We are quickly approaching one of our big family trips this year, and with our travel dates being so soon, I have decided to do a post around one of my most frequently asked questions: “What are your toddler travel essentials?” I am no expert in traveling with kids, so this is all just based on personal experience plus my own toddler’s likes and dislikes. Different things will work for different families. But what I am sharing are my own personal tried and tested favorites. These are items that will always be in our suitcases regardless of whether it is a staycation in Hong Kong or an 8000 mile journey back to my home state of New Jersey. Of course, it gets a bit easier packing for kids when they are no longer infants, but that doesn’t mean my checklist still isn’t a mile long!
I remember being extremely nervous to fly with little bean for the first time back in May 2023. She was barely 6 months old, and I was terrified I didn’t pack enough of the right things or I forgot something important. A million questions would run through my head. Did we bring enough formula in our carry on (I recommend packing an entire can just in case of a diversion)? Did we bring enough nappies? Did I pack the right clothes for the weather? What if she’s too hot or too cold? Despite little bean being a bit of a seasoned traveler, traveling to 9 different destinations and flying on 14 flights before she turned 1, I am still asking myself some of these questions. So what are my toddler travel essentials? I am listing them below.
Stroller
First and foremost, let’s start with our stroller. We have been using this stroller since little bean’s birth (we used the newborn insert until she was 5 months old before switching her around). Our stroller is super light, works great on city streets and dirt paths, and is even allowed onboard the plane in the overhead (it is considered as 1 carry on item). I do not like gate-checking our stroller because the few times we did do that, we didn’t get our stroller back until about 10 minutes after everyone on the plane disembarked. With an infant (or a toddler), waiting for that lengthy period was too exhausting. To quickly get through customs, I put little bean in her stroller on the airplane and roll it down the aisle and out the exit (the stroller width is perfect for airplane aisles). We also love this extended footrest, which allows little bean to nap in her stroller while on the go.
Carseat
Now that little bean is a toddler, we do not bring her carseat onboard anymore. When she was a tiny baby, we used an FAA approved carseat to secure her in her own seat. But now that little bean is approaching 2-years old, she doesn’t need it anymore. However, she still needs a carseat for most of our destinations. Sometimes, if we are staying at a resort and do not plan on venturing out much, we won’t bring her carseat at all because the hotel usually provides one when they pick us up from the airport. For the times where we may use a taxi to go exploring, we like to use her inflatable booster seat and safety vest. This is what we use in Hong Kong whenever we take a taxi, because for the most part we usually take public transit. But for trips that require longer road trips, such as visiting family in New Jersey or Idaho, or for our upcoming trip to Iceland, we will take our big carseat. This carseat can be forward facing or rear facing, has cupholders for her water bottle, is one of the lightest carseats on the market, is FAA approved, and has a 5-point harness for extra safety. We store our carseat in this carrier bag whenever we travel, and we check it in with our luggage. On some airlines, carseats can be checked for free and do not count as checked luggage (check with your airline).
Seat Cushion
On long airplane rides, it’s not always easy getting comfortable when flying especially with a baby or toddler. On my last flights to and from the US, I used an inflatable foot rest to essentially “extend” little bean’s seat which allowed her to lay down flat and sleep most of the 15-hour flight. This time, I am trying the new self-inflating sky bunk for little bean, especially since I am traveling solo and won’t have time to pump a footrest for her (but I will probably use it for myself!).
Packing Essentials
When it comes to travel with little bean, especially on solo trips, I like to be as organized as possible so I always know where everything is. For the airplane, I still use our large diaper bag for her nappies but also for all her activities and snacks. On trips that I don’t use my packing cubes, my suitcase is just a giant mess and finding what I need for little bean becomes an impossible task. I organize the cubes based on tops/bottoms, dresses, and socks. To keep our toiletries organized, I use these colorful bottles for her (for shampoo, conditioner, body wash, etc). Since you never know if an illness or ailment might pop up, I like to travel with these mini bottles filled with baby medicine (and these syringes to administer them) until we can get to a doctor. And to keep her travel cups clean while on the go, I love using these wipes either on the plane or on road trips when I can’t use a sink for a thorough wash in that moment.
Entertainment
At home, little bean’s screen time is limited. She’s only allowed up to 2 hours of screen time on Sundays, and only if she asks for it. However, there are exceptions. When she is sick or on travel days, there are no screen rules. She is allowed to watch whatever she wants (usually she requests Moana) because she didn’t ask to be sick nor did she ask to be stuck on an airplane for 16 hours. To watch television on the airplane, I love these adorable headphones built for toddlers. They are perfect for listening to a tablet or iPad, however you’ll also need these adapters in order for them to work on the airplane. To watch the iPad in the car, I use this holder for the headrest directly across from little bean so she can watch something while we are on a long drive.
Activities
Any travel day immediately has me thinking about all the ways I can entertain little bean when she isn’t sleeping. Again, she didn’t ask to have to sit for lengthy periods of time, so I need to find ways that occupy her little brain. Whether we are in the car or on the plane, I have a few activities that keep little bean busy. For the airplane, I love activities such as this writing tablet. While little bean can’t write yet, she enjoys doing scribbles and trying to make shapes. She also loves animals, so these sticker pads are also a big hit as she tries to create an animal face. Plus, stickers on the plane are always a great way to keep a toddler entertained. Another trick is tape, so this tape activity book is practically made for airplane rides. For long car rides, I love the idea of sensory toys that little bean can play with in her hands. We have this one and this one. Not only are they bright colors, but the different textures are calming to little bean.
