What to Pack in a Car Sickness Kit for Kids: A Parent’s Checklist
If you have a child who gets car sick, you already know how quickly a normal drive can turn into a very messy one. And somehow, “Mum, I feel sick” always seems to happen when there is nowhere convenient to pull over.
A little preparation can make those moments much easier to manage. A car sickness kit doesn't need to be complicated. It just needs to contain the things you'll actually want within reach when someone starts looking a little green.
Here’s a practical car sickness kit checklist for families, including what we’d keep in the car all the time and what we’d add before a longer road trip.
Car sickness kit checklist for kids
| Pack this | Why it helps |
|---|---|
| Something to catch vomit | A vomit bag, bucket or age-appropriate option your child can use. |
| Wet wipes + paper towel | For faces, hands and clean-up. |
| Full change of clothes | Top, bottoms, underwear and socks if needed. |
| Waterproof wet bag | Keeps soiled clothing or used items contained. |
| Water | Useful for rinsing mouths and clean-up. |
| Hand sanitiser | Handy when you can't wash your hands straight away. |
| Old towel | Useful for clean-up or after changing a child. |
| Rubbish bags | For used wipes and other mess. |
1. Something to catch the vomit
This is the most obvious item, but the right option depends on your child.
Older children may be able to hold a bucket or vomit bag themselves. The tricky stage is when children are old enough to tell you they feel sick, but too young to reliably grab and hold something in time, especially when they're strapped into a car seat.
That problem is exactly why we created Chundee. Chundee is a reusable silicone vomit bucket bib designed to sit in front of the child and provide a deep catchment area if they vomit. It can be especially handy for younger children who can't reliably hold a bucket themselves.
Important: Chundee is for forward-facing use only. It is not a safety device or crash-tested product. Adult supervision is required, and it should be removed after vomiting rather than worn for extended periods.
2. Wipes. More than you think you'll need.
Keep a packet of wipes somewhere you can reach easily. They’re useful for hands, faces and the inevitable little splashes that somehow make it further than physics should allow.
It’s also worth keeping paper towel or an old hand towel in the kit for bigger clean-ups.
3. A full change of clothes
For little kids, pack a complete outfit rather than just a spare shirt. That means top, bottoms, underwear and socks if needed.
If your child regularly gets travel sick, leave an inexpensive spare outfit permanently in the car and swap it out as they grow or as the seasons change.
4. Somewhere waterproof for the messy stuff
Once you've changed a sick child, you need somewhere to put everything you’ve just taken off them.
A waterproof wet bag is ideal because it keeps soiled clothes contained until you get home. Chundee comes with a waterproof wet bag, which can also be used to store the Chundee after it has been used. A couple of spare plastic bags or rubbish bags are useful backups too.
Got a little one who can't hold a bucket yet?
Chundee was designed for exactly that messy stage. See the Chundee Vomit Bucket Bib →
5. Water
A bottle of water can be useful after your child has been sick for rinsing their mouth and helping with clean-up. Keep drinking water fresh rather than leaving it sitting in a hot car indefinitely.
6. A towel or seat protector
An old towel is one of those boring car-kit items you'll be very pleased you packed when you need it. It can help protect a seat after a spill, give a child something clean to sit on after changing clothes, or simply help with the clean-up.
7. Hand sanitiser and a rubbish bag
Once the immediate drama is dealt with, these two make finishing the clean-up much easier. Keep them together so you aren't digging through the boot with a sick child waiting.
Car sickness kit for younger kids vs older kids
| Toddlers & younger kids | Older kids |
|---|---|
| May not recognise the feeling early enough to warn you and may not be able to hold a bucket or bag correctly while strapped into their seat. Keep supplies organised so an adult can act quickly. | Can usually take more responsibility. Keep a vomit bag or bucket within easy reach and encourage them to speak up as soon as they start feeling unwell. |
What to add before a long road trip
For a quick drive around town, the basic kit may be enough. Before a family road trip, we'd add:
- Extra clothes
- Extra wipes and paper towel
- Several rubbish bags
- Another towel
- Enough supplies to deal with more than one vomiting episode
Because, as every parent knows, the child who gets sick once on a road trip doesn't always politely wait until you've washed and repacked everything before doing it again.
Keep your car sickness kit easy to reach
A beautifully packed sickness kit in the bottom of the boot underneath three suitcases isn't particularly useful.
Keep the essentials somewhere an adult passenger can reach quickly, or somewhere you can grab them immediately after safely pulling over. Check the kit every few months to replace used supplies, outgrown clothes and anything that has dried out or expired.
Can you prevent car sickness in kids?
A sickness kit helps you prepare for the mess, but there are also things you can try to reduce travel sickness in the first place.
We've put together a separate guide with 15 practical tips for helping with car sickness in kids, including seating, airflow, screens, food, breaks and what to do when symptoms begin.
The goal isn't a perfect road trip
Kids get sick. Cars get messy. Sometimes you've done everything right and someone still vomits 20 minutes after leaving home.
A car sickness kit won't guarantee a spew-free trip, but it can make the moment much easier to deal with when it happens. Pack the basics, keep them within reach and hope you never need them.
If you have a little one who can't hold a bucket yet, take a look at Chundee here →
