Traveling safely and comfortably with children can be a challenge, whether you are traveling by air, road, water or rail. Keeping the kids happy from the start and giving them a way to participate in the act of traveling is a good experience for the children and will reduce the stress level for the parents as well.

One of the great tips when traveling with children is to see that items that they need during travel are readily at hand. Childrens luggage is a great tool for active participation from the child that gives her or him a sense of responsibility and a measure of control over their own things. Pack the kids suitcases with items that they can get themselves when they need it, or at the very least, you can get child’s items from their own suitcase instead of having to dig through your own to find the right thing.

Childrens luggage comes in different colors and with different decorations, styles and sizes. There are compartments and pouches, inside and out, with zippers, snaps or velcro. Kids rolling luggage is an extremely popular item because it’s a lot like mommy and daddy’s rolling luggage, plus your child won’t have to bear the full weight of the luggage. Each child can bring their own suitcase, packed with the individual items they need to be entertained and comfortable on the trip. Be sure the size of any childrens luggage that will be used as a carry on on an airplane will fit under the seat in front of them so your child can reach it during the flight.

Make it easy on yourself when sight checking the family luggage by having personalized kids luggage for the kids. Their names emblazoned on their own luggage makes it easy to spot and avoids mix ups with other luggage. And if your kids don’t want a suitcase, or it’s bigger than they need, you can always get personalized kids backpacks. Easy to keep an eye on them, and a smaller number of things for your children to carry.

What to Look For in Kids Suitcases

The two main features of good childrens luggage should be 1) lightweight enough so that your child will still be able to carry and/or maneuver it when it is packed. And 2) durability and maintenance. Kids suitcases are for kids, so you need a size and weight that is appropriate for the age and size of the child using it. Handles, straps or wheels (on kids rolling luggage), need to be comfortable for them to grip, carry and maneuver. Durability is important because kids tend to be rougher with their things and you want this suitcase or backpack to last awhile. Ease of cleaning is also important to keep the kids suitcases looking bright and cheery for the next trip.

What your child will need for the vacation and during active travel will also be a consideration for the type of childrens luggage you purchase. Do you want them to carry their own clothes, or just their toys and entertainments and some comfort items during active travel? Lightweight kids rolling luggage has large compartments for storing clothes and other necessities and some have smaller, external pouches to make it easy to get something fast. There are also small versions of kids suitcases with multiple pouches, pockets and slots to hold lots of single items that you child just needs to be entertained during travel. Buy the type of luggage to suit the need.

Items to Include in Your Kids Suitcases

Think about the travel time first, and then think about what your child may need or want during that time. Think, also, about any needs, medical or comfort related, that may make traveling less stressful. So you might pack any medicines your child needs, a small pillow or a favorite stuffed toy, and a sweater or light blanket. How does your child entertain herself or himself at home? Pack their books and crayons, an MP3 player with their music, electronic games. Also think about healthy, non-refrigerated snacks like nuts, carrot sticks, cheese sticks, crackers or fruit. Depending on your mode of travel, water or juice boxes may be appropriate. And don’t forget some wet wipes to clean fingers, faces and spills and a plastic bag for the trash.

The goal is to have a great family experience together. The active travel part of any vacation or planned trip can be stressful or it can be smooth. Bringing familiar items along on the trip will help your children adjust to new surroundings. Allowing them to actively participate by having some control over their things will make the family experience an enjoyable and memorable one.

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I am a professional photographer in Costa Rica. The experiences on my tours are many since I never know what my group and I will happen upon. Let me tell you about one of these surprising events.

One of the destinations for my group in Costa Rica Photo Tours is the beautiful, pristine Osa Peninsula along the southern Pacific Coast of Costa Rica, a place that National Geographic says is “the most biologically diverse place” on the planet. In order to reach this location by vehicle we drive through the tiny village of Ojochal, which is very near my home.

Let me tell you about a unique way to move that some rural Costa Ricans still use. One day, when my photography group was passing through the village, we noticed a most unusual way of moving. But, to help you better appreciate what we saw, let me provide you with some background on the man who was moving.

The fellow who was moving was one of my neighbours, Senor Wilson (real Spanish name, don’t you think?), who has brought my wife and me flowering plants since we moved in. It was really funny the first day that he stood at the top of the driveway with plants in hand. He was so polite that he would not come down to the house without our invitation even though he was there to give us a present.

After a sort of “conversation”, he in Spanish and my wife and I mostly in English, I realized that he wanted to give us the plants. We were new in the community and this was a welcoming from the neighbours who live at least a hour walk up the mountain. Yep, walk. No car. Senor Wilson walked an hour just to deliver a gift. Now, that is neighborly!

