Have a long trip looming on the horizon and adding a toddler to the traveling chaos? Minimize the chaos and increase your chances of rocking the miles like a pro by following these tips for traveling with babies and toddlers.

In his first two years of life, our eldest son boarded planes fifteen times. Some of those trips were long, some short–but all had the same need: a plan to occupy a small child during hours of sitting.

Eating and sleeping–interspersed with a few hugs and maybe a book or two–is enough to keep an infant happy. A toddler is another story altogether. Once mobility is gained, sitting on an airplane (or in a car) becomes a thousand times more trying for both child and parent.

Let’s make those trials just a bit easier. In this post, you can find ways to occupy your toddler during long trips (be they by air or land).

Making Travel Goodie Bags

There is always the good ol’ option of turning on a screen to occupy time in a plane or vehicle. However, video entertainment can sometimes only hold a little child’s attention for so long, and extended screen time is just as bad for toddler’s developing eyesight during a trip as it is during normal life.

That’s why I like to pack a special bag of goodies (toys, snacks, activities, books) that are brand new and used only during our trips. The excitement of new toys can endure through a few hours of otherwise monotonous travel.

The fact that these toys and activities are only used during trips can, over the course of several experiences of travel, build anticipation for long car rides or flights. What will I get this time? a toddler wonders.

How to Incorporate Physical Activity on a Trip (Flight or Road)

While on a plane, the choices for activities can be a bit more limited than in a car. After all, you can’t get out of your seat and run around for five minutes around the sleeping people on either side of the aisle. However, there are alternatives that can still bring some active movement into your toddler’s flight.

For both cars and planes, try “wiggle breaks”: short periods of time in which you get up and do a wiggle dance, stretch, and change scenery. I suggest setting a timer on a watch or a phone for these breaks. The audible reminder of time can help curb some of the resistance to returning to a car seat or airplane seat when the wiggle break is over.

As another option for movement, try fine motor and gross motor activities that you can include in your goodie bag. These can be done while seated, and there are almost endless possibilities. Stickers, coloring, fingerprint inking, squishy balls, water coloring books, Play-Doh–these are just a handful of the options. (See below for a list of ideas.)

What Are Good Toys and Activities to Take on a Trip with a Toddler?

What do both adults and little children like? Options.

Giving your toddler a toy to play with during a trip is a great idea. But giving a group of options is even better.

When we pack a travel goodie bag for our son, we like to vary the activities and toys available to him according to various categories.

Here are our favorite categories, some examples of items that fit within each, and links to find these toys online. Choose one toy (or more) from each to include on your trip.

Art (something to create):

Magic water color books
Crayons
Fingerprint activity book (try dinosaurs, animal friends, or farm animals)
Pipe cleaners
Instant camera with thermal printing capabilities (similar to a Polaroid, but so much more fun because it prints in black and white [a.k.a. instant coloring pages!])

2. Sensory (something to squish):

Grape ball
Play-doh
Modeling clay
No-Spill Bubbles (not recommended for airplanes)
Pin art
Nano mist sprayer (in addition to being a simple and fun activity to keep your kiddo occupied, this doubles as a great way to keep your child’s skin hydrated in the dry air on a plane or in an air-conditioned vehicle)

3. Music (something to listen to):

Baby phone
Song book
Musical stuffed animal (we had this musical elephant for our eldest son, and he ADORED it)

4. Play (something to pretend/control):

Steering wheel (especially great for car rides)
Wooden food cutting set
Plastic animals (safari animals or farm animals — these can stand by themselves, so they are great for playing with on pull-down airplane trays)
Magnetic animals, dolls, vehicles, construction vehicles (be aware that magnetic toys are recommended for ages 3+)
Matchbox cars
Magnetic fishing game
Lego Duplo set: “A Fairy Tale”

5. Reading (something to read):

Sticker book (we like Usborne sticker books, especially the Jungle Sticker Book)
Pop-up book (try Usborne’s Pop Up Jungle)
Cloth busy book
Lift-the-flap book (try Tiger Tales A is for Apple or Usborne Lift-the-Flap books)

6. Food (something to eat)

Goldfish crackers
Pretzels
Dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, blueberries, apricots, figs — always make sure the sizes are appropriate for your toddler’s eating abilities)
Fruit and vegetable pouches
Ritz crackers
A small tub of peanut butter (because of the choking hazard PB presents, don’t serve it in chunks; rather, spread it on the crackers or dip pretzels in it)

CLOSING THOUGHTS

In just a few short weeks, we have another long travel itinerary stretching across multiple continents. In anticipation of those hours stuck together inside planes, I’m considering all my possibilities for toddler entertainment.

I’m anticipating the long hours of confinement in the airplanes. I’m also anticipating the excitement on my son’s face as he receives his travel goodie bag.

The new toys and activity books are on their way in the mail, and I feel that much more prepared.

Give these travel tips for toddlers a try and see how they work for your little one. Pick your favorite activities from the list above or venture out into something new. Remember to keep your diaper bag’s contents extra-special by not allowing peeking or playing before the big day. And don’t forget to let us know how your trip went.

Until next time, safe travels!