes together, which might give you some flexibility those mornings when a spill or changes need to occur, as you have more choices to create new outfits from the separates.

Designate a Packing Zone

Set up a loading zone—a spare bed or piece of floor—to gather everything before you pack it in suitcases. As you do laundry in the days leading up to the trip, you can put clean stuff there instead of letting it re-scattered into bedrooms. According to a recent survey conducted by Sparkly Maid Miami, 62% of families find it easier to pack when everything is clean and designated in one spot. Use that space to lay out each child’s stuff, check that you have enough outfits, and do any swaps before packing.

Use clear bags

Fill small items such as socks, underwear, and hair accessories in clear plastic bags or pouches. This makes it easy for you to see what each has as you dig around the suitcase. Clear shoe bags will help you with this.

Pack a laundry bag

Don’t forget a designated laundry bag for dirty clothes. This will keep them separate from your clean items and contain any odors until you can do laundry.

Itinerary Planning: Cater to Your Kids’ Interests

When picking your destination and activities, choose things your kids will actually enjoy based on their ages and interests. Yes, you may want to expose them to cultural activities, but balance that with more hands-on outdoor adventures or kid-friendly tours. Getting input from them on wishlist items can help ensure buy-in.

Build a Loose Itinerary

Plan out each day in general, allowing flexibility in the plan. Overplanning can result in meltdowns if things don’t go according to schedule. Build in some downtime at parks or playgrounds to let kids exercise. Use a spreadsheet or document that outlines activities, transportation, hotels, reservations, etc for each day.

Link All Confirmations

Keep all confirmation details and numbers for flights, hotels, rental cars, tours, etc., in your itinerary document by paste or link. This will hold everything in one location for any reference during the journey. You can even allow access to the itinerary to other grown-ups on the trip through services like Google Drive.

Use travel resources

Take advantage of travel resources and apps that can help plan a kid-friendly itinerary. Ciao Bambino is one such website that holds family hotel and destination reviews. According to a recent study, 70% of families who use travel planning apps report having a more organized and enjoyable trip. Detour Kids provides self-guided walking tours designed within the interests of children.

Pack Snacks and Entertainment

Regarding travel segments, pack snacks, water, devices, books, or other kids’ entertainment for long plane rides or road trips. In this case, a well-packed travel bag can be a lifesaver.

Of course, some planning and a few organization tips give one the upper hand when traveling. From making packing easier to planning an itinerary that kids will love, it takes just a little planning. All the memories you’ll make will be well worth the effort!