Does your family go away during the holidays? Do you find yourself in a mad, frantic rush towards the car and then about half an hour down the motorway remember the three crucial things you forgot to pack?
If so, then your family may be like mine.
I’ve heard that there are other sorts of families – ones that have perfected the pre-holiday packing routine, who never forget anything, who enjoy the holiday preparations as much as the holiday itself. But I’ll tell you the truth – we aren’t that type of family.
Having said that, in the last few years I’ve discovered a tactic that takes a remarkable amount of stress and pressure out of the packing process. I call it ‘Holiday Packing Lists‘.

A ‘Holiday Packing List’ is exactly what it’s name implies: a list of the basic clothing, toiletry, bedding and recreational needs for a simple trip away. I print off one list per child (and often for myself – my husband seems to manage quite fine without one). Then it is up to each person to choose and stack their list’s worth of supplies ready for inspection before packing in the right sized bag.
The inspection process is a helpful one because it means you can weed out the too small socks and too big teddies!

Another great thing about ‘Holiday Packing Lists’ is that they can be altered in terms of quantities, or adjusted for special trips. For example, you can add a list of Ski Gear if your headed to the snow, or swap the sweaters for snorkels if you plan to holiday at the beach.

I’ve found getting the kids to pack their own holiday bags, with the guidance of this list cuts out complaints, encourages independence and generally works brilliantly to cut out most mid-motorway groans.

Here’s what my ‘Holiday Packing List‘ looks like (apologies to non Aussie readers for any unclear vocabulary). 

Basic List:
Undies X ______
Socks X _____
Hat
Sneakers
Thongs/sandals  (In Australia ‘thongs’ are flip-flop shoes!)
Toiletries (toothbrush, hairbrush etc)
PJs
Swimmers
Goggles
Suncream
Beach towel
Summer Outfits X _______
Winter Outfits X _______
Something to read
Something to cuddle
Something to do

Extras:
Pillow
Sheets/sleeping bag
Bath-towel

I wonder what would be in yours? Or what you’d leave out?