Travelling with young children can be an incredibly rewarding experience – but it’s also filled with its own set of challenges. 

During a family vacation, parents frequently encounter various challenges ranging from tantrums and flight delays to misplaced items and diaper emergencies. These unexpected obstacles can make the journey stressful at times.

However, amidst these difficulties, traveling to new destinations with children allows families to create cherished memories and engage in bonding experiences full of adventure.

A mother, who goes by the username @explorewithethan2021 on popular platforms like YouTube and TikTok, has taken it upon herself to assist fellow parents in overcoming the difficulties associated with traveling alongside young children.

Having visited 40 countries with her four-year-old son, she’s shared her top tips and go-to items that make travelling with little ones a little bit easier.

Whether you’re planning an international holiday, a European theme park getaway, or a coastal staycation, preparation is key. 

Here are 11 essential travel tools that can make the journey smoother for both parents and kids.

One mother, known as @explorewithethan2021 on TikTok, has visited 40 countries with her four-year-old son, she’s shared her top tips and go-to items that make travelling with little ones a little bit easier

 11 child-friendly travel essentials 

This retro-style scrapbook can stores over 300 photos – perfect for capturing memories during the trip. 

With 73 sheets (146 pages), a variety of stickers and bookmark cards, and a sturdy craft paper bag attached to the back for photos, stamps, travel tickets, and souvenirs, it’s an excellent way to store and cherish memories. 

The mother commented: ‘I’m in love with this travel scrapbook. It has everything you need to capture your travel adventures.’

Ideal for toddlers who are potty training or children on the go, this fun, elephant-shaped portable urinal can hold up to 500ml – it’s also reusable, leak-proof, and compact.

The mother added: ‘This portable urinal is so handy to use on the go. It’s a gamechanger. It can be used by girls and boys – I haven’t tested it on adults yet!’

This creative, reusable LCD drawing board allows kids to express their creativity while on the move. 

With an easy-to-use erase button, stylus pen, lock switch, a durable design and a built-in replaceable battery that holds up to 12 months of use, this tablet is perfect for quiet entertainment during travel.

Reusable sticker books offer a fun, educational way for kids to learn and play while developing fine motor skills. 

With themes ranging from animals to space, these activity books are not only entertaining but also help with hand-eye coordination and creative expression. 

These Astaron books feature foldable designs, a handle for easy carrying, and reusable 3D stickers made from high quality TPE material. 

Simply put, triangle-shaped crayons are easier to keep an eye on than its circular counterparts. 

This ten-pack of bright jumbo triangular crayons by Treezy are also easier to handle than traditional round ones, helping children develop their writing grip. 

They are made of plastic, not wax, for additional durability and their easy to grasp design won’t allow them to roll away. 

The mother said: ‘The amount of times I’ve been crawling on a plane floor trying to find crayons that have rolled off is too many. Triangle ones make life so much easier.’

Great for younger children, this activity board is designed to engage and educate through play. 

Made of soft felt, the book features a variety of tasks like buttoning, zipping, and identifying colours, 1-10 numbers, A-Z letters, time, animals and more. 

It’s lightweight and easy for kids to carry around, which makes it ideal for long flights or car rides.

Made from super soft premium matte fabric, this award-winning bib covers your child’s entire body, making it perfect for the messiest of meals whilst out and about.

With its adjustable strap, it attaches easily to highchairs and keeps your little one clean – saving parents up to 30 minutes a day on cleaning.

This versatile luggage can transform into a ride-on suitcase for kids or a portable seat for adults, making it a great option for both travel and rest. 

Without a child, it securely stores essentials like a diaper bag, travel bag, or briefcase. 

It eliminates the need for a pram and fits in most overhead compartments, although customers are urged to consult with their airlines prior to flying.

The patented design features a weight capacity of 100kg (including luggage contents), 43 litre capacity, a bag hook on seat back, universal TSA approved three digit lock, 360 degree wheels and a seatbelt. 

Long flights can be uncomfortable for little ones – but the innovative Bubba Board offers a practical solution. 

This seat extender creates a flat surface for kids to lie down on, providing extra comfort and support. 

For additional support, the shoulder strap can be clipped around the tray table. A seatbelt can and always should be worn. 

It’s easy to set up and remove, making it a must-have for families travelling with young children. 

The Amazon Fire Tablet offers a wide 10.1″ display and comes with parental controls to help manage screen time and access to content, a child-friendly case and a 2-year worry-free guarantee.

Parents can manage everything from their phones, including screen-time limits, pausing or resuming the device, accessing educational content and approving requests from the app store, such as downloading Netflix, Disney+ and Zoom. 

With a one-year subscription to Amazon Kids+, it’s an all-in-one entertainment device that keeps kids entertained with thousands of apps, games, and videos. 

These wireless headphones double as a soft fleece headband, making them perfect for travel. 

They connect via Bluetooth to devices like tablets and smartphones and are adjustable for comfort. 

They’re great for long trips, and the microphone is an added bonus.