A family vacation to an all-inclusive resort in a sun destination is one of our favourite travel experiences.  Unfortunately, staying at an all-inclusive resort can be a bit isolating with limited access to all of life’s necessities.  We try to plan for every problem likely to arise with kids by packing some medical essentials.

This is our list of medical essentials for sun destination trips with kids.

1. Children’s Tylenol – Any experienced parent knows not to leave home without fever medication. If you don’t have it, odds are your kid will get a fever. Don’t forget the measuring cup!
2. Vicks VapoRub – Our kids are mildly addicted to Vicks VapoRub. And why not? It’s amazing stuff that clears them up in the event of a cold. Are they going to catch a cold in Mexico? No, but it’s good insurance to ensure kids get a good night’s sleep.
3. Band-aids – We try not to indulge our kids obsession with band-aids. After all, they make great fashion accessories! And besides, they make tears disappear quickly after any scrape.
4. Liquid bandage – A liquid bandage is a new addition to our medical kit. We’re told it’s amazing at sealing cuts so sand and salt water from the beach do not irritate any wound. Surf’s up!  (Note of caution: liquid bandage can sting quite a bit on application, so it may be suited for older kids with more serious cuts.)
5. Probiotics – The food and water at sun destinations can cause havoc with our delicate digestive systems. After getting sick on a trip, I asked my doctor for Ducoral, but I was instead told to buy probiotics. Taking a good probiotic one week before leaving and during your vacation will build up enough intestinal ‘flora’ to resist any food bug on vacation!  I recommend buying the Genestra probiotic supplement which is a bit more expensive, but it works much better.  Genestra also has a probiotic for kids too. Be sure to keep your probiotics refridgerated.
6. Gravol Anti-Nausea – In Canada, anti-nausea medication is known as Gravol, but it is available from any pharmacy under many names.  Ask your pharmacist about the proper dosage for your kid. It will help settle an upset stomach.
7. Aloe Vera After-Sun Lotion – Any a long day at the beach, it is nice to put on aloe vera lotion. It also helps clear up sunburns faster than you think!
8. Sunscreen – No explanation needed for this one.  Lather up with sunscreen before going out in the sun and repeat throughout the day. Bring lots!
9. Bug spray (for kids) – In the evenings, we quite often find mosquitoes around.  They are hard to spot until it’s too late. A few sprays of bug spray before dinner will fend off these pests.
10. After Bite – If you’re unsuccessful keeping the bugs away, you will likely need After-Bite to help keep the itch from the bites to a minimum.  It comes in a handy pen shaped container, so it’s easy to carry with you. 
11. Anti-Histamines – Another trick to reduce the after effects of bug bites is taking anti-histamines.  Benadryl is best known to help with these allergic reactions, but it is also worth consulting a pharmacist.
12. Baby Powder – While this is certainly not a medical essential per se, baby powder is really handy to remove the sand from your kids after spending time on the beach.  Applying baby powder instantly removes sand from their skin and makes your kids feel comfortable again.

There you have it! A list of medical essentials to make your sun destination vacation perfect.  What essentials do you bring with you?

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