Whether you’re flying or driving on your summer vacation, keep your kids entertained and your sanity intact with these kids travel bag ideas!

Last month, we flew with our two kids (ages 6 & 4) to California. These backpacks were their carry-ons. Portable DVD players and headphones for the kids were in my husband’s carry-on. It was a fabulous vacation, and the kids did really well in the airport and on the flight. In case you missed it on Facebook (click “Like” to follow me there!), here’s Laguna Lane at Laguna Beach.

[By the way, I wore this fanny pack much of the trip, and I loved it! It held the essentials without being bulky, and it was perfect for theme parks!]

In photos below, I’ll break down how I packed each backpack and what’s inside.

Kids Travel Bag Ideas – Staying Organized

Before starting, I bought a couple of items to keep the bags organized and safe.

• Luggage Tags – These tags only show your name and have to be opened to see any other personal information. I really like that when my child is carrying a backpack. And they come in fun and different colors! Each child got their favorite color, and they helped our checked suitcases stand out as well.
• Zipper Pouches – These pouches are genius and fit perfectly in kid backpacks! They helped me organize items by category, and the different colors were great to know which bag to grab at a glance. Plus, they’re easy for the kids to open and close!

Arts & Crafts

Here’s what’s inside my daughter’s arts & crafts zipper pouch:

1. Zipper Pouch
2. Spiral Notebook with Elastic – My kids LOVED the elastic band to close these spirals! And I liked the small size. Similar on Amazon.
3. Fancy Nancy Stickers – My daughter loves the Fancy Nancy books, so I bought these on a whim at Dollar Tree. Another option on Amazon.
4. Plain Printer Paper – Seriously, my kids always pick this over a coloring book!
5. Scratch-Off Pages – These were from the Target dollar spot a year or two ago, but here’s a great Amazon option. Bright colors are revealed wherever the black is scratched off with a wooden tool.
6. Pip-Squeaks Markers – The small size is perfect, and they’re washable! I put these in a snack size baggie.
7. Sticky Note Pads – This is another thing that’s so simple and yet so entertaining for the kids! Similar on Amazon.
8. Color Change Pens – Again, something just a bit different than usual is so engaging! Similar on Amazon.
9. Crayons in a Soap Box – A soap dish is the perfect size for crayons and easily opens and shuts.

(Not pictured is her favorite lovey. Any small stuffed animal would be a great addition!)

Here’s what’s inside my son’s arts & crafts zipper pouch:

1. Zipper Pouch
2. Sticker Mosaic – Kids follow a numbered design to apply stickers. Even I want to do these!
3. Pipe Cleaners – Let their creativity flow with these! My kids have made jewelry, animals, and even leashes for their stuffed animals.
4. Spiral Notebook with Elastic – My kids LOVED the elastic band to close these spirals! I liked the small size. Similar on Amazon.
5. Plain Printer Paper – Seriously, my kids always pick this over a coloring book!
6. Maze Book – The book in the photo is from Five Below last year, but I’ve linked to another one on Amazon.
7. Washi Tape – I bought this big variety pack of washi tape, and I’ll pull out rolls randomly. Washi tape is great for travelling since no dispenser is needed, and my kids can both easily tear it off.
8. Sticky Note Pads – This is another thing that’s so simple and yet so entertaining for the kids! Similar on Amazon.
9. Crayola Twistables Crayons – These are different enough from regular crayons that the kids were captivated. Just go into it expecting some to break because 4 & 6 year olds like to twist out more crayon “lead” than they need!
10. Color Change Pens – Again, something just a bit different than usual is so engaging! Similar on Amazon.
11. Tic Tac Toe Notepad– I think we got this notepad in the mail for free as an advertisement, but here’s a fun Tic Tac Toe pad from Amazon.

Games & Puzzles

1. Zipper Pouch
2. Uno Card Game – My 6 year old son LOVES Uno! It’s great for playing in the airport or once you arrive at your destination.
3. Rubix Cube – This is a compact and quiet activity! Or try these other fun puzzle shapes.
4. Go Fish – Another great game for on the plane or once you’ve arrived.
5. Wooden Cube Puzzle – This came in a set of puzzles we’ve had for years, but here’s a similar one on Amazon. My son mastered it on our trip. And this is cool variation of it.

Snacks

Can I let you in on a little secret? The secret to happy kids when travelling is snacks! I packed a variety of individually packaged snacks and included some healthier items like applesauce pouches, raisin, and dried cranberries. I generally let them choose when and what to eat, since I’ve learned that another secret to happy kids is letting them make as many small (and inconsequential) decisions as possible.

Once we were in California, I continued to refill one of these snack pouches to take in the car with us each day. Super handy!

Kids Travel Bag Ideas – Extras

Here are a few other fun items I threw into their bags:

1. Melissa and Doug Reusable Puffy Sticker Set – Stickers can be used again and again, and this opens to reveal a few different “scenes” to decorate.
2. Cars Sticker Set – I found this at Five Below, and I’ve linked to a similar set for Bubble Guppies. Inside are realistic scenes to decorate with stickers.
3. Mad Libs – This is a fun way to get kids to laugh… and teach them some new vocabulary (noun, adjective, etc.) along the way. Great to play in the car!

What are your favorite items for kids travel bags? I’d love to gather more ideas!

P.S. Take a look here and here for more DIY travel activity ideas. During and after the trip, encourage your kids to make a travel journal. And create a cool DIY shadow box to track your travels!