Pack by age, then by the rules. TSA lets formula, breast milk and baby food through above 3.4 oz; CATSA allows them above 100 ml for a child under 2. Mexican customs counts a stroller and a portable crib as luggage. Xcaret and Xel-Ha allow only zinc oxide and titanium oxide sunscreen, and Cancun's winter lows average 68 to 70 °F. For photos, pack one outfit each in the carry-on, or two from The Story up.
Our luxury packing list was written for adults. This one is for parents: a list by age, plus the airport, airline, customs and park rules behind it, each checked on an official page on November 14, 2026.
The List by Age, Baby to Teen
Start with what the whole family needs, then add each child's age.
Everyone
- Two swimsuits each and a long-sleeve rash guard for each child.
- Hats, sunglasses and water shoes; Xel-Ha's own page tells visitors to wear water shoes.
- Mineral sunscreen made with zinc oxide and titanium oxide, and an insect repellent that suits each child's age.
- A light layer each and a packable rain jacket.
- Water bottles, a small first-aid kit and every medicine you use at home.
- A passport for every child and copies of prescriptions.
Babies, under 12 months
- Formula, breast milk or baby food for the flight, ready to be screened on its own.
- Swim diapers, plus a day of regular diapers in the carry-on.
- A carrier for the sand and a mosquito net for the stroller or crib.
- Light long sleeves, a thermometer and your pediatrician's dosing notes.
Toddlers, 1 to 3
- A compact stroller to check at the gate, or a carrier.
- Two spare outfits and familiar snacks in the carry-on.
- A comfort toy, a swim aid they already know and water shoes that fasten.
School-age kids, 4 to 12
- Their own backpack with headphones, a tablet and its charger.
- A snorkel mask and goggles that fit.
- A booster seat only for car rides without one; boosters cannot be used on the plane for takeoff and landing.
Teens
- Let them pack from this list, then check passports, chargers and medicines yourself.
- Their own sunscreen, an evening layer and, for photos, an outfit they chose within the family palette.
Formula, Milk and Liquids at Airport Security
Sunscreen and toiletries count as liquids: in the carry-on, up to 3.4 oz (100 ml) per container, in one quart-size bag at TSA or one clear resealable bag of up to 1 L at CATSA. Bigger bottles go in checked luggage. Children get generous exceptions.
Flying from the US: TSA
- Formula, breast milk, toddler drinks and baby food, puree pouches included, are allowed over 3.4 oz, outside the quart-size bag.
- Take them out for separate screening and tell the officer at the start.
- Ice packs, gel packs and liquid-filled teethers are allowed.
Flying from Canada: CATSA
- With a child under 2, formula, milk, juice, water and baby food are allowed over 100 ml, with ice packs to keep them cool; present them to the officer.
- Breast milk over 100 ml is allowed with or without your child.
- Prescription and essential non-prescription medicines are allowed.
- Leave toys that look like weapons, such as water guns, at home.
Strollers and Car Seats: Fly Them or Leave Them
On the four airlines we checked, strollers and car seats can fly free, each airline with its own limits. Delta checks them free at the curb, the counter or the gate. Southwest allows one stroller and one car seat per child. Air Canada checks a car or booster seat free for a child up to age 11, and small strollers at the counter or the gate. WestJet checks two pieces of child equipment, such as a stroller and a car seat, free with a baby under 2, but only one piece with a child aged 2 to 11. Other airlines set their own rules, so check yours.
To use a car seat on board, buy your child a seat. The FAA asks for the label “This restraint is certified for use in motor vehicles and aircraft” and bans booster seats, baby carriers and backless seats during taxi, takeoff and landing; WestJet accepts seats approved by Transport Canada or the FAA.
Rather than flying bulky gear, ask your hotel whether it lends cribs or high chairs, and ask your transfer company in writing for a car seat that fits your child's age and weight. Our guide to getting around Cancun with kids covers transfers.
Mexican Customs: What Comes In Free
Mexico's customs agency, ANAM, lets each passenger bring tax-free as luggage: clothing, footwear and toiletries suited to the length of the trip; baby items such as a chair, portable crib, stroller or walker; two cameras; up to three phones, two tablets and two laptops; and personal-use medicines, with the prescription for psychotropic substances. Other goods enter tax-free up to 500 USD, and family members arriving together on the same flight can combine their allowances.
Medicines and Documents
Canada's travel advice for Mexico says to keep medicines in their original containers, bring enough for your stay and carry copies of prescriptions. The US Embassy in Mexico says personal medicines need a prescription or a doctor's letter with the amount needed, the amount carried and the daily dose, translated into Spanish, and packed in hand luggage. It also warns that products containing pseudoephedrine, such as Sudafed, Actifed and Vicks inhalers, or codeine cannot be brought into Mexico, so check children's cold medicines.
