Toddler Travel Essentials: Must-Have Items for Stress-Free Trips

This summer it seems like we as a society are done with isolating and sheltering and are ready to get back into the absolute cesspools that are airports and Buc-ees’, so we’re rounding up our favorite toddler travel essentials to keep parents sane in the process.

Our little family – which includes a 1-year-old and 3-year-old – just got back from a week away in a mountain cabin and are about to leave for two weeks driving the west coast and visiting Canada but with all that travel comes a lot of preparation when you’ve got littles in the backseat whining for snacks.

From plane travel to summer road trips, let’s break down the biggest toy and gadget successes we’ve had so far.

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Window clings

Super affordable, reusable and good for plane windows, car windows, hotels, and short-term rentals, you really can’t go wrong with window clings. Our kids have been really into the ocean lately so we love these ones, but they have tons on Amazon and I always find some in the Target dollar section too!

Memory game

I bought this memory game as a last-minute road trip entertainment option for our 3-year-old and I had no idea how much of a hit it would be! She spent – literally – hours playing with it, and it came with us to restaurants as well. I love that it’s all attached so there aren’t tiny pieces you have to keep track of, and you can switch out the theme to like 14 different designs so they don’t get bored too quickly (thank God).

All the Snacks

Obviously we couldn’t get through this post without talking about snacks. Bento boxes are absolutely the way to go. Ours are personalized and were gifts from family, but these ones linked have removable ice packs which would be so great for the car or plane!

And a bonus: this set of stackable snack containers. It can fit a lot but is super compact for on-the-go, and can transition with your little one from holding formula or puffs etc. when they’re little and more big kid snacks down the line.

Toddler Camera

If there’s one thing I’ve learned about 2- and 3-year-olds, it’s that they love to be mini grown ups. Our daughter has this toddler camera she uses when we’re on trips and she loves telling us to CHEESE, or taking 1,345 pictures of her feet and the floor. This one actually has a real memory card and it’s so fun to see the photos she takes and how she sees the world.

Portable white noise

Whether you need to get in an on-the-go stroller nap, drown out city noise in a new hotel, or muffle the sounds of mum and dad drinking wine on the patio after baby bedtime, a portable white noise machine is a must-have.

Drawing pad

Kind of like a mix between an iPad and an etch-a-sketch, this drawing pad is super affordable, easy to transport and endless entertainment. We like to draw all the animals we can think of and sometimes I’ll draw our toddler’s name and she can trace it.