Packing with Children

Essentials

 Lots of love and time
 close attention to feelings
 Tape
 Blank newsprint
 Medium and large boxes

Helpful Tips

 Pack children's rooms last if they are still small. Having the security of their routine until the very end will make the transition go more smoothly.
 Give older children (ages 5 and up) extra time to pack their rooms with you.
  Packing up is a good time to talk about things they might be worried or feel sad
   about - leaving friends, school, a home they've always lived in, and facing a
  new school and strangers. Understanding feelings and offering your reassurance
  will ease the transition for them.
 Allow them to select some items to take with them in the car or in their
  carry-on bag.
 Most children's toys are fairly durable and can go in boxes with some wadded
  newsprint or extra clothes to fill in spaces.Breakable toys like models or porcelain
  dolls can be wrapped in extra clothes and packed in wadded newsprint.
 While the children are packing, ask them to think about where they'd like things
  to go in their new rooms.
 Make sure you drain water from squirt guns and seal paints and other safe but
  messy materials in resealable bags or containers. Pack them together in a box
  lined with a plastic bag.
 Have your children seal the boxes and write their names or put their favorite
  stickers on each box.