Traveling with your toddler, whether its your first time or twentieth time, can always present new challenges and discoveries. If you’re traveling by plane, train, or car, you’re more likely to have a positive experience if you plan ahead and come prepared. Toddlers aren’t the easiest travel companions – they go from hungry to bored to excited in a split second – but here are a few things to bring on your journey that will help make it fun for everyone!
Everyone gets hungry, especially while traveling, so it’s important to provide your little one with a variety of healthy snack options for your trip. You can pack mini sandwiches, fruit, juice boxes, and water bottles – depending on your method of transportation.
We like this idea for a DIY snack and treat box for traveling where you can add all your toddler’s favorites to an easy container.
Check out these recipes for some ideas and inspiration on what to bring on your next trip. Remember to pack some favorites and some new food items for your little one to try.
Bring a Travel Towel
You never know when there could be unexpected spills when you have a Toddler. Be sure to pack a travel towel for your journey. This can be anything from a dish rag at home to a regular towel, to keep things dry and clean up after whatever happens along the way.
#Pro-Tip: Pick up a simple camping towel like the one below, they are highly compact and easy to take around, they can even be used as a blanket when not helping you clean up spills. The benefit of these camping towels is that they also dry a lot faster than regular towels.
Learning Games and Activities
Finding a great game that helps your toddler learn while having fun on the plane or in the car can be a challenge. Luckily we’ve come up with a few of our favorite travel games to help your toddler occupied.
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Blue Orange Games: This company provides a variety of fun and interactive games including alphabet, shape, and animal games all in handy tins for easy portability.
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Melissa and Doug Sticker Pad: This reusable sticker pad is a great solution to traditional stickers, the activity pad can be used over and over again, creating different scenes and scenarios without any mess.
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Crayola Color Wonder Travel Tote: Do your kids like to color but you don’t like the mess? Keep everything neat and in one place with this travel tote. It comes with everything you need for a creative trip.
Essentials First Aid Kit
This is an item that you can easily put together and DIY or pick up from the store. You never know when a paper cut might happen and a fun band aid may be the only antidote. Create a first aid kid that has items you need just in case: band aids, neosporin, hand wipes, and then anything special that your child might need like medications they are taking.
MediBuddy has products specifically geared towards children that provide all the essentials you’ll need just in case that feature fun designs all housed in a convenient travel case.
Zoobies
If you’re looking for something that’s the ultimate item for childrens travel it just might be a Zoobie. Zoobie is a company with a multitude of product lines geared at children. Most of their products are 3-in-1 toys that are a stuffed animal, pillow, and blanket all in one compact package. Some of their other toys feature added characteristics like night-lights and stories. It’s a convenient way to carry a special friend for your toddler on the plane or in the car, and keep them warm with a blanket when they’re cold.
Diaper Changing Items
You’re going to want diaper changing to be as easy as possible when you’re on the go. Be sure to have wipes, baby powder, and anything else your little one needs when being changed. Having an uncomfortable toddler on a long journey will make the trip unpleasant for both you and your little one.
We suggest to bring along these items:
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Disposable Diaper Sacks: Diapers are stinky and can be no fun especially in a confined space like a car or airplane. Grab this diaper bag dispenser or these biodegradable diaper sacks for easy traveling.
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Travel Changing Pad: You’ll need a convenient changing pad to lay down in an airplane bathroom or the car to keep your toddler feeling fresh, pick up this one that comes with an easy carrying sack.
iPad Loaded with Apps, Games, and Videos
In this age, there’s no better way to keep your toddler entertained than with an iPad. You can download numerous learning games and activities, play educational shows and videos, and instal creativity and fun apps.
Make sure you have a pair of kid-friendly headphones for the journey, like these, and check out some of our suggestions for items to put on your iPad below:
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Endless Alphabet: Teach your toddler letters, the alphabet, and simple word combinations with this fun app.
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Drawing Pad: Have you run out of coloring tools or coloring books for your toddler? This app allows your child to color in coloring books, create free form drawings, and experiment with a variety of mediums to create art.
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Music Speaks: Let your toddler have some fun playing with music and just letting loose with 14 different musical instruments featured in this app.
Pack Outfit Bags
You’re definitely going to need more clothes than you could possibly imagine. There will probably be a variety of spills and messes to clean up along the way, and having a supply of clothes is essential. One handy tip from Abby, over at Just a Girl and Her Blog was to create pre-made outfits in ziplock bags, which we think is a genius idea. All you have to do is label the ziplock with the contents inside and put it in a bag or your carry on luggage.
Create an ID Tag for your Toddler
In case something were to happen in an emergency either to you or your child you want to be prepared. You never know when a disaster could happen, or simply that you and your child become separated.
An ID tag can contain telephone contacts, important health information, and any addresses that are pertinent.
Road ID is one company that allows you to create custom bracelets with contact information that your kids can wear. Another company, Allergy Alert lets you create ID bands that attach to your toddler’s shoe, you can put whatever information you want there and they won’t even realize they have it on them.
And make sure you bring a copy of your child’s basic health information with you, in case of an emergency. You can create a private pediatric health record on Kinsights for free here: https://kinsights.com/records/. Print a copy and keep it in your travel bag. It’s an easy way to organize immunizations, medications, allergies, emergency contact info, and more in one place.
The Right Attitude
Although this isn’t something you can physically buy and package up to bring with you, it might be the most important item to have with you when traveling with your toddler. Try to enjoy the journey, despite the ups, downs, and occasional messes. Exploring and traveling are experiences that your toddler can start appreciating now, so go ahead and hit the road!
