I shared our Ultimate Packing List for International Travel With Kids five years ago before heading out for our first Worldschooling trip. We still use almost everything that was purchased back then so I haven’t needed to buy much more for subsequent trips, but we always still need a few new items based on what we’ve learned along the way.
I’ve become a minimalist when packing for long trips. We’ve been stuck dragging around extraneous luggage, and it’s never worth it, so in recent years, I’ve leaned toward bringing just enough. My goal is to pack things that will enhance our experience and may not easily be purchased at a reasonable price at our destination. Ultimately, I want to avoid being forced to pay top dollar for something that we need or will have a hard time going without.
Below are the new supplies for our latest adventure, and you can see me talking about most of these items in this packing video:
Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I may earn commissions from qualifying purchases using these links to things on our worldschooling packing list, at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support.
As I shared in the video, brands are generally not important to me, so I only mention them in case you want to find exactly what I’m using. The only brands below that matter to me are the walking sandals. Because they get a ton of use and need to hold up in water, dirt, rocks, and rough terrain, I like to go with what I know so I do have preferences for active footwear brands like Chaco, Keen, and Teva.
And if you’re interested, we made it into just two suitcases, and here’s what my kids’ clothing suitcase looked like after everything was packed:
Thanks for tuning in, and I hope you’ll stick around as we head out for our next Worldschooling trip where we’ll be visiting parts of Europe and Africa. I’ll be sharing updates and photos on Instagram @heritagemomblog.
This was a neat read! Excited for your family.
Is this all you brought in addition to your previous list?
Can you share more about the school supplies and types of clothing items you brought? I spent a month in Nigeria and brought way too many clothes. 🤦🏾♀️ I’m wondering what you think is essential from how learning since you’ll spend so much time learning at your destinations.
I meant to say “essential from home learning”.
That’s a great question. Yes, that’s pretty much all that we have with us beyond clothes and school supplies. We also brought washcloths! I should have mentioned that. Here’s what each child has: 2 pairs of pants, 2 long-sleeved shirts, 4 pairs of shorts, 8 pairs of underwear, 5 t-shirts, 2 pairs of shoes, 2 pairs of socks, and a swimsuit. I have a similar wardrobe, but instead of the shorts, I brough 3 pairs of capris and 2 casual skirts along with 8 t-shirts. For school supplies, each child has the following in their backpack: math book, kindle loaded with books, notebook, 2 hard copy books (topics vary but things that I couldn’t find on Kindle or are hard to read electronically), pencils, and a travel journal.
Amber! Thanks for answering. This is helpful. Loved seeing your posts on Instagram.
I know you stayed with according in South American and that cut costs. How did you navigate lodging this time?
Great question. We are staying in Airbnbs throughout this entire trip. I found affordable places in residential neighborhoods that are close to public transportation.
Amber,
Thanks for following up. Grateful for you and praying y’all have a blast!
Peace, Mrs. O
Do you have a fav kids travel journal for grades 2/3rd?
Yes! My kids really liked this one: https://amzn.to/3ITzx2u
Thanks for sharing this very helpful info.
We are planning a trip to France in 9 months and I am rereading your worldschooling recommendations! Ours will be part pilgrimage and part cultural exploration. I also have four children, so I am noting all the suggestions for packing light. Did you take two checked bags or two carry-ons? I am considering not checking anything so nothing can get lost. Plus I want to travel as light as possible.
That sounds wonderful! You’re going to have an amazing time. I took two checked bags, but if you can get away with two carry-ons, that’s always better! I was packing for 5 people for nearly 3 months, so I just couldn’t possibly fit it into carry-ons.