Best Travel Gear for Kids in France (Ages 5–12)

Published May 22, 2025

Kids in this age range transform French travel from survival mode into genuine adventure. They can walk reasonable distances, carry their own backpacks, and engage with French culture in meaningful ways. The challenge shifts from managing basic needs to keeping them engaged, comfortable, and learning during long days of exploration.

French children this age are expected to behave maturely in restaurants and museums, which can work in your favor—or create pressure when your kids don't match local expectations.

Independence and Safety Tools

Kids' Camera

The Kidamento Digital Camera and Camcorder, VTech Kidizoom Camera DX2 or Fujifilm Instax Mini 11 gives kids ownership of documenting their French adventure. Having their own camera encourages observation, creates personal souvenirs, and provides quiet activity during restaurant waits or long car rides.

Water Bottle with Carabiner Loop

The Thermos Funtainer water bottles have a handle that can easily be attached to backpacks and bags, keeping it close by wherever you are. Plus the straw is covered up by the flip top lid making it much more sanitary in case it (inevitably) falls on the ground.

Activity Pack

We love using a travel toiletry bag to keep all of the activities organized. You can use the hook to hook on the tray table latch on the plane and keep everything organized and within reach for easy access through the long flight. It’s also great for long car rides, too.

Entertainment for Long Days

Card Games

For bigger kids, UNO, Skip-Bo, and Phase 10 are great while this multi-pack of classic card games are great for younger ones. Card games work well in cramped airplane seats, restaurant tables, and hotel rooms during evening downtime. They pack flat and provide entertainment that doesn't require screens or batteries. And they’re fun for the whole family!

Usborne Sticker Activity Books

Usborne sticker books featuring Europe, castles, or Paris connect directly to French experiences. Kids can complete activities related to places they're actually visiting, making the books more engaging than generic travel activities.

Kids' Headphones

Specialized kids headphones protect developing ears while providing quality audio for airplane entertainment, audio guides at museums, or tablet time during long travel days. Make sure whatever you choose has an aux port, not USB-C, so it will be compatible with airline entertainment systems. These kids headphones come in multiple colors and adjustable volume limiter.

Practical Daily Needs

Gum for Ear Pressure

Sugar-free gum helps kids manage ear pressure during flights and provides a socially acceptable fidget tool during long museum visits or restaurant meals.

Disinfecting Wipes

Clorox Disinfecting Wipes remain essential for playground equipment, museum interactive displays, and restaurant surfaces. Kids this age touch everything but don't always remember to wash hands before eating.

Baby Wipes for Quick Cleanup

WaterWipes handle sticky hands after pastries, dusty faces after playground time, and general cleanup when proper bathrooms aren't available. Grab the travel size to pop in everyone’s bags.

Health and Travel Comfort

Children's Pain Reliever

Children's Tylenol and Motrin address headaches from dehydration, minor injuries from active exploration, and fever from travel exhaustion. Choosing the tablets or powder instead of the liquid means one less liquid to take out for security screening. The Braun ThermoScan 7 thermometer helps assess whether symptoms require medical attention.

Mini First Aid Kit

An All-Purpose First Aid Kit handles scraped knees from playground adventures, small cuts from enthusiastic exploring, and basic wound care until you can reach proper medical facilities.

Compressed Towels

Compressed towels expand with water for washing faces after gelato, cleaning hands before entering churches, or handling spills that regular wipes can't manage.

Organization and Planning Tools

Blank Travel Journal

A dedicated notebook becomes a travel diary, sketch pad, and activity book. Kids can document favorite foods, draw monuments, collect stamps from museums, and write letters to friends back home. These come in multiple colors and lay flat for easier drawing.

Washable Markers

Crayola Washable Markers allow creative expression in travel journals without permanent damage to hotel furniture or airplane tray tables when creativity gets enthusiastic.

Ziploc Bags in Multiple Sizes

Ziploc Storage Bags organize collected treasures (museum postcards, interesting rocks, small souvenirs), separate dirty clothes from clean ones, and protect electronics from spills.

Jean-Paul: "Kids this age are natural collectors. Having proper storage for their treasures prevents lost items and arguments about what can fit in suitcases for the trip home."

Special Activity Gear

Pool Inflatable Toys

If your French itinerary includes hotels with pools or Mediterranean beach time, an inflatable pool toy provides hours of entertainment. Avoid bulky toys that won't fit in luggage.

Diving Toys

Sinking pool toys encourage swimming and provide active entertainment during hotel pool time or beach visits in southern France.

Smart Packing Solutions

Packable Day Bag

You never know when you might need an extra bag to hold snacks, water bottles, souvenirs, and activity supplies during your trip. It’s best to have a packable bag tossed in a purse for easy retrieval. These fold down flat and hold a surprising amount.

Laundry Detergent

Travel sized detergent packets make washing clothes possible in hotel sinks when kids get particularly dirty from playground adventures or outdoor activities. From traditional Tide to fragrance-free powder, they’re a must have for anyone traveling abroad.

Soap Paper Sheets

Soap Paper Sheets dissolve in water to create instant hand soap, so you’ll never have to worry about an empty dispenser.

The goal with this age group is fostering independence while maintaining safety and comfort. French culture appreciates well-prepared families, and having the right gear allows kids to engage authentically with their French experience rather than constantly needing parental management.

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