How to Travel with Books without Damaging Them
Some people may just bring an e-book reader like a Kindle on their trips to avoid messing up the pages of their favorite books. You can also bring more books without worry of how much it weighs.
But for those of us who prefer the physical book- especially for our little one to turn the pages and not be looking at a screen, there are ways to pack paper books without worrying about damaging them.
Packing Books
The biggest thing about packing books is to make sure the bag you put them in has a flat space to store them. If there’s no shape to the bag, or no flat items to pin the book between, you will end up with some damaged corners.
What Books to Bring while Traveling
When packing books for the girls, I try and only bring board books or hardback books. This helps protect the pages, and many children’s books have small and light hardback books.
Bring either 1 or 2 total. The more books you bring, the more you risk having them end up where they can get damaged. One book for the commute (plane, car, train, etc.) and one book that’s different for bedtime.
Also, I would suggest bringing books with more words than less- even if they’re babies, the sound of your voice can often help when getting them to fall asleep. Less words makes the task of continuous, monotone sound a bit more difficult. Plus, the more words there are, the more fun you can have keeping the attention of your little ones with different voices and a more upbeat reading.
*Side note: If your baby or toddler isn’t into the book at ALL, then don’t force it. Skip pages and words if they won’t leave it on one page long enough. If they won’t stay in your lap, keep reading out loud while they find something else to play with- they are still listening. If they won’t even let that happen, just let it go and try again later. The more you force it, the more they fight against it altogether.
Reading is a huge part of our bedtime routine, so we stick with it even when traveling. It doesn’t make every transition to sleeping somewhere new 100% easy, but it is a huge help.
7 Step Bedtime Routine For Kids
- Pajamas
- Brush Teeth
- Go Potty
- Say Goodnight to Everyone
- Bedtime Story
- Bedtime Prayer
- Bedtime Song
We keep to our bedtime routine even when camping, although the exact order may be switched up a bit. Brushing teeth, potty, and saying goodnight typically comes before pajamas when staying in a tent. Of course, if you have a baby or a toddler, the diaper is changed when the pajamas are put on- no need for the potty step yet.
And if you’re little one is super tuckered out from the day, they may not even last through the story.
The point is, reading a story is a great way to quiet down and help kids transition to sleeping. If you wouldn’t skip it at home, don’t skip reading when traveling.
Book Size
Alright, now to decide: regular book, small book, or tiny book?
Is your munchkin obsessing over a particular book for bedtime right now? Bring that one.
Otherwise, it’s fair game. How much space do you have? Long trip, not much room for more? Find a smaller, flat book to pack or go for the teeny tiny book.
Plenty of room and you want more words, go ahead and pack that hardback Dr. Suess book for the road.
Here are examples of the size and types of books we bring with when traveling:
How to Pack Books for Traveling
Here are some general book packing guidelines:
- Front pouch of roller suitcase
- Side of duffle bag
- Back of the backpack
- Front pocket of Diaper Bag
- In a zip-up Travel Tray Organizer
- Mom’s purse
Remember, it’s best to have it in a bag that has a bit of shape to it and a pocket that has nothing else. If you don’t have that, then thoughtfully pack larger, flatter items around the book to help “pin” it in place. These items could be notebooks, sticker books, tablet or drawing pad, etc. Think how you would have packed your school backpack.
My own book I bring to read is typically a smaller paperback, and I keep that in my purse where the kids won’t be throwing it around and I have more control about how things are taken out and put back in.
The Destination
My main advice is to not bring a book that is worth a lot financially or emotionally- save that book for when you get home. That being said, there are definitely things you can do to protect your books while you are out and about exploring the world.
Storing the Books
Keep the books in their assigned bags until you are ready to read them. If you’re going back and forth between the book, a side table or the back pocket on the seat in the car are great places to temporarily place a book.
If you put it on a dining table or kitchen counter, you are just asking for it to get wet or get food on it. If you don’t want others putting a glass on it (*gasp*), then don’t leave it out in the common space. Not everyone thinks about books the same or treats them the same way.
If you couldn’t tell, I’m the kind of person who gets mad when someone dog-ears one of the pages or steps on a book. Our girls were taught as a baby to be nice to books because of my own tendencies.
Once done with the book, put it back where you packed it. If you had it in a pocket separate from other items, they shouldn’t be disturbed by others fishing around for clothes or other things.
*Packing Tip: fold your dirty clothes as you go. It saves so much time and space when packing to go home. The worst is trying to zip up a suitcase of clothes that were just thrown in, and what was beautifully tetris-ed is now a messy pile that won’t fit.
Weather and Books
Wanting to read by the pool or on the beach? Have a dry towel nearby to dry your hands after your swim before reading, or to wipe off any drips.
A pool bag or beach bag is a great way to store your book if you’re leaving it alone for a while. I love reading on the beach, but I would never leave my book directly on the sand or on the towel that is laying on the sand- you need a bit more of a buffer if it’s not in your hands.
Expecting rain or snow? Don’t read outside if you were planning to before. Go inside the cafe or chalet and read by a window. An excellent snowboarding break is reading a few chapters while drinking hot chocolate, looking out the window at the snowy mountains around you.
Crazy humidity? Have a ziploc bag (or something similarly water resistant) to place your book into before you put it in your day bag or backpack. This helps keep it dry even when getting in and out of the bag for other items.
Adding More Books
The Book as a Souvenir
Books are an amazing souvenir as they can capture the moments you just experienced in a story format. It’s the gift that keeps giving as it can be read again and again.
Don’t go for that big beautiful coffee table book unless you know you have room in your suitcase. Using the clothes as a “bubble wrap” can help if you want to decrease the chances of the corners getting dinged on the plane back home.
I like to keep them in the shopping bag, and then pack the clothes carefully around them.
Other books can easily fit exactly where the books are that you brought with you in the first place, especially if they will want to be read while you are traveling back home.
Taking Books Back Home
Pack books exactly how you packed them in the first place.
It makes traveling so much easier to just stay organized while you are on vacation. Use the hotel drawers, or keep the suitcase organized. Don’t leave piles of stuff everywhere for stud to get lost or stepped on.
Proper care of books fits in with proper care of all your items.
Be respectful of others’ space- if you leave in on the couch, someone might sit on it. If you leave it by the kitchen sink- guess what? That’s right, it may get wet, and you can’t get mad because you’re the one who left it in common space that normally gets splashes of water.
Put things back where they “belong.” Everything should have a temporary travel home. Figure it out on day one and then keep things organized day to day- it’s so much less stressful than trying to vacation in a mess!
Have you had to get creative with book packing or bringing books while traveling? A time where you forgot a book for bedtime? Let us know in the comments.
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