Traveling With A Toddler Road Trip Hacks

Traveling with a toddler this summer?

Summer is the time for family road trips to beach destinations for days filled of fun in the sun. If you’re like us, we love taking trips to see our family and friends but there’s one thing I dread more than ANYTHING: the “getting there” part. Traveling with a toddler is *almost* the definition of insanity!

There’s nothing that pains me more than spending 5+ hours wasting away in the car. If our destination is more than five hours away, I’m almost always looking to see how much flights are. Now that Cambria is a little older and we have to pay for [a full adult] ticket for her, I always feel guilty for spending double on flights than a car ride.

Therefore, I had to come up with some hacks for traveling with a toddler because let’s be honest, it ain’t fun.

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We’ve taken TONS of road trips with Cam, the first being when she was just 2 months old. I was panicked and wasn’t sure how it was going to go. I packed WAY TOO MUCH stuff and was on edge the entire trip. Since then, I’ve found my groove and learned some easy hacks that make traveling with a toddler SO MUCH EASIER.

Here are my top 7 hacks for traveling with a toddler:

1). Pick the best time to travel

Traveling at night with a toddler is one of our favorite times to go places that are pretty far. We wait until right after rush hour, feed Cam, slip her jammies on and hit the road. Usually by the time we get an hour or so down the road, she’s already asleep and will be out for the remainder of the trip! This makes for an impromptu “date night” in the car where we’ve spent many hours talking about our goals, future plans, and funny stories. It’s a great time to reconnect (and keep each other awake) on the road.

If you’re not doing far, try your departure time during a mid afternoon nap. Eat lunch in the car (if you’re into those kind of crumbs) and head out. Once they’ve eaten and had a little tablet time, it’s usually lights out and a little drool until you arrive.

2). Pack ALL the snacks when traveling with a toddler (SURPRISE!)

Kids LOVE to eat, especially toddlers. Cam could eat snacks all day long. I like packing her some special snacks we wouldn’t normally buy so it’s more of a treat for her and keeps her occupied for longer. I think having small portioned snacks in a plastic container (actually a jewelry box organizer!) makes it even more “out of the norm” and makes it more fun for them! Cashews, Scooby Snacks, M&Ms, various fruits, cheese cubes, etc. are perfect for these little spaces in the box. Don’t forget to bring supplies to fill it back up!

 

3). Traveling with a Toddler: Brain Activities

If the snacks and naps don’t work, don’t forget to pack some special activities for them to do while they’re riding. Here are some of my favorite things to bring:

• Crayons, paper and car seat activity tray for a flat surface
• Melissa & Doug On the Go- Water coloring activity pad

• Food Erasers- these super cute little erasers come apart so they can practice making a little sandwich or cake. These may require supervision if your child likes to stick things in their mouth, nose, ears, etc. But Cam LOVES to manipulate these tiny pieces to make something new.
• Fun Sing-a-Long CDs or sound tracks- Baby Shark Doo Doo…  If you can handle hearing kid songs for a little while this one is for you!
• Reusable Stickers– These are the best for creating different scenes and there are SO MANY things the kids can create without having to worry about sticker mess on your car window

4). Be prepared for potty breaks

Nothing will derail your potty training progress than traveling with a toddler. “Mom, I gotta pee pee” on a long stretch of nothing but woods calls for desperate measure. Pack a travel potty in your car! It’s much easier to pull over in a safe area and let your child tinkle in the potty than to drive up to a gas station with who-knows-what sanitation standards. It takes up much less times and believe it or not, it’s fun to pee in a tiny potty! Stretch out a diaper underneath the hole to catch whatever comes out to keep the potty clean and then toss the diaper.

If you find yourself going in somewhere, pack these genius disposable potty liners to keep their paws off of the community toilet!

5). Get them OUT!

If you’re on a particularly long trip, be sure to let them get out and stretch. Last time we drove somewhere pretty far, we found that letting Cam get out of her carseat and run around this little fountain we found helped keep her happy for the duration of the trip. Even getting out to pretend to drive is enough! It’s not fun to be sitting down for hours on end, so make sure you plan to get them out a few times to change the scenery.

One important factor to comfort is the carseat. Make sure it’s clipped in nice and tight but it also is plush and comfortable. We’ve had a few different kinds but have found that Cam is most comfortable in the Maxi Cosi Pria carseat- its sooo squishy, has a cup holder, and seems to sit her up nice and high, which she likes.

6) Stay Organized When Traveling With A Toddler

 I love using a seat protector under the carseat because it keeps my seats clean from crumbs and there are plenty of organizational pockets for wipes, trash bags (for trash or unexpected throw up), a fresh outfit, paper towels, and hand-sanitizer. I can’t tell you how many times these handy little pockets have saved me from searching through a million bags in my car looking for the wipes or a change of clothes if Cam had an accident. This is a MUST HAVE for a long road trip but pretty clutch for everyday use as well. You can buy a 2 piece set that comes with the seat cover AND an attachment for the back of the front seat that includes a tablet holder. Speaking of tablet…

7). YOU NEED a Kindle Fire for Kids!

Last time we went to visit Kaitlin in Raleigh, we were heading out to buy Cam an iPad for the trip home.

That was until David brought down Lilly’s Amazon Fire Tablet and we went straight to Target to get one for Cam.

This “kid specific” tablet comes with marshmallow like cover and loaded with tons of games, puzzles, books, and apps. We love that we can download movies on Netflix OR buy some on Prime. You don’t even need internet to watch the movies when it’s downloaded! It’s SO CLUTCH and easily the best purchase we’ve made for Cam.

With this list, you’re off to a *hopefully* successful road trip! These are items I will NOT get in the car without. Demetrius thinks I pack too much stuff but is always grateful I have plenty of things to keep Cam occupied and enjoys some of her snacks himself. Whatever it takes to keep him driving (so I don’t have to), I’ll do!

What are some of your “must haves” for traveling with a toddler?