Tips for road trips with a toddler
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Updated: February 9, 2021
We are big fans of traveling far and wide to explore our world but, there is so much to see right here in the USA! The best way to travel around the US in our opinion is by car even if that includes extensive road trips with a toddler in tow. Below, we go into detail on tips and recommended items to help your next road trip with a toddler be a successful one!
Tips for Road Trips with a Toddler
There are three stages of road trips with a toddler: planning, packing and on the road.
#1 Planning
Planning for a trip will depend on where you live and what you want to see! Our favorite all around tool for road trip planning is google map. Not only is the map feature super useful on a computer or mobile phone but, the reviews are invaluable for planning. When starting the planning phase of your road trip, map out the route to your final destination then zoom in along the route to see what stops are on the way. For instance, if you are driving across North Texas you might want to stop at Cadillac Ranch (pictured below) to stretch your legs and see something fun! Small planned stops can really break up road trips with a toddler!
Back to planning with google map. Once you have stops planned, you can roughly plan for where you will stop each night. Some days you may be up for driving further than others and we find that it’s best to stay flexible by booking a hotel on the road that day. We like to check the reviews of hotels and make sure there are decently reviewed restaurants near by as well. The tool that we use along with google map for booking hotels is the hotels.com app. We love their interactive map and reward program.
Instead of booking a hotel, you may choose to drive at night while your toddler is sleeping. We have done this many times but, prefer driving during the day so that you can enjoy the landscape as you go. It is definitely an option and most likely a long road trip will be a combination of day and night driving.
Another consideration for your family may be renting a vehicle. This may not be something you have considered before but, we have an older vehicle that is terrible on gas. We live in a city where we don’t drive a lot and it works for us on a day to day basis but, road trips are a different story. Each road trip we take we crunch the numbers comparing how much we would spend on gas/maintenance versus renting a fuel efficient rental car. Often we rent.
#2 Packing
Packing for road trips with a toddler can be a bit overwhelming but, remember that if something is forgotten, it can most likely be picked up on the way. So, no stress! We typically pack as light as we can. We also prefer to take as little as possible into the hotel each night. Moving things in and out of the car makes it more likely to lose things.
For our family of three, we try to pack all of our clothes in one wheeled bag (we use an Osprey Shuttle Wheeled Duffle). During the summer, we have a separate bag for everyone’s pool/beach gear. In winter, we have a small duffle dedicated to coats/gloves/hats for everyone. We find that this prevents excessive digging around in the clothing bag and everyone knows where to find their gear.
During a road trip we typically carry a clothes bag (with toiletries in it) and an electronics/valuables bag into the hotel each night. If we are really on top of it, we have been know to pack an overnight bag with just pjs, a change of clothes and toiletries for the family. Lugging bags in and out of hotels isn’t particularly fun. Another great tip is when packing the car, push anything you don’t need to take into the hotel to the back of the trunk. Anything you need to take in should be right up front for easy grabbing.
We typically recommend packing a baby backpack carrier vs. a stroller on road trips with a toddler because they fold compact and are much more maneuverable for most destinations. If you don’t have a baby backpack carrier and are unsure where to start looking for one, take a look at our Top 5 Baby Backpack Carriers. The Kid Packer’s top rated baby backpack carrier is the Osprey Poco Plus (full review here).
Also, take a look at our list of top items for road trips with a toddler below!
Lastly, snacks! Snacks will vary based on your family’s preferences but, we always pack a little something for everyone and always include a sweet treat. Bringing a cooler is a great option if you have the space. It’s great to have food with you so that you can stop anytime regardless of what restaurants are around. Highway rest stops often have great sheltered picnic tables perfect for a family road trip picnic. If we carry a cooler we typically pack mostly sandwich ingredients. A great piece of advise is to put everything in the cooler in zip lock bags! Otherwise, melted ice will get in and ruin anything you put in there. We also don’t recommend any messy foods for the car or anything your toddler may choke on. Also, don’t forget extra zip lock bags, paper plates, plastic cutlery, napkins and straws. We also recommend storing food in plastic milk crate style boxes. They fit perfectly in a seat and can be stacked without crushing everything inside.
