Top Tips for Travelling With Kids (From a Full-Time Travelling Family of Six)
By the Mumford Family — Dream Big Travels
Meaningful. Purposeful. Family Travel.
Travelling with kids is one of the most memorable things you can do as a family — but airport days can feel overwhelming, especially if it’s your first time flying with children. As a full-time travelling family of six, we’ve learned that a smooth travel day isn’t about perfection. It’s about preparation, calm leadership, and helping your kids feel safe and confident every step of the way.
In this guide, I’m sharing our top tips for travelling with kids — the exact habits, routines, and strategies we use every time we fly domestically or internationally. If you want a calmer, easier, more enjoyable airport experience (for you AND the kids), these practical suggestions will make a huge difference.
A Quick Story Before We Begin
there is quite a lot of waiting on a travel day, preparing the kids for this is so important.
When we first left Australia, I had no idea how intense airports could feel with four kids in tow. Even I felt overwhelmed — which meant, of course, the kids did too. We learned quickly that our energy shaped their entire experience. Over time, through trial, error, and a lot of airport floors, we found what works — and what doesn’t.
These tips have genuinely transformed our travel days. I hope they do the same for your family.
Quick Summary (For Busy Parents)
Top Tips for Travelling With Kids:
Stay calm — your energy sets the tone
Talk your kids through what to expect
Prepare snacks and drinks
Give each child their own bag
Assign one adult to manage passports
Use a buddy system
Arrive early to the gate
Charge and download everything the night before
Prepare visas and entry requirements
Travel light — it reduces stress and saves money
1. Be the Calm Your Kids Need
Airports naturally carry a serious, high-pressure energy. There’s noise, rushing, rules, new procedures — and kids feel every bit of that intensity.
But here’s the truth:
If you stay calm, they will stay calmer.
Things that help us:
Clearing the schedule the day before
Packing early
Resting and mentally preparing
Keeping expectations realistic
Your calm presence becomes their anchor in a new, unfamiliar environment.
2. Talk Them Through What Will Happen
Hannah had her first international flight when she was only one!
Kids feel safer when they understand the “why.”
Explain things like:
Why there are long lines
What security checks actually do
Why they need to take off shoes or hand over tablets
What a metal detector is
Why you arrive early
What boarding looks like
What takeoff feels like
If this is their first time flying, YouTube airport walk-throughs are brilliant.
When parents feel confident, kids feel confident too.
Your confidence will help build theirs.
3. Snacks & Drinks Are Your Secret Weapon
Hungry kids + travel day = chaos.
This is not the day for strict food rules. We loosen up a little and focus on keeping everyone full and happy.
Our go-tos:
Maddie was the most excited out of all our children to get her in-flight meal on our recent flight to Malaysia.
Nutella or simple sandwiches
Crackers
Fruit
Muffins
Non-messy snacks
Things to remember:
Airport food is expensive
Low-cost airlines don’t include meals
Pre-ordering meals can save money
Kids LOVE their own airplane meal tray
Also: Always bring empty drink bottles to fill after security.
4. Give Each Child Their Own Bag
We give each child:
1 backpack + 1 suitcase (moving to carry-on only next year).
It teaches responsibility, reduces arguments, and keeps things simple.
Before we leave home, each child knows exactly:
What bag they’re carrying
What they’re responsible for
It avoids the chaotic reshuffling that always seems to happen when you’re already running late.
5. One Adult Manages Passports & Important Documents
Even the most organised parent can lose things during security checks — it happens to everyone.
Our system:
All six passports go into a small plastic container
One adult (Brad) carries the passport box + devices
I help the younger kids through security
Our eldest helps Brad remove electronics into trays
Divide and conquer. It works.
6. Use a Buddy System
Our older girls pair with their younger siblings.
The rule is simple:
“Stick with your buddy and keep an eye on them.”
It reduces wandering, gives little ones confidence, and allows us to focus on logistics without losing sight of the kids.
Ari always looks at the safety brochure on the plane.
7. Get to the Gate Early
Gate areas are calmer, more spacious, and perfect for resetting.
At the gate, we:
Fill water bottles
Let the kids watch planes
Organise devices, headphones, gum, comfort toys
Make sure anything needed for takeoff is within reach
Once the plane starts moving, you can’t get up again for quite a while, so preparation pays off.
8. Charge Devices & Download Entertainment the Night Before
Never rely on doing this the morning of travel — there won’t be time.
We make sure:
All devices and power banks are fully charged
Audiobooks, shows, and movies are downloaded
Each child has several options
Micah (2) uses the device most; our older kids love their audiobooks.
9. Check Visa, Entry, and Arrival Requirements Early
Every country has different rules, and immigration lines can be LONG.
The kids got the sweetest surprise at immigration when we arrived in Penang. The officer had secretly tucked a little lollipop into each of their passports before handing them back – they were so excited and surprised! Such a simple gesture, but it honestly puts Malaysia at the top of our list for the nicest immigration experience we’ve ever had. 🇲🇾✨
Examples:
Malaysia requires online entry registration
Vietnam requires an e-visa
Some destinations need printed confirmations
Immigration feels like the most serious, least patient part of travel — especially with tired kids — so having everything perfect ahead of time makes a huge difference.
At baggage claim, we involve the kids:
Ari LOVES helping pull suitcases off the conveyor
Maddie often pushes the pram stacked with backpacks
It keeps them occupied and gives them a sense of contribution.
10. Travel as Light as Possible — It Saves Stress and Money
Travelling with fewer bags is easier, calmer, and massively cheaper.
A real example:
I recently quoted flights from Perth to Vietnam:
Return flights were $400 per person
Adding checked luggage increased it by $200 per person
For a family of six, that’s an extra $1,200 just to take more stuff.
Before packing anything now, I ask:
“Is this worth $200 to bring?”
Most of the time, the answer is no.
That’s why our family is moving to:
One carry-on suitcase + one backpack per person.
It is honestly life-changing.
11. Protect Their Comfort Toy
If your child has a favourite teddy or comfort item, it deserves special treatment.
A lost teddy is FAR worse than a lost passport in my opinion (passports can be replaced; comfort toys often can’t).
We always:
Place it in a backpack
Check for it before boarding
Check for it before leaving the plane
It’s a tiny step that prevents a huge emotional meltdown.
Final Thoughts
Travel days don’t have to feel chaotic. With a little preparation, calm energy, and kid-friendly communication, airports can become part of the adventure rather than something to endure.
These are the routines and habits that have transformed our travel days as a family of six. We hope they make your next family journey smoother, simpler, and more joyful.
Want More Family Travel Support?
At Dream Big Travels, we create World School Camps — culturally rich, family-paced journeys that help families travel confidently, connect deeply, and learn together.
If you’d love to explore the world alongside other like-minded families, you can see our upcoming camps here:
Free Printable: Kids’ Travel Day Checklist
