Quick answer: Give each child their own colour of packing cube inside one shared case. You can then find any child's clothes without unpacking the whole suitcase, the packing limit becomes visible rather than argued about, and children old enough to dress themselves can pack their own cube.
What this guide covers
Packing for children is not really a space problem. It is a retrieval problem. You need one specific pair of shorts, now, and everything else is in the way.
A colour per child fixes that in about thirty seconds of planning.
Why colour beats labels
Labels need reading and children do not read the suitcase. Colour is recognised instantly by a four-year-old, by a grandparent who did not do the packing, and by you at six in the morning in a dark hotel room.
It also survives the trip. Written labels peel off and get swapped; a blue cube is blue all week. Our pastel sets and multi-colour sets exist mostly for this.
How many cubes per child
- Under 3: one medium cube for clothes, plus a shared wipe-clean bag for accidents. Volume is small, changes are frequent.
- 4 to 8: one medium and one small – clothes in one, underwear swimwear and pyjamas in the other.
- 9 and up: one medium each, and they pack it themselves.
A family of four usually lands on six cubes in one large case. The family packing guide has the whole system.
Pack a full outfit, not a category
This is the one place I break the usual rule. For adults, packing by category wins. For young children, pack complete outfits – top, bottoms, socks, pants, rolled together as one bundle.
You are usually dressing a child while doing three other things, and a bundle means one decision instead of four. It also means a grandparent or a partner can dress them correctly without asking you anything.
Let them pack their own
From about seven or eight, a child can pack their own cube if you give them a visible limit and a short list. The cube is the limit: if the zip does not close, something comes out, and that is a conversation with an object rather than an argument with a parent.
Expect the first attempt to be wrong. It is still worth it, because the second one will not be, and you have handed over a job permanently. There is more in the complete guide and on the FAQ page.
The short version
- One colour per child inside one shared case – instantly recognisable by children and by anyone else helping.
- Under-3s need one medium cube and a wipe-clean bag; 4–8s need a medium and a small; over-9s pack their own.
- For young children pack complete rolled outfits rather than categories, so dressing them is one decision.
- The cube is the packing limit: if the zip will not close, something comes out. No argument required.
- A family of four usually needs about six cubes in one large shared suitcase.
Frequently asked questions
What size packing cubes are best for children's clothes?
Smaller than you think. Children's clothes are tiny, so a medium cube holds a week for a four-year-old. Two smalls often work better than one large, because they let you split clothes from swimwear and pyjamas.
At what age can a child pack their own cube?
Around seven or eight, given a short list and a visible limit. The cube itself does the enforcing - if it will not zip, something has to come out - which turns packing from a negotiation into a practical problem they solve themselves.
How do you keep dirty clothes separate on a family holiday?
Keep one cube empty on the way out and make it the laundry cube. With children it fills faster than you expect, and having it sealed and separate is what stops the clean clothes smelling like the beach.
Do we need a suitcase each for the children?
Almost never. One large shared case with a colour of cube per person is easier to check in, easier to carry and much easier to find things in than three small cases, and it usually costs less in baggage fees.
What about nappies, wipes and spare clothes?
Those belong in the cabin bag, not the hold, and in their own clear or wipe-clean bag so you can reach them one-handed. Pack roughly twice as many nappies as the journey should need.