With the passage of time, Senor Wilson has given me flowering plants many times. Often he stands there waiting to see where I will plant it. I would probably do the same thing if I lugged it down a mountain for an hour. However, there are so many things to do that planting this gift is never one of my priorities. Certainly, I never thought that I would be tested on my ability to choose a location and plant something when I moved to Costa Rica from Canada.

A couple of days after Senor Wilson gave me plants one time, he came to the house with still another plant and visited while his two boys swam in the river by the house. Of course, he asked me where I planted the others that he had brought the last time he came.

Unfortunately, the flowering plants were still on my terrace in aluminium kettles with drainage holes stabbed in the bottom of the pot with a machete. When good neighbor Wilson saw that his previous gift had not been planted, he politely asked in his quiet way if I would mind if he planted all of them for me. Quite a fellow, my neighbor and friend, Wilson.

Now that you have some idea about the kind of fellow my friend and neighbor Wilson is like, I want to return to my photography tour group driving along the dusty road near my house. Suddenly, we came upon a man walking alongside his horse. The animal was carrying two white bags, two huge white bags, filled with clothes and household items. Between the bags, Wilson or his wife had wedged a blue broom that extended over the animal’s head, giving us the impression that the horse was wearing a bristle blue tiara. I wonder if the horse was enjoying his royal status or quietly suffering the indignity of wearing a broom crown.

Wilson, standing by the horse, was holding a bridle in one hand and a birdcage in the other. A man, his birdcage, a horse, his crown. Quite a sight! It was moving day in Costa Rica.

I started the conversation as usual with “Hola, que tal?” “How are you?” And then I asked if he was moving (only kidding). But, sure enough, the horse was neighbor Wilson’s version of a moving van. I believe it is called a grass-eating 4 X 4.

Wilson explained that his family would be babysitting one of the Bed and Breakfasts while the owner was going back to Germany during the rainy season. This was ideal for him because it was much easier for his wife and 3 children to live in the pueblo close to the school rather than walk down about 2 miles from their mountain home every day.

I thought that it was rather interesting that he was carrying the birdcage. I would have thought that on one of the previous trips down to their new digs one of the children would have wanted to carry the cage.

Carting flowering plants and birdcages is all in Wilson’s job description. He told me and the group that the little bird was very young (parrot or parakeet, I don’t know), that it just loved to talk and knew many words. As though he understood, the bird started showing off, chattering away while we are talking about it. I would tell you what it said but my command of bird Spanish remains very poor to this day. Sorry.

You can imagine that my group was very excited about taking pictures of a crowned horse, chattering bird, and Costa Rica family walking down a mountain, worldly possessions carried by their trusty steed. Moving day in Costa Rica. One never knows what one will see or experience on my photo tour of Costa Rica.

Frank Scott lives in tropical Costa Rica where he is a professional Costa Rica Photographer offering unique photography tours. Some of his work can be seen in Costa Rica Vacations, a very popular travel guide to this unique country.

Spending a vacation with your family is a great opportunity to have quality time with each other. It enhances the relationships among family members and thickens the bonds. It is a time for relaxation and enjoyment. Here are some packing ideas to help you enjoy it more.

Make sure that each child has their own backpack where they will put their fun items like toy cars, barbie dolls and snacks. Its a good idea to have luggage with wheels that can be rolled so they can carry it easily. Assist the older kids in packing so that they will pack things that are important and will be used during your vacation. The best way to maximize the space of your backpack is to roll the clothes tightly. Put the light clothes first, and then the heavy ones. It will make your bag feel lighter.

When choosing which clothes to bring, consider the weather conditions. If you are going to a hot place, be sure to bring in your sunglasses, sun hats and some sun protection lotion. Make sure the clothes you bring are comfortable to wear and easy to put on and take off. Don’t forget to bring a jacket and a pair of long pants for each member during cold weather.

Make sure to pack interesting games for the children in order to keep them busy. Long trips can be boring and games with lots of interaction between family members can make them fun. Bring special toys for the younger ones. You might want to buy a few new items since new toys are always more interesting.

Prepare some snacks and refreshments that you will be eating during the trip. Pack some diapers and baby wipes for your baby. Ask the family what they want to eat during the trip so you can prepare it before you go. This will save you some cash.

When planning for your vacation, don’t forget to prepare a first aid kit and a flashlight in case you will need to find something during the night. Its a good idea to buy extra batteries - it is better to have an extra pack rather than be sorry. Don’t forget any medicine needed on a daily basis.

Remember to bring your camera, and to charge its batteries before you go. You would not want to miss any priceless moments during the vacation. If you have the extra budget, buy a water proof camera to take pictures on the beach. Pictures say a thousand words so capture each moment.

See to it that you have already paid your bills. Start planning at least two weeks before the date of your departure to ensure that all things are in order. A planned vacation is a worry-free vacation.