I’m not saying I’m an expert by any means, as I’m only 6 years into motherhood, but we have traveled many times since our oldest was 4 months old. From 17+ hour road trips, to cross country trips by planes that included delays, to shorter 3-6 hour road trips, our kids are pretty well traveled, and I’ve learned a thing or two along the way about how to make these trips go as smooth as possible with little ones in tow.
Growing up, my family traveled at least once a year, and we always did so by car. These road trips were almost always 12+ hours long, and contrary to what some people told us prior to having kids, I knew I was not going to let having babies stop us from experiencing adventures.
Is traveling with kids hard? Sure, but so are a lot of things.
Is it exhausting? At times, but let’s be real, you’re going to be tired whether you’re at home with kids or traveling with kids, so might as well enjoy a change of scenery.
Is it worth it? In my opinion — Every time.
That said, here are a few of my favorite toys to have on hand when traveling, as well as some of the tips and tricks I’ve learned throughout our time of traveling with little ones.
Favorite Toys for Traveling with Littles
Water Wow Books
I’ve been a long-time lover of the Melissa and Doug Water Wow books. Since before my oldest was one, these were, and still remain a hit! No mess, easy to pack, and great to have on hand for in the car, restaurant stops, or just some hotel/at-home play.
Hex Bugs
If you have children younger than 3, these will need to be supervised, but if you’re riding in the backseat with your littles, this is a great thing to have on hand. Grab a cheap cookie sheet from the Dollar Store, turn these bugs on, and let them go!
Mess Free Color Wonder
When traveling with 3 and under, crayons and markers can be frustrating at times. From unwanted coloring on the seats or doors (or themselves), to dropping lids, etc. The mess-free color wonder sheets are great for trips!
Reusable Dry Erase Pockets
I love to take a bunch of busy sheets, or even plain paper, and stick them in these so that the girls can use dry-erase markers and color/do activities, but reuse them on the way back from the trip as well. (They make them in sets of 10, too).
Reusable Puffy Sticker Book or Reusable Sticker Book
These sticker books are a favorite for both my girls, and there are so many different options to choose from – fairies, princesses, cars, pirates, mermaids, and more. They love playing with these at home, but they are so nice to have in the car.
Writing Tablet or Etch Doodle Sketch Board
For younger kids, the etch boards are probably best, as the LCD writing tablet can be damaged if they write too hard, but honestly, my oldest loves both of these and my youngest always wants to have exactly what her sister has, so I buy these in two packs and always have one on hand for long car rides, restaurants, etc.
Kids Camera (really takes pictures)
We snagged one of these for my oldest when she was 2 and she has taken it on so many trips! She loves to take pictures while driving, of the hotel/Airbnb, when we’re out. We bought my youngest one for Christmas and during our last trip, they loved taking pictures of each other! This camera is so sweet to have because they take real pictures, but also have a few little games and different filters to play with, so it keeps them entertained as well.
Magnetic Maze
This is a great little maze to have for both younger and older kids. Simply, but keeps them busy.
Poke a dot books
We love a good poke-a-dot book! Personally, I like the smaller ones best, that way I can take them into restaurants with me as well.
Magnet/Magnatiles and Cookie Sheet or Travel Case Wooden Magnetic Pattern Blocks + Board
Head to Dollar Tree, grab a cheap cookie sheet, and toss some of your kiddo’s favorite magnets in (animals, letters, even magnatiles, etc.), and let the fun begin! You can also grab a few small puzzles and use this magnetic tape to put on the back of them, then use the cookie sheet as a platform to assemble the puzzle on, my oldest especially loves this. We also really enjoy the Melissa + Doug Travel Case Magnetic pattern blocks and board. It’s great for both the car ride and killing time during your hotel/Airbnb stay.
Portable DVD Player + Headphones
While I love to have activities available for my kids during long trips, I am also not above a good movie. But if you want to keep your sanity, you’ll probably want to invest in some headphones as well. These are the ones we’ve used since my oldest was little. The DVD player comes with a car charger and a wall charger.
Small Animals
Small animals/dolls/cars are great to have because just a couple of them can really keep the kids busy.
Activity Dot it Sticker Pictures + Dot Stickers
I’m a big fan of dot stickers. I always have some in my bag –– church, restaurants, car rides, and doctor’s office, they are so easy to pull out and use to distract your kiddos. These sticker books are great, but I also like to use just a plain notebook and draw lines or shapes in them and have the girls sticker the lines and shapes.
Fidget Popper
This popper has been everywhere with us from the time my second born was 4 months old. And even at 5 years old, my oldest still enjoys it.
Handheld Water Game
Again, if I can get something in a set of 2, all the better! Even when I only had one child, it was nice to always have a backup on hand for long trips, especially.
Glowsticks
Glowsticks are a simple, but easy thing to keep on hand for trips. Great for nighttime, but also nice to have for once you reach your destination. Glowstick baths, glowsticks in the closets, glowstick dance parties.
Highlights Hidden Picture Books
While you may think these are only for older kids, my girls loved these even at two years old. We get a subscription for them at Christmas time, but you can buy bundles on Amazon. I keep a stack of them in the car at all times.
These are just some of the main things that I keep in my basket of must-haves for long road trips. You definitely don’t need to have it all, but by having a few of these things mixed in with some good old coloring books, crayons, and of course, all the snacks, you’ll be setting yourself up for a smoother traveling experience with your little ones.
A few tips I’ve learned over the years…
If you have potty-trained children, always keep a portable potty, some wipes, and germ-x on hand.
For kids under 2, having a portable sound machine is helpful. I’ve loved this one since my oldest was a baby.
Always keep an extra set of clothes in the front, for both mom and children. You never know when a kid might get car sick, have an accident, or spill something. Rather than digging through a suitcase in the back, you’ll be able to easily grab the clothes and change.
If you’re using stickers and your little ones struggle to peel them off by themselves, peel the sticker backing off before giving it to them. Makes it doable for little ones.
Teach kids the juice box flap trick. You’ll avoid so many spills.
Expect a lot of stops, but be excited when you only have a couple.
When stopping for food, find a town that has a park close by. Take a few minutes to eat, then let your little ones run around. This will keep both you, and them, in much better moods.
Remember, traveling is hard. For both you and your children. Naps might be missed, babies may be fussy, older kids may have some big emotions, tears may be shed, and the amount of time it normally takes to get somewhere will probably double. It’s okay.
Take a deep breath, have a mix of your favorite snacks on hand, take some headphones for everybody, and keep expectations low.
Now, go make some memories with your kiddos!