child playing
Having children does not mean that you can no longer enjoy traveling. As long as you have the right tools and equipment to keep the little ones at bay and safe, you will find how easy and fun it is to go around with the entire family. Losing toys under the car seat annoyed 9% of parents. Reuters/ Darrin Zammit Lupi

Having children does not mean that you can no longer enjoy traveling. As long as you have the right tools and equipment to keep the little ones at bay and safe, you will find how easy and fun it is to go around with the entire family. Here are five essential traveling items for couples with kids.

1. Sketchpad or coloring book. Traveling for hours inside a car or airplane can be very boring for young children. You can keep them settled by providing them with a sketchpad or coloring book and pencils and crayons, based on a report by Lajollamom.com. The volume of papers will prevent them from drawing directly on your car seat or any surface they can find. They can also get creative and artistic through practice.

2. Food and snacks. Kids often get hungry when traveling for long periods. Provide them with healthy snacks like cereals, mixed fruits and berries and cookies. Also have milk readily available. Be careful about giving them very sugary treats or they might get rowdy inside the limited space throughout the trip.

3. First aid kit. Children are prone to cuts, bruises and wounds so have a first aid kit always available, based on an article by Kinsights.com. There are medical kits that are particularly made for children. You can apply medication or provide quick-relief syrups on the go and keep your child safe and well-rested throughout the travel.

4. Diaper-changing items. When bringing babies or toddlers, always have diapers, wipes and talcum powder available. Also prepare disposable bags to store the wet diapers. Toddlers will be restless and often cry if you fail to change their diaper immediately. They also get prone to certain conditions if you do not replace these while traveling.

5. Identification card. There are special child tags and ID cards that children can wear around their neck when traveling. These are very important when you are entering busy terminals and airports. Children can get lost very quickly so these identification tags will help people bring your child back to you. Include your full name, address, photo and contact number.

Also orient your children days before traveling and voice out your expectations in terms of behavior. Let your child choose a few items to bring for himself too so he can stay preoccupied for hours.