Top Items for Road Trips with a Toddler
It may be tempting to pack a ton of extra activities for road trips with a toddler but, the reality is, they don’t need a lot. Toddlers will play with pretty much anything, and sleep and eat most of the time anyways. Below we list our top 5 items for road trips with a toddler.
If your toddler is potty training, take a look at our article Potty Training while on Vacation. This article has a lot tips and items to pack specifically for potty training on the go!
Another great resource for packing for road trips with a toddler is our Top 10 Items for Flying with a Toddler. Packing for road trips with a toddler is very similar to packing for flying with a toddler especially in regards to entertainment and snacks.
# 1 Car Seat Activity Tray
A car seat tray can be super handy for play and meal time! Car seat activity trays can be really helpful for keeping smaller toys from falling into backseat oblivion and definitely help during snack time. We are a fan of any tray made for car seats but, this particular model by Lusso Gear includes a ton of bells and whistles!
# 2 Snack Cup
Snack time with a toddler on a road trip can be a huge mess but, it doesn’t have to be with this Munchkin Snack Cup! It includes a lid and a way for your toddler to pull out snacks without spilling. Simple and effective! We also recommend having an easy access water bottle for your toddler. Our preferred water bottle for toddlers is the Camelbak Eddy.
# 3 Arts and Crafts
Arts and crafts can be a ton of fun on a road trip! We love the Crayola Create and Carry because it helps contain the mess inside! We recommend one set of coloring tools for your child at a time otherwise, a mess is still a possibility. Some additions that can make this kit extra fun include stickers and rainbow scratch paper!
# 4 Tablet and Accessories
A tablet can be a great tool for entertainment! Screen time for toddlers can be a hot topic and opinions vary by family. We feel that it can be educational and break up a road trip if used in moderation. Whichever tablet your family prefers at home should be perfect for a road trip! We prefer the Apple Ipad Mini. We pre-load movies/shows and games before leave. Our favorite shows for toddlers on a road trip are Baby Einstein and Sesame Street style shows.
# 5 New Toys
Toys are wonderful entertainment for a toddler on road trips. We recommend packing toys that are not necessarily your child’s favorites. This may seem counter intuitive but, we have found that toddler toys tend to go missing. We also recommend packing a few new toys that your toddler hasn’t seen yet. This provides extra excitement and hopefully extra distraction. A few toddler road trip toys that we recommend are Toob animals (photographed above), Melissa and Doug Water Wow and Sticker Pads, and anything your kid likes playing with. Our son loved playing with cups, sticks and ropes. It made him happy which made us happy. If it isn’t easy for you to reach back and help with small toys, it may be easier to stick with larger stuffed animal style toys.
Sometimes the best form of entertainment for road trips with a toddler are simple games! If your child can see out the window, try I-Spy or a road trip scavenger hunt for you to do as a family!
#3 On the Road
Finally, after all the planning and packing it’s time to have fun on the road with your toddler! A few tips for while on a road trip with a toddler include:
1. Strategic naps. We have used this strategy countless times! When you know that you are stopping in 30 minutes, you don’t want your toddler falling asleep for their afternoon nap. Try keeping them awake with some form of entertainment until they can get a solid couple of hours nap in.
2. No messy foods. This may seem obvious but, try to keep the mess to a minimum. When you are spending a lot of time in the car, it’s best to keep it clean(ish). We also recommend using a silicone bib in the car for your toddler even if they are just snacking on finger foods. It will catch quite a bit of the mess.
3. Take advantage of overlooks and rest stops for running around!
4. Don’t forget to enjoy the simple things like talking about what is out their window and what you are going to do when you get there.
5. If you have signal, facetime with family! You can also put a movie on your toddler’s Ipad and play the sound over the car speakers. It makes it feel like a family movie and it’s fun to share in the experience with your toddler.
Tips for Road Trips with a Toddler - Summary
If you are a thorough road trip planner and pack accordingly road trips with a toddler can not only be successful but a great time for family bonding. What we have learned from our experiences road tripping with a toddler boils down to not stressing too much over packing (most things are easily available in stores), staying organized and being flexible in regards to planning. So, hit the road and see where it leads you and your toddler!
About The Kid Packer
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