Clothes to bring for 3.6yr old for 1 week

[HoneyMnShawnee]

DH and I are bringing our 3.5 year old DD for 7 nights in May this year. I am having difficulty figuring out exactly how many outfits I should bring for her. I will be bringing a pair of pants and a sweatshirt for her for the evenings and the off chance we may have a cooler day. I do plan on doing laundry once during our stay. So to everyone who has done this before, how many outfits have you taken for your children. Thanks for all your help

 

[journ116]

I feel your plight...I go thru this every time we travel (even if I don't have access to a washer/dryer).
On my most recent 7-day trip (Oct. 2011), which I did have access to a washer/dryer, this is what I did for my 2 daughters (DD6 & DD2) each:

-4 short sleeve shirts
-4 shorts or the skirts with built-in shorts (which DD6 ONLY wore:shrug
-1 light-weight jacket or sweatshirt (wore on arrival & departure days as well)
-1 pair of pants (stretchy-yoga-type)
-1 extra set of clothing, kept in a gallon-sized Ziploc bag (1 pair of socks, shorts and t-shirt)
-1 travel outfit (which they wore arriving & departing, & included pants, t-shirt, socks & their closed-toe shoes)
-3 pairs of socks (they usually just wore these in the evening hours)
-4 pairs of undergarments
-1 blanket
-2 sets of shoes (1 pair of sandle-type, for by the pool as well, & the closed-toe-type)
-1 sun-hat (one of those swimmer hats made out of the same material as "rash-guard swimming tops," which I could soak in water if it were too hot out)
-1 pair of sunglasses

*Seriously, kids clothing does not take up that much space, so that's why it seems like I packed a lot. Plus, I'd rather over pack for my kids in case of an "accident" or if I don't have the time to do a load of laundry.

I still ended up buying each DD a t-shirt and pant set, which would bring the total for outfits to: 7. And, I did do two loads of laundry for my family of 4 (once mid-way, and quick at that, & the second the night before we were leaving).

Enjoy your trip!:wave:

 

[MITCH 112198]

I agree with journ116 about packing , as we have a 7 dd and 3 ds. But I always pack all their clothes in ziplock gallon bags for easy pickings.
I pack shirt pants undies socks for each day and child in there own bag so when its's time to get dressed, I just toss a bag at whomever is going to help them and there is no fussing.

 

[bmarkelon]

I agree with journ116 about packing , as we have a 7 dd and 3 ds. But I always pack all their clothes in ziplock gallon bags for easy pickings.
I pack shirt pants undies socks for each day and child in there own bag so when its's time to get dressed, I just toss a bag at whomever is going to help them and there is no fussing.

This is a great idea!! I may just have to steal it for our August trip.

I usually plan on an outfit for every day (sounds like a lot but they sometimes go through more than one), and a few dresses for meals. It's always a challenge not to overpack but to have enough. We travel with 3 kiddos and packing stresses me out the few weeks before the trip. We always do laundry at least once each trip.

 

[HoneyMnShawnee]

I love the idea of the Ziploc bags as well. I figure an outfit for each day is sufficient especially if I'm going to do laundry. I'm hoping that I can fit all of her clothing and items in a carry on. One less suitcase to pay for on the flight!

 

[The Mom]

The ziploc bags work well for adults, too - especially if you're on a tour where you're moving every day. I was able to grab one outfit without disturbing everything else in the suitcase, and had an empty plastic bag for the dirty clothes from the previous day.

Don't forget to pack two bathing suits per child - sometimes they don't dry quickly enough in the FL humidity, especially if the kids have an evening swim followed by a day at a water park.

I would also pack an extra pair of walking shoes. I learned this the hard way after getting my feet soaked in an afternoon rainstorm, and having to get them dry enough to wear the next day.

The change of clothes in a ziploc is a great idea. Sometimes, kids have major spills, or wait too long for a potty break in all of the excitement.