I’m a fan of lists and I thrive on trying to organize my life with them. So it’s only natural that I made a list for our last vacation. Let’s call it the Family Vacation To Do List.
Here’s my Pre-Vacation To Do List…
We’ve made it a FREE PRINTABLE so you’ll be able to download it and print it to have on hand when you are preparing for your family vacation.
DOWNLOAD AND PRINT PRE-VACATION TO-DO LIST
1. Do a few extra loads of laundry 3-5 days before you leave and wash the items you want to take with you first
2. Give each member of the family one bag and fill it with their clothes and essentials first. Any leftover room is for the items they want to bring– toys, games, stuffed animals (sigh), etc.
3. Pack a secret bag full of favorite toys, games, books, activities and DVDs
4. Charge all electronics the day and night before
5. Leave a big bright pink post-it note on a highly visible place (like high up on the front door) with the last minute items to pack– toothbrush, phone chargers, camera, camera battery charger, deodorant, make-up, lovies, pillows, daily medications, etc.
6. Call ahead and see what is already at your destination or plan on bringing your own items if you prefer. We recently traveled to see family and no one there has a baby or toddler anymore so I brought our Pack N’ Play, sheets, diapers, wipes, baby monitor, etc. I had to go out and buy a cheapy booster seat for the dining room table after the first day because my toddler would not sit at the table and eat his food without one.
7. If you are going to a family member’s house, ask them if their house is baby proofed. If not, bring a travel baby gate; outlet covers, kitchen cabinet slide locks and anything else you might need to keep your baby safe.
8. Map out the closest Urgent Care Centers, Emergency Rooms and Hospitals. I did this with a simple search of the area surrounding the house we were staying at. Better safe than sorry and you never know when you’ll need it (and if your family will be around when you need it)
9. Make sure you have originals or copies of all documents in case of an emergency– insurance cards, birth certificates, emergency phone numbers, etc.
10. Bring a white noise machine or download one on your smart phone. You never know if the family dog will bark or if the halls of the hotel will be noisy and wake you or your children.
What did we forget our our Family Vacation to Do List?