Traveling in a motorhome can be both great fun and challenging at times, especially when it comes to packing for kids. Whether you’re going on a weekend getaway or an extended on the road adventure, having a well thought out capsule wardrobe for your kids can make all the difference. In this guide, I will list the essential items to include in a child’s travel wardrobe, ensuring comfort, versatility, and most importantly easy washing and drying. This post is part of a series on checklists for family motorhome packing and you can download my free packing for kids capsule wardrobe checklist at the bottom of this post.
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Packing for Kids Organisers
Each of my four kids gets a packing cube, a small rucksack and a bumbag. The packing cube is for clothes not including their coat, a warm top, waterproofs or swimming gear. The small rucksack is for personal belongings they want to bring such as books, games and art or stationary items. The bumbag is for money, a camera or other small items they want to carry on themselves. I have owned these packing cubes, rucksacks and bumbags for close to 5 years and they have been extremely useful not just for motorhome trips but for other outings such as going to forest school.
Comfortable & Practical Clothing
While these recommendations are intended to be helpful, it’s important to consider your child’s individual preferences and needs when packing for travel adventures, for example I have not included dresses on this list as my two girls dress almost exclusively in leggings or jeans, but you may want to include these for your family. Also while some of these items are ones they pack themselves there are items such as swiming gear which I take responsibility for and pack a family bag with those items.
1. Underwear
Each child brings enough underwear to cover about 6 days. This includes pants or boxers, bras, crop tops or vests and socks. I have special hiking socks for each child that I pack with their hiking boots. Even if we are going away on a long trip this is the most we pack as I will factor in washing on longer trips.
2. PJs
We pack two pairs of pjs each and normally these will be long sleeve as it can get cold in the motorhome at night. If we are travelling in winter I may bring a onesie for each child.
3. Tops and T-Shirts
The type of tops we pack depends on the time of year. We usually pack 6 per child with a mix of short sleeve and long sleeve t-shirts and perhaps vest tops for the girls if it’s particularly warm. If it’s winter I may pack a base layer for each child too while if its summer time I will pack a UV sun top for each of them. I aim for breathable quick drying fabrics, which are perfect for layering and are easy to wash and dry.
4. Bottoms and Shorts
In terms of bottoms I will include a few pairs of trousers and shorts; usually 3 x trousers and 2 x shorts. I look for clothing that is durable and easy to move in, ideal for active play and exploration. I also take into account how quickly the items dry and if they are multi use i.e. trousers that have removable legs are an excellent choice.
5. Fancy / Decent Outfit
My kids will each bring one outfit for going to a restaurant or for dressing up to go into a town for the day. This is nothing more than prehaps a tunic style top that can be dressed up or down with leggings or tights for the girls and jeans and a shirt for the boys.
6. Outerwear
To ensure the kids stay warm in the evenings and have clothing for all possible weather we will pack an outer layer waterproof coat, a warm jumper or fleece, a sun hat and a wooly hat. These are packed into the wardrobe in the motorhome and so do not have to fit into their packing cubes. I have also in the past packed waterproof trousers if I think they will be required.
7. Miscellaneous
Other items that I have had on my list over the years include items like bibs, puddlesuits and baby sleeping bags, which my youngest no longer needs. My girls like to bring their own fluffy blankets. I will bring swimming stuff including suits, swim hats and goggles for everyone in one big bag which goes with us to the swimming pool or beach and I may also bring wet suits and life jackets if we are planning lots of beach adventures.
Footwear for Every Adventure
1. Trainers
Each child brings a spare pair of training shoes and the pair they are currently wearing. I have learnt over the years that it is easier to let them bring a spare pair as they always manage to get a pair wet at least once on every trip. We don’t have expensive trainers for this very reason.
2. Sandals
We bring beach sandles or water shoes for each child so they are able to go into the water even on rocky beaches without hurting their feet. I like sandles with the toes enclosed and straps as these are also good for exploring rocky terrain, and providing protection and grip in wet environments. I really prefer them not to have flip flops as these are no good for climbing, something that they all enjoy doing, but the girls sometimes pack flip flops in with the swimming gear for ease of changing on swimming pool trips.
3. Walking Boots
We always do a few hikes on our trips and so each child has a proper pair of walking boots and as I stated earlier I also bring proper walking socks for those days.
Back Pack / Day Bag
Providing each child with their own backpack or day bag means that on hiking days they can carry their own snacks, water bottles, and other essentials leaving me free to carry a child carrier rucksack for the toddler with changing items and spare water.
Final Tips for Packing & Organisation
Let your children take owenership of their packing as early as possible. I allow the older kids to pack their own clothes and simply provide them with a checklist. They have forgotten items before but it has been a good learning experience for them. I don’t worry about clothes matching as I prioritise comfort and functionality over looks. A good tip for saving space is to roll clothing items instead of folding them and don’t worry about wrinkles.
Packing Checklist
Simplifying Travel when Packing for Kids
As you can see with a simple capsule wardrobe for your child, you can streamline the packing process and ensure they have everything they need for a comfortable and enjoyable travel experience. Furthermore, by giving each child their own packing bags and empowering them to pack their own items from as young as possible you can make your packing easier. I hope you have found this blog post helpful let me know in the comments if you would add anything to this list.
[…] it comes to packing for kids on a motorhome trip the items required can be age and ability dependant. Likewise creating the perfect mum’s capsule […]