Each child needs a passport: US Customs and Border Protection says children must present their own when traveling by air, and Canada says yours must be valid for your whole stay in Mexico. If one parent travels alone with the kids, Canada recommends a consent letter from the other parent, ideally signed before a notary. More in our entry guides for US travelers and Canadian travelers.
Sunscreen, Repellent and a Winter Layer
Sunscreen. Xcaret and Xel-Ha allow only sunscreen containing titanium oxide and zinc oxide. Those minerals can look white on camera; our guide to mineral sunscreen in photos shows how to test your bottle, and sun safety for kids in Cancun covers the rest.
Repellent. Canada's advice for Mexico is to avoid mosquito bites: there is no vaccine or medication available in Canada to prevent dengue. CDC: no oil of lemon eucalyptus or PMD under age 3, sunscreen first and repellent second, and repellent on your own hands before a child's face, never on the child's hands. Health Canada: no DEET or icaridin under 6 months, a net instead, and DEET up to 10% from 6 months to 12 years, once a day under 2 and up to three times a day from 2 to 12.
Winter layer. In the 1991 to 2020 normals of Mexico's National Weather Service, Cancun's December to February lows average 68 to 70 °F (20 to 21 °C), with highs of 84 to 86 °F, and the coldest nights fell to 54 to 55 °F (12 to 13 °C). Pack a sweater for each child. Rain falls on about 16 days in October and 4 in April, so keep the rain jacket.
The Session Bag, One Short List
Keep photo outfits in the carry-on, so a late suitcase cannot cost you the session. Count looks first: our 35 to 60 minute collections include one, and The Story (75 minutes, 50 photos, 545 USD) and up include two. For families we recommend The Chapter: 60 minutes, 35 edited photos, 475 USD, with no limit on people and no per-person charge.
- One outfit per person for each look, in a shared palette.
- A spare outfit in the same tones for each toddler.
- A comfort toy, wipes and a snack that will not stain.
- In winter, a light layer that matches the palette.
Colors and fabrics are in our outfit guide, outfits by age and what to wear for a family photoshoot in Mexico; timing is in family photos with toddlers, and the rest in the day-before checklist.
Our team, led by Vianey Díaz, has more than 20 years of photography experience and has photographed thousands of families and couples; since IVAE Studios was founded in 2023, we have delivered more than 500 sessions, rated 5.0 across 75 Google reviews. There is no deposit: you pay at the end of the session, by card or cash. See our Cancun family photographer page or book online.
Sources Checked
Read on November 14, 2026. Rules change, so check again before you fly.
- TSA: liquids rule; traveling with children.
- CATSA: liquids and personal items (February 20, 2024); families guide (July 27, 2026); gel packs (December 22, 2022).
- Strollers and car seats: Delta, Southwest, Air Canada, WestJet car seats and children's baggage.
- FAA: child restraint systems (November 6, 2026).
- ANAM: luggage and franchise.
- US Embassy in Mexico: bringing items into Mexico (March 24, 2021).
- CBP: travel documents (June 17, 2026). Government of Canada: Mexico advice (October 19, 2026); consent letter (September 2, 2026).
- Park rules: Xcaret, Xel-Ha.
- CDC: preventing mosquito bites. Health Canada: insect repellents.
- SMN, Conagua: 1991 to 2020 normals, Cancun station 23155 (issued November 6, 2026).
From our Google reviews
Two parents, in their words:
“She knew exactly how to keep them engaged and smiling naturally, which is no small task on a sandy beach in the sun!”
Danielle P., Google review
“My 3-year-old son is usually quite shy, but they came prepared with a cute rabbit toy just for him and treated him with such warmth.”
Susie H., Google review
Frequently Asked Questions
Swimsuits, rash guards, hats, water shoes, mineral sunscreen, an insect repellent that suits each child's age, a light layer, a rain jacket, medicines with copies of prescriptions and a passport for every child. Add formula and swim diapers for babies.
Yes. TSA allows formula, breast milk and baby food over 3.4 oz, outside the quart-size bag; tell the officer at the start of screening. CATSA allows formula, milk, juice, water and baby food over 100 ml with a child under 2, and breast milk over 100 ml with or without your child.
On Delta, Southwest and Air Canada, yes, when we checked on November 14, 2026, each with its own limits. WestJet checks both free with a baby under 2, but only one piece of child equipment with a child aged 2 to 11. To use a car seat on board, buy your child a seat; booster seats cannot be used during taxi, takeoff or landing.
A light one. From December to February, Cancun's average low is 68 to 70 °F (20 to 21 °C) in the 1991 to 2020 normals of Mexico's National Weather Service, and the coldest nights fell to 54 to 55 °F (12 to 13 °C).
One per person for The Chapter, the collection we recommend for families (60 minutes, 35 edited photos, 475 USD), and for our shorter collections. The Story (75 minutes, 545 USD) and up include two looks.