Sleeps to go, and jobs that help
The vacation chain uses "sleeps to go", which young kids understand better than days. Tear off a link at bedtime and the last one comes off the night before you leave.
The trip list mixes fun with real packing help: make a playlist, pick a travel snack, check the swimsuits still fit, pack the activity bag. It ends with laying everything out for the morning. Type the trip name into "Counting down to" (a beach week, a theme park trip, Grandma's house) and it prints on the last link.
Long wait until summer? Switch to one link per week, or use the Mini size to keep the sheet count down.
Questions people ask
How do you count the sleeps until a trip?
Count the nights between tonight and the night before you leave. The chain does it for you: each link is one bedtime, and the last one comes off the night before the trip.
Can I make one for a Disney trip?
Yes. Type the trip name into "Counting down to" and it prints on the last link and the topper card. The colors and word list are ours, so there are no characters or logos on the links.
How far ahead should a vacation chain start?
A month works well for most kids. For a trip booked a year out, use one link per week, then print a daily chain for the final month.
Can older kids do the jobs on their own?
Most of them, yes: map work, playlists and packing lists suit kids from about seven. Paste your own list if you want jobs for a specific trip.
Does it work for a countdown to summer?
Yes. Set the big day to the first day of summer break, or use the last day of school page, which counts school days only.