Family Holiday Packing List by Child

Who this is for

One list, a column per child. Older children tick their own bag, a parent checks the rest, and shared items and last-minute jobs sit underneath.

Parents packing for two or more children, and families where the older children are old enough to pack their own case but still need someone to check it.

What this helps you track

• What each child has packed, item by item
• Clothes, washbag, medicines, comfort items, entertainment and documents
• Things the whole family shares, packed once
• Last-minute items that can only go in on the day

How to use it

1. Write the destination, the dates, the number of nights and how many bags each person may take.
2. Write the children's names in the field at the top, in the order of the tick columns.
3. Cross out anything that does not apply, and add your own items in the browser version or in the margin.
4. Hand the list to the older children and let them tick their own column as they pack.
5. Check the younger children's columns yourself, then go through the shared and on-the-day lists before you leave.
6. Keep the browser version for next time, which saves in your own browser.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The online version keeps what you enter in your own browser and builds the completed PDF on your device.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

Why a column per child rather than a list each?

Because one sheet is easier to check at a glance. You can see straight away which child has not packed a swimsuit, without collecting four separate lists from four bedrooms.

How many of each item should they pack?

That depends on the trip and the washing you plan to do, so the list does not say. Write numbers next to an item if it helps, such as the number of tops per child.

What goes under documents?

Whatever your trip needs: passports or identity cards, travel insurance details, and any letters a child travelling with one parent may need. Check the rules for where you are going.

Can I add items for a baby or toddler?

Yes, in the browser version or in the margin of the printout. For a very young child there is a separate baby and toddler holiday packing checklist with the extra kit they need.