20 Tips For Road Trips With Toddlers

Tomorrow we begin our long journey to Maine in the car! While I’m so excited, I’ll admit I’m pretty nervous and anxious about how Piper will do in the car for 9+ hours. We actually decided to leave tomorrow night so we can split up the drive into two shorter ones and I’m hoping that helps. We have around 4 hours to CT then 4 more hours to Kennebunkport where we’ll spend the night. Then 3 hours to Acadia for 2 nights and then about an hour to the house my parents rented for the week. It should be an adventure! Be sure to follow along on Instagram! I have been asking around for any and every tip for traveling with toddlers and here are 20 of my favorites, hopefully they come in handy for your summer trips. Also be sure to check out this HUGE resource with over 50 tips from moms around the country on traveling with kids!

 

1. SNACKS: An obvious one, but pack snacks that your child rarely gets and will be excited about.
2. If you have an older toddler think about making a bento box full of bite size treats.
3. Invest in or make a full size bib that covers the car seat. Here’s a great one on Amazon and a DIY to make your own. We use one of the towel ones for Piper in the car!
4. Make activity bags. (I made brown paper bags filled with new activities, CDs and books to give Piper every 2 hours).
5. Shop at the Dollar Store & Target dollar bin for new toys and give your child a surprise every hour.
6. Listen to new music (the library is a great spot to stock up on CD’s)
7. Open an Audible account and listen to children’s books — The Golden Book Poky Little Puppy, Dr.Seuss stories and Beatrix Potter come recommended!
8. Pack a few older toys and books your child hasn’t seen in a while.
9. Rotate who sits in the back with your child and who drives.
10. Make a tray for them to do activities on. Tutorial here.
11. Sketch with a spiral bound notebook and mess-free markers or twist-up crayons (be careful with regular crayons sitting in the heat).
12. Plan your stops. Research rest stops and playgrounds vs. stopping at fast food chains so your kid(s) can run around and get fresh air.
13. Color Wonder markers + paper.
14. Take the pages out of coloring books and use a clipboard for easier coloring.
15. Reusable sticker books.
16. Organize all your snacks and keep them up front in a basket by your feet. Don’t forget a trash bag.
17. Buy an over-the-seat holder for you iPad and preload it with movies and shows for when the times get rough. (We have this one)
18. Have everything organized for your stops so its easy to jump out of the car and save time, whether that means having a separate bag or filling your diaper bag with everything you need (food, utensils, change of clothes etc.)
19. Use a small cookie sheet (we found one at the Dollar Store) as an activity board – bring a bag of magnets and post its to play with.
20. Pack a clean up kit with resealable plastic bags (for soiled clothes, dirty diapers and in case anyone gets car sick), disinfecting wipes, mini can of Lysol (accidents, car sickness clean up), paper towels.

Traveling this summer? Here are more of our travel articles!

 10 Activities For Long Road Trips, Tips For Taking Your Toddler To The Beach + What We Packed, 10 Things To Pack When Flying With A Baby