These 10 items will make any family holiday more enjoyable

1. Buy an iPad. Android tablet or iPad, it doesn’t matter. While many international airlines have personal video players at each seat, US domestic airlines do not. Take the guesswork out of keeping your kid entertained for 12 hours on a plane; bring the entertainment with you, on a tablet loaded with games, books and movies.

2. Kid-friendly lotions. Back in your day, there was only one brand of lotion and bug spray meant a spray bottle full of gas. (We’re kidding, of course.) While a little more expensive, you’ll get peace of mind with sunscreens and bug sprays from California Baby (http://www.californiababy.com/); all-natural, these kid-friendly lotions protect sensitive skin and come in scented or unscented.

3. Eyes and Ears. Choose a pair of sunglasses that are kid friendly and a hat with a brim and UV protection. Sunday Afternoons (sundayafternoons.com) Kids Play Hat is a good choice, with UV 50+ sun and material that covers the delicate neck and ears

4. Clothing matters. Sense a theme here? Along with board shorts and bikinis, you’ll also need clothing and accessories that protect your kids’ sensitive skin. When they’re out of the water, the Grasshopper shirt feels cool and looks cool, and has a sun rating of UV50+ .

5. Water logged. Your kids have made the trek with you to some exotic location, now they’re probably going to want to spend as much time as they can in the water. A dive skin or rash guard, like the long-sleeve Sunguard from Bare will allow them to snorkel till their hearts’ content.

6. Keep ‘em hydrated. Many resorts offer refillable water options to keep you and your kids hydrated throughout the week. You could also bring a small, refillable bottle or a fun, dive-themed BPA-free bottle (like this one from TankH2O.com) to make drinking gallons of water fun. (Just remember to personalize the bottle.)

7. In the water. Get rid of the pharmacy-bought hard-plastic mask/snorkel/fins, and buy your child proper equipment (like you have). Head’s Pirate Jr. set looks like mom and dad’s gear, but in cool kid colors, and comes in its own carrying bag so your kids can be the ones in charge.

8. Ear protection. Planes are noisy. Noise equals distractions. Limit the distractions by investing in a nice pair of volume-limiting, kid-safe headphones by Aerial7 (aerial7.com). The Arcade children’s headphones come in four fresh looks and are engineered to protect young ears. Go ahead and get yourself a sweet pair too, though you might want to spring for a more adult look: Studio headphones by Beats by Dre (beatsbydre.com) look low-key but are guaranteed to shut out the noise you don’t want.

9. Record the memories. It goes without saying, but bring a camera. SeaLife’s DC1400 is a good choice, allowing you to capture memories above and below water, with 14MP still and HD video capabilities.

10. The Souvenirs. One of the best aspects of dive travel is retail therapy. And while you may not want to get your kids started on the collection of magnets and other trinkets, it’s a fun way to bond and remember the trip of a lifetime.